One year later

Kendra

“You know that I don’t like surprises Dennis.”

“Trust me Kendra, my love. You are going to like this one.”

I wasn’t so sure. I had a lot to do at home with the baby coming in only a couple of months. I wanted nothing more than to stay home and get ready. The nursery was almost complete, but I still felt like there was so much to do. Every time Dennis had a surprise, it was a big one and I wasn’t sure what it could be this time. With that man, I really never could tell.

“Give me a hint.”

“Well it has something to do with your old job at Link.”

I frowned from the reminder. I didn’t want to think about Link because after several months on leave, I realized that I wasn’t expected to come back. While they wouldn’t and didn’t fire me, they just kept it all up in the air long enough that I just gave up on the whole thing. It killed me to even think about it so I couldn’t believe that he was bringing such a thing up to me.

“What in the world does Link have to do with anything? You know that I don’t work there anymore. They pushed me out months and months ago.” I was thankful that I found out I was pregnant about the same time. It was something that I didn’t think was ever going to happen, but it did and I was elated. But now as he brought it up, I realized how much I missed that part of my life. I missed working with the kids and after everything I still wish I could go back into the field. It was up in the air if I would be able to and I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to face all of the ridicule.

“Calm down Kendra. Don’t get all worked up. You know that it is not good for the baby. This is a good thing. But it is about Link and I guess I should have just told you to open the door because we are here. You know I am not very good at this. I talk to you better when we are both naked.

I shook my head and then looked outside. I didn’t recognize the neighborhood, but the city was big so that wasn’t that hard to get my head around. I knew that there was a lot that it could be, but if Dennis said it was a good thing, I was going to take his word for it. He was usually pretty right when it came to stuff like that.

“Okay, so where are we?”

He smiled and opened the door, motioning for me to get out and see for myself. All I saw was a large newly constructed building. It was huge and seemed to tower over me. Where in the world were we?

“So… I am still curious where we are.”

He chuckled and moved to pull me into his arms. I went without a fight. It was the best place that I could think to be. It was where I felt safe and I don’t think I was ever going to get enough of him touching me. “Let me show you around.”

“Is this a new place that you built?” He had his hands in so many things, real estate and building apparently something new on his agenda. I could never keep up with all of the big projects that he told me about, but I didn’t remember him ever mentioning building something so big. He must have kept it under wraps. I had to wonder to myself what it was for. It was clearly for something, but if that was the case and the building was the surprise, why was I here? It just didn’t make sense and I pushed away a little as he took my hand and we went up the large concrete steps. The place didn’t look commercial, but it seemed far too big to be residential as well.

“Yes, it was just finished yesterday and they finished cleaning everything up a little while ago. What do you think?”

I crinkled my nose up for a minute and I honestly didn’t know what to think. It was clear by the expression on his face that he was happy with it, no matter what ‘it’ was, but I still wasn’t sure what I was looking at.

“Well, it’s um, really big. What are you going to use it for?” Maybe if I knew that, then I would be able to respond in a better way than I was thinking right now. Because right now I was just wondering why in the world he would have built such a monstrosity and for what purpose could it possibly be for. It was too big for everything that I had in mind that it could be. I needed a direction to go in.

“It’s going to be your Link. But this Link you will not have to temper your help and follow all kinds of rules that just hinder you. Now you can do it the right way Kendra and I know you are going to do great things.”

I was confused by his words. It made me think of one thing, but I was sure that I had to be wrong. He made it like it was mine, what does that mean?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this is for you to start your own Link. You can hire people and use whatever guidelines you want. I have already had your new place licensed and insured. Now all you have to do is figure out what you want to do next.”

I looked down at the growing bump and I didn’t know what to say. Did he not see that I had my hands full at the moment?

“What about the baby?”

Dennis smiled and his green eyes sparkled back to me in a way that I absolutely loved. “Kendra you have more than enough love to spread around. You will figure something out. It doesn’t just have to be you. Hire people. Craig is willing to come work for you. All you have to do is call him.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t speechless very often, but this was one of those moments when I genuinely had nothing to say. What could I say to that, I mean really?

“I can’t believe you Dennis, I really can’t.”

That got him smiling even bigger. “Do you like it?”

I loved it and after a minute and a few tears I told him so. I knew that there was a lot going on and my emotions were all over the place, but in that moment, I don’t think that I could have loved him anymore than I did at that very point in time.

He kissed me and I closed my eyes to his touch. I loved him so much and I now I don’t know what I would have done without him. I can’t even imagine my life without Dennis anymore. All of that time without him seemed like a past memory or maybe even a dream. We were so right together. There was no way that it could be this good. I worried that I would wake up and it would all be over, this beautiful life that I have now.

Dennis’ touch grounded me, reminding me that this dream was real. I never wanted to wake from it. I just wish sometimes that this could have happened sooner. But maybe we weren’t ready and all we were waiting for was the right time. Now it was here. It was our time.

He pulled away and touched my stomach, smiling at me with love. “God I love you Kendra.”

THE END