Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Brock

Two months, one week later

Life was wild.

But it was perfect.

I was sitting on the corner cushion of the couch, one leg running along the length of the cushions, my other foot planted on the floor.

Mia was sitting between my legs, her back pressed against my chest.

She'd just nursed Milo and put him down for the night. Granted, he wouldn't likely sleep all night, but he was certainly doing much better going for longer periods of time and had worked up to six hours straight over the last week or so.

It had been a bittersweet moment for Mia, just like so many things had been these last three months. Milo would hit a milestone, and Mia would be both happy and sad about it. I couldn't say I didn't understand. There was a lot for her to feel emotional about.

Todd hadn't come around.

Mia tried not to let it show how much it bothered her, but I could see it. And it didn't bother me that she had the feelings she did. I knew she didn't have romantic feelings for her ex. She merely wanted her child's father to want to take an active role in his life.

The boy was three months old now, and Todd had only seen him twice. On the bright side, his family helped to ease that pain for Mia. Susie and her parents both visited rather frequently, and they didn't hide how much they hated Todd's behavior.

Because they knew he was missing out. Milo was getting bigger every day, growing so fast, and time seemed to be flying.

That was precisely the reason why I had decided tonight was the night I needed everything to change.

I'd worried it might have been too soon, but it wasn't enough to make me not follow through. I couldn't wait any longer, and I hoped Mia felt the same.

"So, what do you want to watch tonight?" she asked.

"Do you know what today is?" I blurted my question.

Mia sat up a bit and twisted her body to look back at me with furrowed brows. "What's today?"

"Today's the day I met you. It's been a year since you moved in next door to me."

Surprise dawned on her features. "Oh my gosh, you're right. How could I have forgotten?"

I laughed. "You've had a few things on your mind lately."

She let out a sigh, sat back, and rested her torso against mine. "I can't believe it's been a year."

"Best of my life," I shared.

"Yeah. Yeah, it started off a bit rocky for me, but it really has been the best year of my life, too."

"I want this next year to be even better."

Mia angled her head, tipping her chin up, so she could look up at me with a bright smile. "I can't imagine it could possibly get any better."

Without taking my eyes off hers, I pulled the box out from behind my body and held it up between us. "I think it can."

Shock and surprise washed over Mia, her body tensing as she sat up and turned fully to face me. "What?"

I couldn't get a read on her. Was it possible this was too much too soon?

There was no turning back at this point, so I decided to lay it all on the line. "One year ago, you knocked on my door and introduced yourself to me. I don't know how it was possible I knew it then, but I did. You were the woman of my dreams. There were a few obstacles along the way, and I know we've only officially been together for five months, but I love you, Mia. I didn't think it was possible to love you more than I already did, but something changed for me over these last three months. Watching you become a mom, seeing the way you've stepped into this role, I've fallen deeper in love with you. And I never want to lose you. In fact, I want to make babies with you. But first, I want you to be my wife, Mia. Will you marry me?"

Her eyes were frantic, roaming all over my face, and her lips were slightly parted. I waited, holding my breath, believing I might not survive it if she turned me down. "You… you want to marry me?"

"More than anything else," I assured her.

She pressed her lips together, tears filling her eyes as she nodded. "Yes."

That single word came out just barely a touch over a whisper, but it was the best thing I'd ever heard. I smiled at her, threaded my fingers through her hair, and urged her toward me, so I could kiss her.

No matter how many times I'd kissed her over the last five months, it always got better. I was just as excited to kiss her now as I had been the first time that I done it.

When I tugged back gently on her hair, I said, "Let's put this ring on your finger."

She held her hand up between us as I pulled the ring from the box, and once it was settled at the base of her finger, something warm hit the center of my chest.

"You're mine forever, Mia."

"I love you so much, Brock."

"This next year of your life is going to be the best one yet," I promised her. "And every year after that, it'll just get better and better."

Mia smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She swiped at it and said, "You've never failed to amaze me, to always follow through, so I don't doubt you for one second."

I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Do you really want to make babies with me?" Mia asked.

I found myself thinking about having babies with her more often that I had imagined I would, especially considering we were just barely getting back to a somewhat normal sleep schedule with Milo. But next to being married to her, there was nothing I wanted more.

"I'd like us to get married first, but yes, I do. Being here for you, watching you on this journey with Milo, and getting to be a part of it has been unbelievably rewarding. He means the world to me, and I couldn't love him more if he were my own. And I couldn't choose a better woman than you to be the mother of my children."

"How many do you want?"

"As many as you'll let me give you."

She considered her response to that and nervously bit her lip. It was rare for me to see Mia's shy side come out.

"What is it?" I asked, wanting her to feel comfortable saying whatever was on her mind.

Shaking her head, she insisted, "It's nothing. It's just that… well, if that's how you really feel about more kids, I'm not sure either one of our houses is big enough."

She wanted lots of them.

I wondered if she knew how happy she'd just made me.

"So, when the time's right, we'll move."

"But… but what about your workshop? And the neighborhood?"

Framing her face in my hands, I shared, "I can build a new workshop, Mia. And we'll find another great neighborhood. Or, if you truly do love it here, we can sell one of the houses and put on the additions we need."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Because it is. Ever since I've met you, I've learned that the only thing that matters to me is your happiness. So, whatever it takes to make you happy is what I'm going to do. And I'm not afraid of making that happen."

She cuddled close, burying her face in my neck, and slipping her arms around me. "I love you, Brock."

Wrapping my arms around her, I said, "I love you, too. Now, which one of your two favorite movies do you want to watch tonight?"

I already knew what she was going to say before she said it. " When Harry Met Sally ."

With that, holding my fiancée in my arms, we watched her favorite movie. And this time, although I carried Mia up to bed because I simply enjoyed doing it even if she wasn't sleeping, I was more excited about the fact that I didn't have to walk out the door and leave her behind.