My head is already nodding yes before my brain has even had a chance to fully process what’s happening. He flips open the box, letting go of my hand long enough to pull the ring out, then lifts it again, readying it for the ring.
The Art Deco style ring is stunning. It has a platinum finish with a cushion cut diamond in the center, surrounded with a gorgeous halo of grain set diamonds and mill-grain detail down the band. It couldn’t be more perfect if I’d picked it out myself.
“Was that a yes?” he boasts, smiling wryly.
My head bobs eagerly. “Yes,” I confirm.
He puts the ring on my finger, giving me only a second to admire it before bringing me to my feet. He’s beaming as he cups my face in his hands, bringing his lips to mine. His kiss is eager and filled with heat, my entire body trembling from the sensory overload.
Breaking our kiss, I pull his hands from my face, interlocking our fingers as I bring them down.
“I have just one condition,” I pant.
“Name it.”
“I don’t want to wait. Let’s get married right away.”
He chuckles as he scratches at his chin. “I think you can twist my arm on that one, just say when.”
“When.”
EPILOGUE
“Eric?” I bellow, trying to get his attention from the other room before waddling down the hall to find him.
It isn’t easy to stay calm with shooting pain in my lower abdomen, but I know if I don’t, he’ll freak out.
“Yeah?”
He barely acknowledges me as I enter the room, continuing to study his work. Perhaps I need to convey a little more urgency.
“It’s time to go.”
“Go?” he echoes absentmindedly.
“Yes!” My voice is shrill this time, another pain ripping through me as I drop my bag on the floor. “It’s time to go!”
Eric jumps up, rushing over to me. “Oh shit! Go! Like, it’s time? Right now?”
Still waiting for the pain to subside, I’m only able to respond with an emphatic nod.
Running his hands through his hair, he starts spinning in circles, as if suddenly forgetting what to do. “Shit… shit…okay…we need your bag…and…”
Waving my hands to gain his attention, I point to my bag already on the floor next to his feet. Eric is typically the calm, collected one out of the two of us, so his frantic state might be more amusing, if I weren’t dealing with this pain.
He grabs the bag from the floor. “Right…okay. Let’s do this.” Placing his hand on the small of my back, he begins leading me toward the door.
“Uh, baby…” I snicker, “as much as I love admiring your bare chest, I think the hospital will frown upon your attire. It’s a no shoes, no shirt, no service type of place.”
“Fuck…I mean, crap…” he corrects himself, eyeing my belly as he places the bag down again.
“I don’t think he can understand you yet,” I laugh.
Shaking his head, he hurries off to our bedroom to throw on a shirt and some shoes.
The day I told him he was going to be a father, I fell even more in love with him. He looked so confused when I handed him a photo album, telling him I wanted him to see the special project I’d been working on. It was so much fun to watch the expressions on his face as he flipped through each photograph.
The first one was a picture of my bare stomach with a heart drawn on it. The second shot was a pair of baby sized Converse. The third was probably my favorite. It was a picture of his nieces; the oldest holding the number one, the youngest with the number two, and then the number three propped up with the pair of converse in front of it. The last shot was of a calendar with my due date circled and the positive pregnancy test I had taken.
After taking a few moments to put all the puzzles pieces together, pure joy and happiness radiated off him. Tears pooled in his eyes as he pledged his love to me and our unborn child. He ended up framing all the photographs, using them as artwork in the nursery.
When Eric walks back in the room, he seems to be in a more relaxed state, a cocky smile on his face. “My boy is a genius. I’ll bet he can understand me fine. Besides, it’s better to get in the habit now. I want to be a good daddy.”
He comes to a stop in front of me, and I smile at him before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, baby, you’re going to be a great daddy. Even if an occasional curse word slips out of your mouth.”
Bending over, he rubs my large belly before placing a kiss on it. “You hear how sweet your momma is, little man? You and I are some seriously lucky dudes.”
My eyes water with loving emotion as he stands, shooting me a beaming smile. When another pain hits me, I let out a little moan and place a hand on my belly. Eric’s face falls, the color draining from it as his eyes widen.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he frets, looking me over.
“Contraction…” I grit out.
“Shit! I mean, crap.” Placing the strap of my bag over his shoulder, he sprints to the door, opening it before ushering me with his hand. “Come on. Let’s go welcome our son into the world.”
As I make my way over, it dawns on me how different our lives will be when we return home, and I can’t help reflecting on how much things have changed for me over the past two years. There was a time when I believed a life like this was unattainable, yet here I am.
A few days ago, during my weekly prenatal visit, I saw a motivational poster that resonated with me. It said, “Your life can be defined by a single moment, let it be today.” That couldn’t be more wrong.
Your life can only be defined by a single moment if you allow it to be. Every moment counts—the good and the bad. It’s not the moment that defines you, it’s the choices you make in reaction to it.
For years, I allowed my life to be defined by the worst thing to ever happen to me, but I’m made up of more than that single moment. One bad moment does not erase the good ones any more than the good can the bad. But happiness can be found in the balance of the two.
Julianna is responsible for so many of the good days I’ve had in my lifetime. She seems to keep topping each wonderful day with an even better one. Our first date, our first kiss, the first time we made love, the day she agreed to marry me, the day she married me, the day she told me I was going to be a father, and now…the day I became a father.
“He’s perfect, Jules. You did an amazing job,” I beam, brushing her matted hair away from her face. She’s never looked more beautiful than she does right now, holding our son in her arms.
“We,” she corrects, shifting her gaze to me. “We did an amazing job.”
Our son, Elijah Jeremiah Winston, is eight pounds and seven ounces of awesome. He has my sandy brown hair and Julianna’s sapphire blue eyes, and my heart couldn’t be more full. Everyone keeps telling me it only gets better from here, but I don’t think I could feel prouder or more complete than I do right now.
“I love him so much,” I choke, watching him as he stretches his tiny limbs.
“Me too.”
“I want more,” I announce, gaining her attention again, her wide eyes blinking at me.
“More? Can’t we at least get this one home before you start asking for more? Geez…” She shakes her head and rolls her eyes before moving her gaze back to our son, but the humor in her tone tells me she’s not opposed to the idea.
“Oh no, I think we need to work on some Irish twins,” I poke. “How long did the doctor say I have to keep my hands off you?”
“Four to six weeks.” She smirks as her eyes snap up again. “But I’ll be extending that timeframe if you keep talking like that. There’s no way I can handle raising two babies at once.”
“Two? Who says we are stopping at two? I want a whole dang house full of these little perfect beings running around.”
Shaking her head, Julianna laughs at me. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t we revisit this conversation after you’ve been without sex or sleep for thre
e months?”
“I think I’m okay with sacrificing my sleep, but not so much my ability to touch you.”
The nurse comes in to check on Julianna and Elijah, asking if we want her to take him back to the nursery for a while so we can rest. Although Julianna was a champ today, I don’t doubt that she is need of some rest, but I’m not ready to give up my son.
“We probably should get some rest while we have the chance,” she answers, yawning.
“I’m good.” Reaching out, I gently take EJ from her arms. “You get some rest while Elijah and I get in some good bonding time. You’ve been hogging him for months, it’s my turn to get some one on one time with him. If he gets fussy or something, we can always go on a walk.”
“Are you sure?” Her eyes close as I nod to the nurse, assuring her I’m fine, and she steps back out of the room.
“More than positive,” I whisper, smiling down at the tiny bundle in my arms.
Seconds later, Julianna’s breathing evens out, indicating she’s fast asleep. Watching her for a moment, I marvel at her beauty. She’s an image of perfection laying there—my wife, the mother of my son, and love of my life.
Elijah makes a cooing sound and a contented warmth flows through me as my gazes falls on him again.
“Your mom is pretty freaking amazing, little guy. You better be good to her because I know she’s always going to be good to you. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and now she has given me you. I’m going to make the same promise to you I made to her. I’ll love you today, tomorrow, and forever.”
Thank you so much for reading my stories, it means the world to me. I realize that this story is a bit darker, but I felt it was an important one to tell. Someone close to you has been sexually assaulted. Someone you know is suffering in silence. If that person is you, know that you’re not alone. Know that what happened to you isn’t your fault. Know that you are stronger than the coward that hurt you. Know that you are made up of more than that moment/those moments. You are not the thing(s) that happened to you. Don’t let your past be your prison. Broken wings can be mended, you will fly again. I love you all!
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network): www.rainn.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE
SOAR (Speaking Out Against Rape): www.soar99.org
NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center): www.nsvrc.org
Adam: Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams. When I see my reflection through your eyes, I feel like I can conquer the world. I love you like a fat kid loves cake.
Keesha: You’re dumb and smell of poop. Also, I’m pretty sure everyone thinks you’re my mother instead of my sister. But, I’m still so glad you’re in my life. Thank you for singing my praises to anyone that would listen. I love you, loser!
Rae: I’m not sure I could ever say thank you enough. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. Thank you for dealing with my obsessive behavior with kind patience. Thank you for reading my stories a hundred times and telling me that they’re awesome, even when we both know they aren’t. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. Thank you for being you! Love you!
Loraine: It’s true what they say, birds of a feather flock together. You not only fly at my side, you helped me fly again, and I’ll always be grateful. Love you!
Sandie: Thank you for listening to me and always talking me off the ledge. Your guidance throughout this process means more than you could ever know.
Victoria: Every now and then, you meet someone that makes you feel a little less alone in the world. That’s what you do for me, and I’m so grateful that my red thread connected me to you. Thank you for encouraging me to step outside of my comfort zone.
Cassie, Kirsten, & Chasity: Thank you for your help and support. You ladies polished this book to perfection, and I have lots of love for you. PLN4Life
Bloggers: You guys are so freaking appreciated! I have mad love for you! Thank you for working so hard to share your love of reading, for the many hours you put into supporting authors. You play such a vital role, and I want you to know that I see you. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for everything you do.
Special shout out to Amy: Vox Libris, Gia and Tabitha: Amazeballs Book Addicts, Nancy: Bookalicious Babes Blog, Franci : My Girlfriend’s Couch, Mary: Rabid Readers Book Blog, Stacey: Sassy Book Lovers, Julie: SJ Book Blog, Tiffany: ABWO Book Blog, Crystal: BitchinBibliophiles Book Blog, Ebru: Ebs and her reads book blog, Christine: Justlovemybooks, Elle: My Pretty Little Book Reviews, Jenny: Magic Beyond The Covers, Maari: Maari Loves her Indies, Kate: Ya’ll This Book, Laura J.: United Indie Book Blog, Lori: BF Bookies, Teresa & Carol’s Love of Books, Lindsey: Spunky N Sassy, Lindsey: Shakespeare’s Wench Book Blog, Book Junkie Reviews, Blushing Mom Book Reviews, Need Epic Reads –Thank you taking a chance on some random Indie Author you’d never even heard of!
Amber McCammon is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, avid reader, and writer. Her debut novel, In This Moment was released January 4,2017.
Amber is a Tennessee native with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin, where she discovered her passion for writing and met her loving husband. When the mother of two isn’t focusing on her family or the written word, she enjoys traveling, crafts, and music.
Authors like Tarryn Fisher, Colleen Hoover, Kim Holden, and Jamie McGuire inspired Amber to follow her heart and venture into the world of self-publishing. She is beyond grateful for the chance to see her dream come to life.
For special sneak peeks, giveaways, and discussions, join A.D.’s reader group and sign-up for her newsletter.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/170555216806503/
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/m7h3s0
You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
https://www.facebook.com/admccammon/
https://twitter.com/mc_amberD
https://www.instagram.com/authorad_books/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33603492-amber
For more information, check out her Amazon Author Profile and Webpage
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01N5MDKQA
https://admccammon.com/
More to come from A.D. McCammon & the In This Moment Series.
Thirteen- Cat’s Story: 2018
Years of being unsuccessful in love left Catelyn feeling cynical and hopeless when it came to matters of the heart. But she’s finally found happiness with the perfect guy. So, she doesn’t know what to think about the flutter of her heart when she crosses paths with her first love.
The One- Allison and Jon’s Story
Forget Me Not- Roxy’s Story
The Right Kind of Wrong- Lori’s Story
Crushed (In This Moment Book 2) Page 23