Chapter 59

59

ALAINA

B ack in Chicago, I was sitting in Roan's dining room, surrounded by my notes and laptop, trying to get everything organized for the upcoming semester. The table was a chaotic mess of lesson plans, sticky notes, and half-drunk cups of coffee. It was all stuff I should have done earlier, but with the trip to New York and Christmas, work was the last thing I was thinking about. I wanted to spend every minute with my two very special guys. I didn't want to think about lesson plans and what I was going to do for our next big project.

Even now I felt guilty. Roan took Rafe to soccer practice, which was something I would normally tag along for. But I had to work. Roan told me to stay home, his home, not mine, and get my work done. It did feel like my home since I had spent pretty much every night with them since the break. I felt a little like Cinderella. I needed to be careful. It would be very easy to embrace the fairytale and forget where I actually lived.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, forcing myself to focus on the jumbled mess of paperwork in front of me. Though I loved my job as a teacher, the planning and grading aspect was something I could easily do without. The joy in teaching came from the kids, not from sitting in a quiet room drowning in textbooks and syllabi.

There was another sigh, this one more wistful, when I thought of Roan and Rafe, off on their bonding adventure. I missed them already. It had been such a wonderful few days, filled with love and laughter. I could imagine them right now, Rafe running around on the soccer field, his hair sticking to his forehead from the exertion, and Roan, standing at the sidelines, cheering him on enthusiastically. They were so good together, their bond unmistakable and unbreakable. I admired their relationship, and now I was a part of it.

The familiar sound of Rafe's footsteps and Roan's voice echoed through the house as they returned from soccer practice.

"Rafe! Make sure you take a real shower, with soap!" Roan called after him.

Rafe dashed into the dining room. "You're still here!"

I laughed. "Yes, I am."

"Rafe, shower," I heard Roan shout from the foyer.

"How was practice?" I asked.

"Good," he said. "We did a new drill."

"And how did you do?"

"It took me a couple of times to figure it out," he said.

Roan came into the dining room. "Rafe, you stink. I had to ride home in the car with you. Go shower."

Rafe just giggled and smelled his pits. "I don't stink."

"Trust me, you do," Roan said. "You just can't smell your own stink."

Rafe giggled again and ran out of the room. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them. "You know, you're going to have a preteen on your hands soon," I teased Roan. "And then you're going to get the real stink. The sweaty feet and locker-room smell."

He walked behind me and bent down to drop a quick kiss on my lips. His hands found their way to my shoulders. "Don't remind me," he said, starting to massage the tension out of my muscles. "Speaking of which, do you think you're ready for that?"

I laughed, closing my eyes as his fingers worked their magic. "I've been teaching kids Rafe's age for months. I think I can handle it."

Roan's hands stilled for a moment before he resumed his gentle kneading. "What about having more kids?" he asked, his voice low and serious.

My eyes snapped open. That was a question I hadn't expected. I turned slightly to look at him. "Are you saying you want more kids?"

He met my gaze, his eyes warm and sincere. "With you, Alaina. I'd like more kids with you."

A rush of emotion washed over me, and I momentarily forgot everything else. "Roan…" I started, but before I could say more, Rafe thundered back down the stairs and came into the dining room once again, his hair visibly damp but the rest of him still looking questionable.

"Hey, Dad! Can I have a snack?" Rafe asked.

Roan glanced at him, then back at me with a sigh. "Rafe, wetting your hair in the sink doesn't count as a shower," he said, standing up straight.

"But I used soap!" Rafe protested, flashing us a quick grin.

Roan chuckled and shook his head. "Get back upstairs and take a proper shower. We've had this discussion before."

Rafe groaned dramatically but turned to head back upstairs. "Fine, but you owe me extra ice cream!"

Roan chased after him. The two of them laughing like hyenas.

I didn't want to be working with them home. I liked to devote my time to them which was why I was so behind. I was packing up my things when I noticed a small velvet box sitting on the table, left behind amidst my scattered papers and laptop. My heart skipped a beat. Slowly, I reached for it, my hands trembling as I picked it up. The box had not been there a few minutes ago. I turned around, looking for Roan, and found him standing in the doorway, a wide grin on his face. Behind him, Rafe was beaming with excitement.

Roan walked up to me, his eyes never leaving mine. He took the ring box from my hands and got down on one knee. Beau, sensing the importance of the moment, tried to wedge himself between us, his tail wagging furiously. Rafe bounced up and down beside his dad, unable to contain his excitement.

In the back of my mind, I knew what was happening, but I couldn't quite get my head around it. Was this really happening? I couldn't move. I was frozen to the chair with my eyes locked on his.

"Alaina," Roan began, his voice steady and filled with love. "I never imagined finding someone who would not only love me but also love my son as if he were her own. You've become an integral part of our lives, and I can't picture a future without you. Rafe and I want you to be a part of our family. I know it's fast, but this is real. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to grow old together and cherish our future grandchildren. Will you marry me?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded, my voice choked with emotion. "Yes," I whispered, then louder, "Yes, Roan, I will marry you."

Roan slipped the ring onto my finger, but I barely glanced at it. What mattered was this moment, this patchwork family we had created together. We kissed, a tender, heartfelt kiss that spoke of promises and a future filled with love and shared dreams.

"I love you," Roan said softly, his forehead resting against mine.

"I love you too," I replied, tears of joy streaming down my face.

Rafe was practically bouncing with glee. "You said yes! You said yes! Now Beau can move in full-time, right?"

I laughed through my tears, hugging Rafe. "Yes, Beau can move in full-time."

Roan pulled us both into a tight embrace. "Looks like Cate and Jake are going to have to learn to get along if they're going to be the maid of honor and best man at our wedding," I said, chuckling.

Roan laughed, shaking his head. "That's going to be interesting."

I turned to Rafe, my heart swelling with love for this little boy who had come to mean so much to me. "Okay, kiddo, now that we're officially engaged, it's time for you to get in the shower. You played your role very well."

Rafe groaned playfully but obediently headed toward the stairs. "Fine, but I want extra ice cream for dessert tonight!"

"Deal," Roan and I said in unison, laughing.

As Rafe disappeared upstairs, I turned back to Roan, the reality of our engagement sinking in. "I'm going to call Cate and tell her the good news."

Roan nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Go ahead. I'll start dinner."

I grabbed my phone and stepped into the living room, my fingers trembling with excitement as I dialed Cate's number.

"Hey, what's up?" Cate's voice was casual. I could hear the tapping of the keys of her laptop. She was working as usual.

"Stop working, I have to tell you something and I need your full attention."

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

"Cate," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "Roan proposed. We're engaged!"

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end before Cate let out a delighted squeal. "Oh my God, Alaina! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you," I said, tears of joy filling my eyes again. "I couldn't wait to tell you."

Cate's voice softened. "I knew it was going to happen. You two are perfect together. And Rafe—he's going to be so happy."

"He already is," I replied, glancing toward the kitchen where Roan was busying himself with dinner preparations. "He's been asking Roan to hurry up and marry me so Beau can move in full-time."

Cate laughed. "That kid is something else. I need to see the ring. How many carats is it?"

"Uh, actually, I didn't even look at the ring." I laughed. I turned my hand and looked at it. "Oh, it's beautiful," I whispered.

"Send me a picture!" she shrieked.

I snapped a picture and sent it to her. There was a brief silence. "Wow," she gasped. "That's gorgeous. I was thinking he would give you a diamond the size of an ice-skating rink, but this one suits you. It's very pretty."

"Thank you." I smiled.

"So, when's the wedding?"

I laughed. "I've been engaged two minutes."

"Does this mean you're moving out of that God awful apartment?" she asked.

"Hey! You said you liked it."

"I lied," she said. "Move in with him. I'll feel much better."

"We haven't talked about any of that," I said. "Slow down."

"Hey, these are things you need to think about," she said.

"I will. Right now, I just want to enjoy the moment. I'll talk to you later."

"Congratulations," she said before we ended the call.

I returned to the kitchen, where the delicious smell of dinner was already filling the air. Roan looked up from the stove, his smile warm and welcoming. "How did Cate take the news?"

"She's thrilled," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. I leaned into him. "I can't believe this is happening. It feels like a dream."

"It's real," Roan said, tilting my chin up to look into my eyes. "And it's just the beginning. We have a whole future ahead of us, Alaina. Together. I am going to make sure you are the happiest woman in the world."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and for the millionth time that day, I found myself blinking back tears. "I already am," I told him earnestly, pressing my lips to his in a soft, sweet kiss.

The sound of footsteps drew our attention away from each other and we both turned to see Rafe standing in the doorway, his hair still damp from his shower and a broad grin on his face. "Is dinner ready yet?" he asked.

"Just a few more minutes," Roan said.

Rafe nodded, hopping onto one of the stools by the counter. "When are you going to get married?"

"That's exactly what Cate asked," I said, laughing. "We just got engaged. It takes some time to plan these things. Plus, your dad has a busy schedule."

"I'll clear my schedule for our wedding," he said. "Name the date and I'll be there."