“I can’t believe he’s late.” Christina held her eight-month pregnant belly as she whispered down at the baby. “This is not acceptable for you and your brother.”

She half smiled. Christina couldn’t remember being late for anything in her life, other than the two times that’d required a pregnancy test.

“Mommy, look at all the pictures.”

“I know, sweetie. Aren’t they great?” She reached down and took their three-year-old son, Carter, by the hand, and led him to the middle of the showroom. “Daddy is very talented. And in trouble for not being here to meet all these nice people that came just for him.”

People walked around in tuxedos, and Christina felt huge in her designer dress. Anxiety ran through her body. She wasn’t equipped to entertain these people. Where was Matty? Was he in an accident? She’d checked her phone constantly for the past thirty minutes.

She and Carter made small talk with a few of Matty’s friends and relatives.

She stared down at her watch before her gaze shifted to her ring finger. Still nothing on it. They were about to have their second child, and still, Matty hadn’t asked her to marry him. It was okay. She knew he wasn’t wild about marriage, and that it may never happen, but she was happy. She could work whenever she wanted, or not work.

And her life was great.

Christina still couldn’t believe it was all real. Matty’s first exhibit, or showcase, or whatever they called it in the art world. Rich buyers and critics were everywhere, admiring his work. Some of them for big-time newspapers published around the world.

Matty was still nowhere to be seen.

Only he could pull off being late to this shit.

She was going to kill him.

“Mommy, look! It’s Papaw!”

Christina’s heart came alive. “What?”

She whipped around to the front entrance. Matty pushed her dad through the front door in a wheelchair.

Dad still looked weak, but his smile stretched from ear-to-ear.

Her hand shot over her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes.

She hadn’t seen him in a month. It was the longest stretch she’d gone without visiting her father in the past five years. After his last round of chemo, when Matty had bought the dream house, he’d gone back into remission. He’d beaten unbelievable odds time and time again for having pancreatic cancer. He was still weak, but they had nurses and the best medical care to look after him in Kentucky when they were home in the U.K.

She took Carter to see him once or twice a month and Matty went with them whenever he could. He seemed to like painting abstract versions of Lexington. Not to mention, he’d passed off the running of his father’s company to his brother, who was actually capable of finishing Mia.

“How?” Christina stood there, clutching her mouth, trembling.

Her dad wasn’t supposed to travel. He was too weak for the journey. But, he’d always told Matty he wanted to be there when he sold his first work of art.

“Mommy, you okay? It just Papaw.” Carter took off running and jumped onto her father’s lap.

Matty walked over, grinning from ear-to-ear. He moved her hands from her face and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Don’t worry, love. He worked out hard for a few months, in secret, so he could make the trip over and surprise you. If you hate anyone, hate me for encouraging him.”

She shook her head. “I don’t hate you, I promise. This is—just—you know I’m pregnant, asshole.” Christina smacked his shoulder, playfully.

“Ahh, yes, full of all the hormones and whatnot.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

Matty laughed. “Well, before you do, hold that thought.”

He walked over, dressed in a pair of five-hundred-dollar jeans and a Rolling Stones tee-shirt, and grabbed a champagne flute and a fork off the refreshment table. He definitely looked the part of an artist.

Christina’s dad rolled himself over to her and winked.

She started to talk, and he held up a finger. “I believe that boy’s got something to say.”

Matty clanked the fork against the glass. “Everyone, gather around, please.”

“What are you doing?” Christina glared at Matty like he was out of his mind. “And who does that shit in real life?” She nodded at the glass he’d just clanked.

Matty smiled and set the flute and silverware aside. He walked over to her, slowly, but with purpose. His eyes narrowed, and his smile disappeared.

He turned to the crowd. “Thank you all for coming. Seriously, this is just—incredible. I’ll let you get back to enjoying my doodles momentarily.”

Snickers rang out at his joke.

“But, I have something that needs to be said. Christina is pregnant with our second child. This is her father. He’s here from Kentucky. See, what happened was, I’ve had a question I’ve wanted to ask Christina for a very long time.”

“Oh my God.” Her hand covered her mouth once more, and her head began to spin. The tears welled up again, and she blinked them away.

“Carter, bring it over?”

Carter walked over in his mini tux, grinning the same grin as Matty. He looked like his father’s twin, shrunk down to toddler size. He fished in the pocket of his too-big jacket and handed Matty a little blue box.

Matty smiled, clearly loving every second of torture he could inflict on Christina. She hated being the center of attention, but Matty reveled in it.

“I had to go all the way to Kentucky, ladies and gentlemen, to ask permission for what I’m about to do. And I couldn’t very well ask this question, without Christina’s father present. So, he’s been working out hard, in order to make the trip over.”

Oohs and ahhs rang out through the room when Matty opened the box and dropped down to one knee.

Christina felt like she might topple over, but she couldn’t stop smiling and crying as she stared down at the same eyes that owned her that day when she walked into his mansion that was in complete disarray.

Matty’s eyes fixated directly on her when he spoke, as if nobody else was in the room. “Y-you’re—shit.” He looked away.

Everyone in the room smiled as Matty choked up.

Christina let out a slight giggle. She’d never witnessed him at a loss for words like this. His face flushed with pink, and the hand holding the ring out to her trembled so hard she thought he might drop it.

“Excuse me. Sorry. Damn allergies.”

More laughs.

Matty’s eyes met Christina’s once more. “You’re everything.” He swallowed. “My beginning and my end. I’m not worthy of you, and I never will be. But, so long as I’m breathing and walking this planet, I will fight to be whatever you need me to be. Through anything. You’re my heart. You’re the mother of my children. You’re my best friend, and when I’m with you, everything else fades away, and you and I are all that exists. You make me the happiest man alive, and I don’t want the journey to end, ever. Christina Smith, will you marry me?”

Tears streamed down Christina’s cheeks. She nodded furiously. “Y-yes!”

The place erupted in cheers, and Matty slipped the five-carat Tiffany diamond solitaire on Christina’s finger. She stared at it, her eyes still blurred with tears, while Matty wiped them away.

“How? How does it fit?”

He leaned down to her ear. “I had them size it up until after the pregnancy, and then we’ll have it resized after the baby comes.” His hand landed on her belly.

“But, but, how did you even know to do that? I never mentioned my fingers being swollen.”

“I pay attention, love. I know everything about you. And I always will.”

They kissed, long and hard to the sounds of cheers and people shouting “congratulations!”

When they parted, she walked over and gave her father a hug. He shook Matty’s hand.

“Thanks for bringing me over here in style.”

“No problem, Sir. Couldn’t very well have you miss this.”

“This is some place. I’m proud of you, Son.”

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll leave you two to it then. Me and the boy have got to go work the room, don’t we, Carter?”

Carter nodded, and his face lit up with a smile.

Matty scooped him up and carried him around, pointing to paintings and talking to random people about his artwork

Christina had been worried when she first found out she was pregnant with Carter. She’d had no idea what type of father Matty would be.

Turned out, she didn’t need to worry about it at all. He loved that boy more than anything. He loved his whole family more than anything in the world.

So that was why he’d waited so long to ask.

Even five years after meeting, he could still surprise her every day.

“How long are you here for, Daddy?”

“Matty says as long as I want. It’s a little cold and rainy, but they fry up some good fish around here. They call the fries chips, though. You believe that shit?”

Christina snickered and hugged him once more. She’d always wanted her dad to visit, but he’d been so sick.

“How’s the house?”

“Great. A little lonely sometimes when you guys aren’t there, but I make do. There’s always a nurse or someone stopping by. I’ve been reading a lot, and guess what? I had a date last week.”

“What?” Christina made a show of asking the question, and her mouth dropped open, clearly teasing him.

“I know it. Been working out for this trip. Apparently, getting ripped is the secret to attracting women.”

“Jesus, Dad.”

He chuckled.

Christina shook her head at Matty, and her hand slid over her father’s thin fingers. It was the best day of her life, by far. “I can’t believe he was late for his first show.”

“Yeah, we got caught in some traffic.”

She shook her head again and turned back to her dad. “I guess he had a pretty good reason. I’ll let it slide this time.”

She bent down and hooked her arms around her dad’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you.”

“Ohh, I love you too, sweetie. I’m just glad that you’re happy. It’s all your mom and I ever wanted for you.”

Her hand cradled her stomach once more, and she smiled at Matty and Carter. “I am. I really am.”