by L. Duarte
I know Portia is my safe heaven, and I am hers. So, I reach to heavens, and thank God, for creating my other half.
Though a cold wind sweeps through us, I feel warmth embracing us. I know angels have been assigned to care for our safety.
Portia rests her head on my shoulder, her hand wraps around my neck. I smile and stride to our piece of heaven, where we will stay until one day we go to our eternal home.
The End
“I love it up here,” Will whispers in my ear.
“Yeah, this is a remarkable place.” I drink from a bottle of water, and snuggle inside his embrace, which has become my favorite place.
We are at the summit of Sleeping Giant. Hiking has become a family routine at the Miller household. The foliage covers the ground and the autumn air is crisp. Red, yellow, and orange clouds burn on the horizon, matching the color of the trees’ canopies. The sun will be setting soon, and the sight is breathtaking.
With a sigh of contentment, I remember a long time ago when I stared at distant stars and dreamed of having a family. On those days, unknowingly, I endeavored to be happy. But the feelings flooding my heart today are beyond happiness. Today is our two-year anniversary and life with Will is perfect. My lonely past is a distant blur.
Yep, a lot has happened.
After the brief encounter with death, I spent several months in physical therapy. Will delayed the beginning of his classes at Yale until the fall semester, so he could be by my side during my rehabilitation. Finally, I received a clean bill of health. My leg had multiple fractures and the doctors inserted pieces of metal to hold things together. In order to walk again, I had to endure plenty of pain and torture.
Surprisingly, since the accident, my father has faithfully visited me weekly. Yes, I kid you not. He spends Sunday afternoons with us, and then has dinner with us at Dan’s. It took me a while to get used to seeing him eating a burrito. I wonder if Priscilla is upset over him spending so much time with me. It is safe to say, I forgave him. We take long walks together. He looks so broken to me at times, and his eyes are filled with regret. It makes me want to cry. Yeah, I still have a disorder with my tear ducts.
As a wedding gift, Dad paid for the house we built. It is a lovely house, surrounded by a beautiful garden. At first, Will was adamant that it was unnecessary, but I convinced him to accept. Dad is trying to redeem himself and one of the only ways he knows how to is through his money. Side note: Dad and my youngest sister often hike with us. I am incredibly proud of Dad and he has become the greatest patron to Dan’s church.
Dan, who also I call Dad, is delighted that now he can do all the projects he had always dreamed, but had lacked the funds. The latest innovation to the church is a pantry house, to give food to families in need. Guess what? I volunteer there once a week, piling up cans of goods. For real. I am a new and improved woman.
To my greatest disappointment, Stefan refused my offer to move to Connecticut. But I am ecstatic for him. We just finished filming a movie that he wrote and directed, which releases next summer. He is a genius. I am completely biased, but the movie turned out freaking awesome. Critics who have already seen the movie seem to agree with me. Unbelievable, I know. But all the time he spent behind the scenes during filming taught him well.
My life is not perfect, only because I miss Tarry and Niki so much.
Tarry has officially moved to London. He met a French supermodel and they decided to establish their home in Europe, where she does most of her modeling. Whenever he comes to America, he zooms by to see us. He always has a lame excuse that he is too busy with his career to visit more. But I know better. Tarry is deep into drugs and he does not want any confrontation about it.
Last year, Nillie and I staged a drug intervention for Tarry. He went to rehab for a month before checking himself out. He tells me he has since tamed down to almost nothing. But his avoidance of me tells me otherwise.
Niki got married over the spring. Ready for the shocker news? She has a baby. Yeah. She and the horrendous CEO gave birth to the most amazing baby boy. His name is Noah. Nillie has also been distant and isolated in her twenty-six million dollar mansion in the hills of LA.
I am no longer the selfish, self-centered person I once was. But, in all honesty, I wish with all my heart that my friends were near me. They have their lives, just as I have mine. We nurture our friendships the best we can. But it is inevitable that we all move along in different directions. Still, I am broken without them.
Tragically, I never met Tim. Mel’s husband was killed in an ambush, one week prior to his returning home. Ten days after his death, Mel delivered their baby. Ella is gorgeous. She enlightened our lives when darkness tried to reign. Mel is one strong woman. But for the last two years, I have held her in my arms countless times while she wept.
Mel and I became more than friends, we are sisters. She even taught me to knit. Please don’t judge me, but I just freaking love to knit. Want to hear something really cheesy? When I am not working or making love to my husband, I knit for a foundation that benefits underprivileged kids. I possess swift fingers, I might add. A skill that came in handy this week.
“Will, do you know how much I love you?” I spin to face him.
“Well, I have an idea. But why don’t you go ahead and refresh my memory.” He grins.
I open my backpack where we’ve stowed the water bottle and retrieve a small box. “Here, I hope this will help to clarify it. Happy anniversary!” I hand him the package.
He shakes the box, trying to guess what’s inside. “Thank you, baby.” He frowns as his fingers remove the bow, and then rip through the paper.
He gasps when he sees what’s inside. He looks up, seeking my eyes.
“Portia?” he growls.
“Yes, Will. You are going to be a father.” I smile sweetly at the man who means the world to me.
Will swallows hard. His trembling fingers reverently caress the knitted baby shoes. A teardrop rolls down on his cheek. His voice is a low rumble when he finally speaks, “Portia, you are saying that we are having a baby?”
“Yes, Will. I am pregnant. I found out over a week ago. But I waited for our anniversary to tell you.” I answer, a little worried. Will seems in shock.
“Oh, baby. You just made me the happiest man on earth.” He kisses me breathless. My heart accelerates and desire courses through me. Wow, this man, still owns me. And, yes, I still swoon. He drops to his knees and embraces my waist. My fingers run through his hair. I allow him the time to adjust to the news.
Then, I hear him whispering against my tummy. “Hey, it’s me, your dad. Your mom just told me about you. I am nervous as hell. Sorry, I don’t mean to cuss. Anyway, I just want to tell you that, even though I just heard about you, I already love you with all my heart. Furthermore, I want to promise you—as I have promised your mom—that I commit myself to be the best father I can. This place is where I feel the closest to God, and He is my witness that I will never abandon you. I will always protect you and teach you how to get up every time you fall. Yeah, it sucks, but sometimes we stumble in life. But I will hold your hand through it all.” Will kisses my tummy and stands up. “Is it OK for you to hike?”
“I am not sick, Will.” I smile.
“God, I love you, woman.” He enlaces my waist and pulls me closer to him.
“I love you, too.”
Will kisses me gently. He holds my hand, tugging me down the empty halls of the ruins.
“Let’s go, baby. It is cold up here. I don’t want you getting sick.” He grins, but there is a hint of concern in the depth of his dark-green eyes.
I chuckle, but follow the man I am desperately in love with. Oh boy, the next nine months will be super long with Will’s protectiveness. Inside, I am glowing. It feels good to be cared for.
As we stroll down, I remember the day I died. Life has been generous to me. I am neither perfect nor conceited, but now I understand my worth. I am right where I am supposed to be, with exactly what I wa
s meant to have. I acknowledge and receive it gracefully. I glance back to where the sky holds its glory, and I smile. Then, I mouth, “Thank you.” And I wink back at God.
I have found that there is only one thing better than reading, and that is writing. I am always torn between the two. I am also frequently torn between chocolate and coffee. However, I emphatically do not like the month of February, lies, and flies. For me, bravery is defined by the courage to do what we fear the most. This conviction is reflected in my debut work of romantic fiction, Chasing Stars. I live in Connecticut with my husband and two children. Drop a few lines. I would love to hear from you.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
About the Author