Asha

  Asha heated Colton up a plate of food, trying not to breathe in the scent of freshly harvested hay and oats, as her stomach was already doing flip flops. She set it down on the table and watched Colton dive in hungrily. He finished off the plate in a matter of minutes. Asha sat down with a cup of tea. Black for Colt, peppermint for her.

October brought more intakes, two cows, three sheep and a dog with three legs that the entire farm adored. It was strange, how life could change so much in just a few short months. Asha hadn’t asked Colt to move in and he hadn’t pressed her, but they spent every night together.

Colt himself didn’t change. He was still kind, still Asha’s best friend, still her rock, her foundation, her strength. The only thing that changed was that now he was truly happy. He was radiant. He never let a morning or an evening pass without telling Asha that he loved her.

Loving Colt was the best thing Asha had ever done in her life. When she finally let her walls crumble and let him in, she found a new joy, a depth of emotion, a passion, that she had never known before. Colt’s gentle touch had quieted the fears that never went fully away.

“Still not feeling well?” Colton asked, glancing at Asha with concern.

Asha blushed. She was touched that he was so perceptive. She normally drank mint tea but lately she’d been so nauseous it was her go to drink.

“No,” Asha admitted.

“Maybe you should see a doctor,” Colt replied, looking Asha in the eye.

She had to smile. “Like you would?”

“No. Not like me.” Colt’s tone was filled with dry humour. He blinked once. “I’m worried about you. You haven’t been feeling well for weeks.”

“I thought it was just anxiety at first,” Asha admitted. “But I went and saw my doctor this morning so you can quit worrying. It turns out I’m going to be seeing her a lot more.”

Colt slammed down his cup of tea so abruptly that liquid sloshed over the brim. “Why? What’s wrong, Asha?”

Asha whirled. She grabbed the roll of paper towels from the middle of the table and started to mop up the spilled tea. “Nothing. Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” She set the paper towel aside, sunk back into her chair and gripped Colt’s hand. It was the same solid, calloused hand with oil worked into the creases, that she had always loved, somewhere deep down. “Nothing is wrong with me. We’re going to have a baby.”

  Colt was so stunned he just stared at Asha, not blinking, for a very long time. Then he exploded out of his chair with a shout, and grabbed Asha into a tight hug. She laughed and wrapped her arms around Colt’s neck. She kissed him, savoring the taste of his mouth, the feel of his lips.

“Colton, I love you,” she whispered. “You’re going to be an amazing father.”

He shook his head, disbelief still etched on his face. “Asha… my love. My life. The mother of my child.” Colt looked at her in wonder. He slowly released her from his arms. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles before he drew her back into his arms. Asha went, wondering what she had ever done to deserve a love like this.

“Asha,” Colton’s breath tickled the top of her head. “Please. Let me make an honest woman out of you.”

She smiled. “Alright. If you insist.”

Colt held her at arm’s length. A look of stunned astonishment transformed his features. “Truly?”

Seeing the radiant happiness slowly creeping into his eyes made Asha wish she had given in and married Colt a long time ago. “Yes, truly. I love you. You are my heart and my soul and my life. You are everything to me.”

Colt was struck silent. A sheen of tears shone in his dark eyes. He never did have any words for situations like this.

Instead he bent his head and kissed her firmly, passionately, with all the hope in the world.

She responded eagerly, already looking forward to a lifetime full of hope and joy, laughter and tears. She had feared sharing it with someone, but now she couldn’t imagine a lifetime alone. She’d always thought Roseland was her home, but she had been so wrong. This man holding her, his arms, his heart, his soul, his love, the life that they’d created; that was her home. And home was the best place in the entire world.

 

The End to Another Sweet Beginning