Sweet Victory Bonus Scene

Xander steered his Range Rover into the driveway after what felt like a long day of training, despite the fact he'd made the rare decision to take off a couple of hours early. After parking in front of the three-car garage, he sat there for a moment, taking in the sight of the two-story house he and Sophie bought the year before. Late afternoon sun cast its light on the cream stucco, manicured lawn, and colorful flower beds. They'd created this home together, a hard-earned symbol of their love and success.

Since getting married for the second time, both of their careers had taken off. Xander had achieved his lifelong dream of winning the championship title for his division, while Sophie had expanded her business by opening a second location for the Sweet Spot. They had worked hard, supported each other through the ups and downs, and celebrated each other's successes.

However, there was one area of their lives that had been a source of struggle and heartache. They wanted to start a family, but for the past year and a half, they'd been trying to conceive without any luck. Sophie had undergone several rounds of fertility treatments, each one more draining and emotionally taxing than the last. It had been a constant roller coaster of hope and despair for both of them.

Their next treatment was only a few weeks away, though, and Xander held on to the belief that this would be the one that finally brought them the child they so desperately wanted. As he got out of the car and made his way to the plum-colored front door—a bold choice they'd fought the HOA on and won—the day's stress melted away, replaced with the joy of coming home to his wife, just as it always did.

Xander took a deep breath as he stepped through the front door, the familiar scent of Sophie's favorite vanilla-scented candles greeting him. He dropped his gym bag and strode through the foyer and into the spacious living room, letting the warmth of the house wrap around him like a comforting embrace.

He heard the faint sound of clinking dishes coming from the kitchen, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Though he still did most of the cooking and enjoyed it, occasionally she liked to step in and give him a night off. She'd gotten better over the years, but it was always a toss-up on whether they'd have to scrap it and order out afterward.

Making his way into the kitchen, Xander found her standing at the stove, furiously stirring a pot of something while reading a recipe on the tablet propped against the toaster. Her long hair—currently a light shade of pink with streaks of fuchsia—was pulled back into a messy bun, and she was wearing a pair of leggings and one of his old TLP2 T-shirts that hung off her slender frame in a way that made his heart flutter.

"There's my girl."

Sophie jumped. "Shit, you scared me," she said, then looked around at the disaster she'd made of the kitchen and self-consciously pushed the errant strands of hair from her face. "You're early. What are you doing home?"

Xander crossed the room in a few strides and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Surely you can't blame me for wanting to come home early to my beautiful wife," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Her brown eyes softened with affection. But a moment later it vanished, and she faced the stove again, returning her attention to the pot. "Well, nothing is ready, including me. I had a plan for tonight, and you being here early wasn't part of it."

For a split second Xander panicked, thinking he must've forgotten an important date, but it wasn't either of their anniversaries. He furrowed his brow, studying her closely. There was something off about her demeanor, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Soph, what's going on, love? Talk to me."

She cracked the oven open to check on whatever was in there, then closed it again. Grabbing the oven mitt, she put it on as she spoke, her voice tight. "Nothing's going on, Xander, okay? I just wanted to surprise you with a nice dinner for a change, and you know cooking doesn't come easy to me as baking does, so I need to concentrate."

"I feel bad I ruined your plans. Why don't I help?—?"

"No!" His eyes widened at her sharp tone, but she blew out a deep breath and course-corrected quickly. "I'm sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to. I mean, no thank you. Go relax in the other room, pour yourself a drink, and I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Xander knew when there was no budging his stubborn wife. He'd make things up to her later, starting with a bubble bath and followed with a full body massage that would lead to all manners of other bone-melting pleasures. "Alright, love. Holler if you need me."

Sophie waved him off, already focused on her tasks. He still had a niggling sensation that something was bothering her, but he'd learned that sometimes he had to let her tell him in her own time. He was just out of the kitchen when he heard Sophie curse among a clattering cacophony.

"Sophie!" He raced back to find a minefield of a shattered glass baking dish with some kind of roast and a bevy of vegetables all over the floor. And standing barefoot in the middle of it all, with tears streaming down her cheeks, was the love of his life. "Aw, baby, it's okay. No, don't move, Soph," he ordered when she started to lift a foot.

He was still wearing his shoes and made no bones about walking over the carnage to get to her, sweeping her up in his arms. That's when she broke down. Tucking her face against his neck, she began to really cry. It simultaneously broke his heart and made him want to commit fucking murder for whatever was upsetting her.

Xander toed off his shoes at the kitchen's threshold and carried her into their bedroom at the back of the main floor. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he cradled her in his lap, then held her head in his hands to make sure she hadn't been cut or burned. But the only thing marring her beautiful face were those damned tears.

Wiping them away with his thumbs, he spoke softly. "There now, lass, tell me what this is all about. Whatever's on your mind, you know you can tell me. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry, I ruined everything. This wasn't how it was supposed to go," she said, sniffling.

"How whatwas supposed to go—dinner? Soph, you can't think I care about any of that. We'll order in, and then I'll stick you in the tub for a relaxing soak while I clean up the mess. It's not a big deal, I promise."

Sophie shook her head. "No, I'm not talking about dinner. I mean, I am and I'm not. Fuck, I don't know what I'm saying. Logic has left the building, and now I'm just a meat sack of constant emotions."

Pain pierced Xander's heart. She must have gotten her cycle. Every time she got confirmation that she wasn't pregnant, it took an emotional toll on her he wished to God he could carry for her. But before he could pull her back in and whisper words of love and reassurance, she wiped away her tears and walked over to her dresser, opening the top drawer. When she turned back to him with a small gift box in her hand, his confusion turned to curiosity.

She held it out to him, her brown eyes shining with emotion. "I was going to give this to you after dinner, but I guess now is as good a time as any," she said softly.

Xander took the box from her, his heart pounding in his chest as he carefully opened it. Inside, nestled on a bed of tissue paper, was a positive pregnancy test. He stared at it in disbelief, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. Could it be true? After everything they'd been through?

Xander as he looked up at her, his eyes shining with tears of his own now. "Sophie, this…this is amazing," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "But maybe we should take another test, just to be sure."

Sophie chuckled through her tears, shaking her head. "That was the sixth one," she admitted. "And the doctor confirmed it earlier today. I wanted to make extra sure before I got your hopes up, but it's real, Xan. We're having a baby."

Xander felt a surge of pure elation as he hauled her into his arms and swung her around as she squealed out a laugh. Then he set her down and placed his hand on her belly, imagining it round with their child. "We're having a baby," he repeated, the words sinking in as reality began to set in.

Then he remembered he'd been holding on to something for just this moment. "Wait right here." He kissed her on the forehead before hurrying to retrieve it, his heart pounding still pounding with excitement. When he returned, he handed her the small lavender gift bag, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Sophie looked up at him in surprise. "What's this?"

"I've had that since we decided to start a family. I knew this day would come, Soph. I never doubted it. But don't get too excited, it's just a little something to help us announce the good news to our friends and family," he said, giving her a grin and a cheeky wink.

"Oh lord, knowing you, this could be anything." She reached into the bag and pulled out the contents. Inside were two adult-sized white T-shirts—one with a winking cartoon muffin flexing its muscles and the other with a happy, pink cartoon cupcake—with the words "Stud Muffin" and "Cupcake" emblazoned beneath, respectively. And nestled between them was a tiny, white onesie adorned with an adorable cartoon mini-cupcake and the words "Baby Cakes" written in delicate script.

"Xander, these are perfect." Fresh tears welled in Sophie's eyes, but this time he knew they were happy tears as she looked up at him, her face glowing. "I love you so much."

"Not nearly as much as I love you, Sophie James." He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as they both savored the moment. Until her stomach growled, making them laugh.

Xander spent the rest of the night pampering his wife and getting her everything to eat that sounded good to her. And he'd do that and more for the rest of her pregnancy. Scratch that. He'd do it for the rest of their lives, and do so happily. Because if there was one thing he knew to be true in this crazy world, it was that love was the sweetest victory of all.