19 months later
It was Christmas Eve, and the sparkling tree in the corner of the darkened living room gave off the smell of fresh pine. I had always loved the smell of a fresh tree. I had put Emma down for the night and had just finished wrapping the last of my gifts for Parker. I had my chamomile tea, and I curled up under the blanket on the couch and threw on some soft Christmas music. I looked out the window at the falling snow; it was so beautiful.
Hearing a key in the door, I smiled to myself. I had missed him something terrible today. I listened as I heard him throw his keys on the counter and drop his duffel bag on the floor then the familiar sound of his footsteps as he walked into the room.
"There’s my girl!"
The sound of his voice sent a chill through my body.
He came up behind me and kissed my neck, his breath ticking as he asked, "How was your day?"
I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "It was good. Jen and I went out to shop. You should have seen Emma; she was so mesmerized by all the lights." I smiled, thinking of her little smile. "What about your day?"
"You don't even want to know. Christmas always brings out the best in people. Is Emma asleep?" I nodded. "I'm going to peek in on her then get showered."
He met my lips for another kiss. "Did you want tea?"
"Please, I won't be long."
I gave a soft smile. "Go see your daughter." I could always tell when he had had a particularly rough day because he always went in to see her after his shift. He never woke her; he would just stare down at her little sleeping body.
I shut off the TV and unplugged the tree and headed into the kitchen to make our tea. Carrying both mugs into the bedroom, I turned the bedside lights on and pulled the curtains. It was cold; the snow was falling harder than before, and it was piling up fast. I flipped on the gas fireplace and crawled into bed. It had been a long day, and I was tired.
I was lying in bed with my eyes closed when I heard Parker come in. "Emma still asleep?" I asked, watching Parker walk to his side of the bed in nothing but a small, white towel.
"Yep, out like a light. Sorry I took so long. I could stare at her forever, she is just so perfect," he said, crawling toward me looking me in the eyes. "Just like you." His expression grew serious as he wrapped his arms around me, leaned down, and kissed me under my ear and down my neck.
I could melt in his arms, that was how much I loved being held by him. Placing his hand on my cheek, he kissed me slowly and passionately, his tongue finding mine. He pulled me into him as he lay back against the pillow, and I rested my head on his chest.
"What else did you do today?" he asked while rubbing my shoulder.
"I went to the doctor," I whispered.
"What's wrong? Is something wrong with Emma?" Alarm filled his voice.
"No, Emma is fine. Her checkup isn't until after Christmas."
"You not feeling well?" he said, sitting up and leaning on his one arm, looking into my eyes.
"I'll be okay. Nothing that seven or eight months won't fix," I said, giving him a gentle smile.
He looked at me a little confused, and then his eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"
I nodded, tears coming to my eyes. "Are you happy?"
He leaned down and kissed my mouth hard. "Happy? Are you kidding? I am ecstatic." He kissed me again, taking me in his arms. "God, I am so in love with you," he murmured between kisses.
I could feel him grow hard against me as he kissed me harder and deeper. He moved on top of me, and I opened my legs to accommodate him. I could feel him at my entrance, and he slowly slid into me, filling and stretching me. He let out a deep moan as he pushed himself inside of me, all the way to the hilt. I could feel the pressure building inside of me as he gave a few slow, deep strokes. It didn't take long. I could feel myself tightening around him as he swelled and throbbed. A few more deep pumps, and I felt him fill me, and he collapsed on top of me, breathing hard.
Emma started to cry, getting louder by the second.
"I'll get her," he said, pulling out of me and cleaning himself off with his towel.
I lay back and watched him walk out of the bedroom.
Minutes later, he came walking back into the bedroom with a giggling Emma in his arms. "You sure know how to ruin a moment, don't you, princess," he spoke to her in the softest voice, looking down into her face. "I think she is hungry." He held up a bottle in his other hand and laid her down beside me. He crawled into bed, spooning me, and we watched Emma drink her bottle and fall off to sleep.
When I woke, Tatum and Emma were both still asleep. I went into the kitchen, put some light Christmas music on, and pulled the turkey out of the fridge. Jen and Elliott would be on their way over later this morning to see their goddaughter. I wanted to get as much done and out of the way before they got here as possible.
I went about making my magical stuffing and got the bird ready. I had just slid it in the oven when I heard soft footsteps behind me.
Tatum wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed herself into me. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, beautiful." I turned so I could take her in my arms and kiss her. "Would you like some coffee, freshly brewed?"
"Mmm, yes, please. Emma is still asleep."
I leaned over and placed another deep kiss on her lips. "Well, go sit down. I just need to finish up, and I'll be right in."
I took the mugs out of the cupboard. Once I was sure she was out of the kitchen, I took a deep breath and reached inside the pockets of my house pants. I gripped the small box that was hiding there and prayed that this time her answer would be different.
Elliott and Jen had been building up my courage to ask Tatum to marry me. Jen had pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn't turn me down.
I cleaned up the mess that I had made and figured I had stalled enough. I picked up the full mugs and made my way into the living room. Tatum sat curled up on the couch taking in the warmth of the fire while watching the lights blink on the tree. I put the mugs down in front of her and sat down on the edge of the couch beside her.
"What’s that?" I nodded in the direction of the tree.
As soon as she turned her head to look, I slipped down on one knee and took the box out of my pocket and held it in my hand.
"What’s what?" she asked, turning to me and taking me in.
"I wanted to do this a long time ago, years, in fact, but things didn't quite go as planned on that day." I swallowed hard, taking her small hand in mine. I got all the reassurance I needed when I felt her squeeze my hand. I held up the ring and immediately her eyes filled with tears. "It was always you, Tatum. It always has been you, and it always will be you. Spend the rest of your life with me? Will you marry me, baby girl?" I almost choked on the words, I was so nervous.
She blinked away the tears, and with her other hand wiped her cheeks. "Yes."
I removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, feeling more complete than I ever had. I pulled her into me and gave her a deep kiss, tasting the saltiness of her tears on her lips. Emma let out a shrill cry from the other room, letting us both know she was awake and ready to start her day. I had everything I had ever wanted right here under this roof.