by Mia Pride
“Congrats to you all,” the doctor said. “Your condition was a complex one, and this could have been worse. You did well following instructions, and now you have a healthy son and a beautiful family. Try to get some rest. We will be around to check on you every few hours and may keep you and Thomas here for a couple of days just to monitor him since he was pre-term. You can push this button to call the nurse if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor Johansen,” I said with a grin, wishing I could shake his hand, but it was still gloved and covered in... whatever it was that coated Thomas before he was wiped down.
“It’s my pleasure,” the doctor said. “Christopher Farrington... as in the CEO?” He raised a brow.
“The very same,” I said with a nod. I never liked being known by strangers simply because of my name.
“Nice.” Luckily, he walked away and didn’t enquire further. I hoped none of this would end up in a tabloid, but I trusted the staff to be professional. Our son nursed for a few moments before falling asleep in Monica’s arms, and her eyes began to droop as well.
Crystal looked at me and tilted her head. “How are you feeling, Daddy?”
“Unimaginably happy,” I said, knowing words could not explain my true emotions. “Best day of my life.”
Reaching out, Crystal took Thomas from Monica before she fell asleep. “I’ll hold him for a while. Why don’t you make some calls and let the family know the good news? Brent is waiting in the reception area with bated breath. Won’t stop texting.”
Chuckling, I nodded. “I hate to leave their side, but I do have some calls to make. I’ll return shortly.”
Stepping away from the two people who meant more to me than anything, I left the room to seek out Brent. Not only did I need to fill him in, but I had a very important question to ask him, especially if I hoped he would be my brother-in-law as soon as possible.
With my heart hammering in my chest, I slid a hand in my pant pocket to make sure the ring was still there. I carried it everywhere just in case the time was right, and it would never be righter than this.
Monica
AFTER 48 HOURS IN THE hospital, I was desperate to get home. Though I never wanted to benefit from Chris’s fortune, I was grateful when he had me transferred into a private suite so Thomas and I could rest more easily, as our roommates were very loud and never seemed to sleep.
Pulling into our driveway, I felt both overwhelmed and overjoyed by the sudden changes in my life. I went from being a single woman in a small condo to a woman with a family living in a mansion. Though I was exhausted and anxious to get some rest, I felt disappointed that I had not had a baby shower before giving birth. Chris and I had everything we needed for Thomas, but to be surrounded by our friends and family to celebrate would have been wonderful. I missed my parents, and I knew they were heartbroken not to make it to the hospital in time.
“Everything all right?” Chris asked, gently parking the car as I sat in the back seat with Thomas, watching him sleep peacefully in his new car seat.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I’m on cloud nine with you and Thomas. I guess a part of me is sad my parents didn’t make it to the hospital to meet Thomas. And I wish your parents would love their grandson, much less accept him. I should only focus on the positive, but I want our son’s grandparents to be here.”
Getting out of the car, Chris came around and opened the door, putting out a hand and helping me to my feet. Rubbing my shoulders, Chris looked down at me and smiled reassuringly. “I understand, and the grandparents will all meet and love Thomas. I’m certain of it.”
“Even your parents?” I asked dryly, shaking my head.
“Of course. They are elitist twats, but they aren’t monsters. You’ll see.” Going around to the other side of the car, Chris took Thomas out of his car seat and handed his sleepy little form to me. “Let’s get this kid home officially.”
“Gladly. I cannot wait to get some sleep.” I yawned and walked up the stairs to our large front door, pulling my keys from my purse. The door silently swung open, and I stepped inside, relieved to be home with my family of three for the first time. Just us. Peace and quiet.
“Surprise!” I heard as I rounded the corner into the living room, grabbing my chest and jumping back with a gasp.
Eyes wide, I looked around the room, seeing all of our friends and family, including my parents and even Chris’s. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder, not at all sure he knew these people were in our home. I would suspect Crystal, but even she wouldn’t have been able to pull something like this off so quickly. Blue streamers hung from the ceiling, bundles of balloons were in every corner, and a huge stack of gifts rested near our fireplace.
Chuckling, Chris walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I told you they would all get to meet Thomas.”
“You set all this up?”
“Kind of.” He shrugged. “I had a lot of help. You would be surprised if I told you whose idea this was.”
I furrowed my brow and pouted my lips, flushing as I looked around the room at everyone I loved and a lot of faces I had never seen before. I looked like utter shit, which wasn’t the best way to meet his family, but I had just given birth and really couldn’t care less if I wore baggy sweats and a messy bun.
His mother slowly stepped forward with a look of remorse on her rather young-looking face. “It was my idea.”
“Yours?” I looked at Chris, and he nodded. Had I slipped into some alternate universe? The same woman who made me feel like I was less than a chewed-up piece of gum stuck to her Manolos had planned a surprise baby shower for me?
Mrs. Farrington frowned and nodded. “Yes. After... what happened, Christopher really put us in our place. He has never stood up to us about anything in his life before. At that moment, we realized how much you must truly mean to our son. We treated you abhorrently. You must think the worst of us.”
Yes, yes, I did. “No... of course not,” I lied, watching Patricia nervously wring her hands, knowing she did her best to make things right.
“Well, I wouldn’t blame you if you did think poorly of us. For cultured people who grew up with the highest standards of decorum, we truly acted ghastly toward you.”
She spoke like someone out of an old movie, but I listened and did my best to school my features as I rocked Thomas in my arms.
“Chris is your only son, and he never told you anything about me or the baby. I can imagine your shock, especially when you believed he was engaged to Samantha,” I said reassuringly. Everyone began to gather around, waiting to see Thomas and congratulate me. I itched to speak to my parents, who I saw on the side of the crowd, politely waiting their turn.
“Yes... That woman,” she sighed and rolled her eyes. “She lied to us, hoping we would force Chris to marry her so she didn’t appear to everyone to have been jilted. Obviously, it did not work. And...” his mom looked down at Thomas, and a genuine smile spread across her face. “I am glad. Chris has never been happier, nor have we, to have this grandson. May I?”
Happy to be done with this conversation and move on to the rest of the crowd, I nodded and handed him over, never expecting his mother to accept me, much less plan this shower. “Thank you for planning this, Mrs. Farrington. It really is a wonderful surprise.”
“Oh, call me Patty,” she waved a hand. “I had a lot of help from your family. But yes, I did suggest it,” she reminded me one last time before roaming away with Thomas. His father stood in the corner, back as straight as ever in his tailored suit, but when I noticed him, he sent me a little wink before looking at Patricia walking toward him with Thomas.
Soon enough, crowds of people took turns greeting us before working their way over to Patricia, who proudly held Thomas in her arms, likely enjoying the attention. Though I was dead on my feet, I was more than happy to allow everyone to meet Thomas all at once so we could get more rest later.
Crystal and Brent walked up with Mom and Dad at their side, and pure
joy flooded my heart to see them all together. “Mom! Dad!” I cried, wrapping my arms around both of them. “I’m so glad you made it!”
“We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Mom reassured, rubbing my back. “I am only sorry we didn’t make it to the hospital, but Chris called us immediately once you arrived there.”
“Chris did?” I looked at him with confusion, wondering how he even contacted them.
Chris only smirked at me with his I-know-more-than-you-think look, and put out a hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson. It’s great to see you again. It’s been a while.”
Dad shook his hand and flashed a proud grin. “It certainly has. We don’t see you much these days ever since the kids stopped coming home for the holidays and abandoning us in our old age.”
“You look as fit as ever to me,” Chris said. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I always thought you and Monica would make a wonderful couple,” Mom praised, wrapping her arms around Chris. “And here you are... a family. I couldn’t be happier.”
“I could,” Dad interrupted. “I don’t see a ring on her finger yet.”
“Dad!” I gasped, feeling myself turn beet red with embarrassment. “Don’t pressure Chris into doing something he doesn’t want to do.”
“Who said I don’t want to marry you?” Chris asked, catching me off guard and making my heart leap into my throat.
I looked at Brent and Crystal, who only shrugged and stayed silent, which I found odd. They were never short of opinions about my life, especially my stupid twin brother. “I mean... we never actually discussed it, so I guess I don’t know, but...” I felt all eyes on me as some odd energy filled the room, or maybe it was the buzzing in my ears from all the blood rushing to my face. This wasn’t a conversation Chris and I should first have while surrounded by friends and family. If he asked me to marry him, I would say “yes” in a heartbeat. But the truth was that we had yet to discuss our future, and I hadn’t wanted to bring it up until we were settled into parenthood. I knew he was the one for me. Every part of my soul was his, through and through. But did he feel the same?
“What if I do want to marry you?” Chris pressed.
Swallowing hard, I kept my eyes on him, refusing to look at everyone who gravitated toward us, listening to something that felt wholly private. “Well, if you do want to marry me...” I slowly replied, “I would be... glad to hear it...” I stuttered, but I was so caught off-guard that I didn’t know what to say, and an odd breathlessness made it hard to say much else.
Chris stared at me, and the energy between us crackled, a living entity encasing us in a private world, though we were surrounded by everyone we knew. In slow motion, I watched as Chris got down on one knee before me, slipping his hand into his pocket. My eyes grew wide, and a gasp escaped from deep in my throat, my heart beating erratically.
Patricia came over and slipped Thomas into my arms before taking a few steps back, and I realized the entire room watched us with smiles on their faces—even Chris’s father.
“Monica, our journey began at your brother’s wedding, but I feel like there was always something there, under the surface, drawing me toward you, waiting for the day I had the courage to ask you out. It turns out you’re the courageous one. Your strength and confidence have carried us so far, but it’s my turn to be strong, to say what I feel in front of everyone we know, and to risk it all. I love you, Monica. I love how real you are. I love that nothing can make you forget who you are or shake your resolve. I love how you fight for those you love and what you believe in. I love that you love me for who I am, not what I have. I love that you gave me a son.” Chris stopped talking and looked at Thomas cradled in my arms, sound asleep as I rocked him.
“I love us together and the family we created. But, selfishly, I want more. More of you. More children. More tomorrows. I want it all, but only with you.” Pulling a little black box out of his pocket, Chris opened it and lifted it to my gaze. An insanely gigantic diamond surrounded by smaller, yet still gigantic diamonds, rested inside, flashing like a rainbow prism as it caught the light beaming in through the open curtains.
Good God, it was the largest diamond I had ever seen in my entire life and much more than I ever needed. All I needed was this man, whose love fed me, sustained me, nurtured and comforted me, who supported everything I did and accepted me for all that I was.
“Will you marry me, Monica Marie Stevenson?”
Shaking as tears flooded my vision, I nodded and did my best to keep my composure. “Yes, Chris, I will marry you,” I whispered, feeling an uncontrollable smile spread across my face. “Yes!” The crowd cheered, making Thomas’s eyes widen as he startled awake, but I rocked him again, and slowly, his eyes closed.
When Chris slid the ring on my finger, I looked at him and tilted my head. “I change my answer.”
“What?” he asked, a frown pulling the edges of his mouth downward.
“I will marry you only if you return this monster and buy me something at least half the size.”
Laughing, Chris pointed at my brother. “I told you!”
Turning around, I saw Brent shrug. “I knew she would say it was too big, but you’re a Farrington. You had to buy the biggest ring first. It’s only right.”
“You told Brent I would hate it?” I laughed, shaking my head.
“Not hate it... but I knew it was way too much for your tastes. We will exchange it for whatever you want.”
“No, I like the idea of you picking it yourself. Just, this time, be reasonable.”
Again, Chris laughed and nodded. “You got it.” Leaning in, he gently kissed Thomas on the top of his fuzzy head and then kissed me softly on the lips.
The crowd cheered again, and I saw him mouth “I love you” before he pulled me closer as everyone came to congratulate us on Thomas and the engagement. My head spun with all the commotion, but at that moment, surrounded by friends and family, I felt so blessed in every way. I never expected to find this sort of happiness in life, but now I understood every cheesy love song and every sappy romance movie. I was living proof that even a stone-cold heart could be thawed until it lay in a puddle at her feet... or maybe I just peed myself. I was so numb down there after giving birth and being on painkillers that anything was possible.
Chapter Twenty
Chris
BESIDES MY PARENTS, not a single society snob attended our wedding because I intentionally invited none of them. Mother wasn’t too thrilled, but she sat back and allowed us to plan the wedding our way, something I never expected to see. Monica, gracious as ever, forgave Mom and Dad for their behavior and allowed them to help plan with us, so they felt included.
Thomas was only three months old, but a lot had happened in such a short time, and we wanted to get married as soon as possible to celebrate our new life and successes. With Amber renting Monica’s condo, Monica had settled in nicely at my place and had even begun opening her own restaurant on the main strip, a small yet already highly anticipated bistro where she could design the menu and call the shots. I offered to finance her project, but independent woman that she was, Monica was determined to do this on her own, and I supported her decision, suppressing my stubborn desire to step in and save the day. Monica needed no saving. Turned out, I was the one in need of some help, and my life was on the path to success in every capacity. For the first time in my life, I measured success in smiles, laughter, and time spent with my family, not how many businesses I acquired or how many contracts I signed.
As for Steve, he was still awaiting his fate, but I had hired the best legal team money could buy to make certain Steve never saw the sunshine again unless his prison bars faced a window. Apparently, there was a relatively long list of minor offenses against him that had been casually swept away by his loyal colleagues for quite some time. Fortunately, with a little digging and help from many of the upstanding officers in our city, we were able to find enough evidence of Steve’s transgressions to make sure he never bothered Monica
again.
It was early November, almost a year since the day Monica and I came together, and so much had changed in my life for the better. Being seduced by Monica was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now, we had a son, and I stood at the front of a long white aisle in our backyard, waiting for Monica to meet me under the floral archway of our newly built gazebo. With the world at our fingertips, all Monica wanted from me was a backyard wedding and a promise to love her forever. That would be the easiest promise I ever made. Like I ever stood a chance against the siren.
With Brent on my left and Tyler, a long-time friend, on my right, I looked around at the deep burgundy and orange flowers Monica picked for the autumn season. Glittering gold fabric canopies surrounding the guests and flapped in the wind, sending sparkling rainbows around the backyard. Everything was perfect, and so was my bride.
Brent looked at Tyler and nodded his head, and I knew he remembered the time Tyler dated Crystal before she went back to Brent. Tyler was a good guy and never lacked female companionship but he was respectful and had very deferentially stepped away when he realized Crystal still loved Brent. Smiling back, Tyler nodded. “How’s Amber?” he asked Brent with a gleam in his eye.
Remembering that he once showed interest in Grace’s mother, I chuckled and shook my head. “I thought you were over that.”
“She never called. Can’t get over something you never had, right?”
Brent looked around the garden area and pointed to Amber, who fiddled awkwardly with the front of her low-cut burgundy bridesmaid dress, obviously uncomfortable with the amount of cleavage showing. Though she was part of the wedding party, Amber also helped with Thomas, who she carefully passed to my mother before walking back into the house. “Well, after the ceremony, you can ask her yourself.”
Tyler narrowed his eyes as he observed her from afar. “Did she bring a plus one?”
Brent chuckled. “Nope. Amber is... not good at dating. She claims she is too busy with work and raising Grace, but according to Monica, she’s seen more game in old ladies at slot machines than she’s ever seen in Amber.”