The Exception To The Rule
Page 30
“What’s so funny?” I asked in annoyance.
“You,” he replied.
“I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to do the long distance thing.”
He kissed me on the lips to stop me from talking. “We’re not going to.”
“Then, I’m confused.”
He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. “I’ve been offered a very lucrative position that I just couldn’t turn down. And guess what—it’s only forty-five minutes away from here.”
I looked at him in disbelief.
“I just need a guarantee before I uproot my whole life and buy you this big expensive house,” he said jokingly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. My heart fluttered as he opened it, revealing the most perfect diamond ring I had ever seen.
I had to catch my breath—I was in shock.
“Kat, I love you and Matty more than anything in this world.”
My head was spinning as I tried to register everything that was happening.
“Will you marry me?” I had never seen his eyes look more beautiful.
I was speechless as I looked at him and then the ring, I felt like I needed to be pinched to make sure this was all really happening. “Yes,” I finally managed to get out through the tears of happiness. He slipped the ring on my trembling finger. I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a long passionate kiss. “Is this really happening?” I asked.
“I told you a long time ago, you were the girl for me and I meant it,” he said.
“I love you so much and I would have gone anywhere to be with you,” I said. “You’re really leaving Chicago? That hospital is your life.”
“No, Kat, you and Matty are my life.”
“I just can’t believe you did all this. This house is beautiful; how did you know how much I loved it?”
“Matty,” he said smiling.
“Did Matty know all about this?”
“Of course, who do you think helped me pick out the ring?”
I was shocked that Matty was able to keep it a secret. I looked down at the ring—it was exactly what I would have picked out for myself. It was a beautiful princess-cut diamond in a platinum bezel setting.
“Did you have any help with this ring besides Matty?” I asked, impressed with his keen sense of style.
“Nope,” he said, trying to keep a straight face.
“Tricia?”
He nodded finally admitting defeat. I thought about Tricia and the great acting job that she had done earlier, when she gave her lecture about not going to Chicago without a ring.
“Does anyone else know about this house?” I asked.
“Just you and Matty,” he said.
“How did I get so lucky?” I wrapped my arms around him tightly.
He pulled me closer and kissed me on the head. “I love you so much,” he whispered.
My stomach fluttered. My dreams were all coming true. I had everything that I ever wanted; a beautiful child and my handsome prince. I was actually going to have my happily ever after.
Epilogue
I looked over at Julian and Matty sitting at the table working on a puzzle. As I lay in my hospital bed coming out of a deep sleep, I began to think back on what a whirlwind the past year had been. Matty reached his one-year cancer-free milestone. He had come so far from that little frail boy lying in the hospital not that long ago. He was growing so quickly. It was hard to believe that he was already in the first grade. We moved into our new home and Julian had started his new job. He and Matty were inseparable. Julian and I had just celebrated our one year anniversary and I had never been happier in my life. I closed my eyes thinking back to our wedding day.
It was the perfect autumn day. Claire’s already meticulous backyard looked like it could have been entered in a photo contest. The leaves on the trees were ablaze in vibrant shades of red, gold, and orange. Yellow and burgundy mums were meticulously placed throughout the yard, adding to the perfect palette of hues. I wanted to get married on the beach but Claire was insistent that we have the ceremony in her backyard. I knew how much she wanted to do it and since I was the closest thing to a daughter that she had, I gave in.
It was a small wedding with just a few close friends and family. I remembered giving myself one last look in the full-length mirror of Charles and Claire’s guest room. I wore a plain white strapless sheath-style dress which was accented with pearls at the waistline. My hair was half up in big loose waves.
I got butterflies in my stomach when I looked out the window taking a sneak peek at Julian. I was marrying the handsomest man in the world. He was dressed in a black suit and looking just as beautiful as the first day I had met him. Matty was his best man, and he too was dressed in a suit similar to Julian’s. His hair had grown back and his blue eyes sparkled. He looked like a miniature clone of Julian as the two of them stood together.
I remembered how badly I had wished my mom and dad could have been there. I knew that my dad would have been beaming with pride walking me down the aisle. I also knew that he would have been equally as proud with my choice of husband.
“Are you ready?” Charles asked as he entered the room.
I took a deep breath, “Yes,” I said nervously.
“You look beautiful,” Charles said as his eyes began to tear up.
“Thank you - thank you for everything, I don’t know how I would have gotten through everything if it weren’t for you and Claire,” I said sincerely.
“Well, we couldn’t have asked for a better ‘daughter’ than you,” he said.
Now it was me who was beginning to tear up as I gave him a hug. “Let’s go before my mascara starts to run,” I laughed.
Charles took my arm as we made our way out the door. I looked up at the bright blue sky scattered with big puffy clouds throughout. The last thought I had before I walked down the aisle was that my dad had been right. Everything did happen for a reason. I thought of everything that Julian and I had been through. My dad’s death led Julian to come and comfort me, resulting in Matty; the greatest gift of all. It took something as horrible as Matty’s sickness to bring us back together again. I smiled up at the sky, touching the diamond pendant hanging from my neck. I knew my mom and dad were there with me; I could feel them. “I found my ‘one,’ Dad,” I whispered.
I felt my knees shaking; my nerves were getting the best of me as we made our way down the aisle. I concentrated on the one person who could always put me at ease – Julian. He had the biggest smile I had ever seen as my eyes met his. My heart raced as I smiled and cried at the same time. I was feeling so blessed. All of my fears washed away as I focused on nothing else but the two loves of my life - Julian and Matty.
I was hastily broken from my daydreaming when I felt a contraction.
“Ouch,” I said, trying to breathe through it.
Julian quickly got up from his seat and sat down on the bed next to me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, they’re just starting to come a little closer now,” I said, catching my breath.
“Where’s Matty?” I asked, realizing he was no longer in the room.
“He went with Charles and Claire to get lunch,” he answered. “You go easy on your mom,” Julian said as put his head on my belly giving it a kiss. We didn’t find out the sex; Julian didn’t want to know. Matty was so excited about being a big brother. He wanted a little brother but said that he would love the baby just as much even if it were a girl. I didn’t care one way or the other. After everything that Matty had been through I knew that all that mattered was that the baby was healthy.
I laughed at Julian as he lifted his head from my belly. He sat next to me and gave me a kiss on my head.
“I was just having the best daydream ever,” I said.
“Oh yeah, what was that?” he asked.
“Our wedding day.” I smiled.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For openi
ng my eyes to what really matters. You guys are the most important thing in my life.”
I pulled him closer to me and kissed him on the cheek. He rested his head on my shoulder and rubbed my arm lightly. I thought back to the day Matty was born and how I yearned to have him by my side. I was filled with happiness having him here with me now. I squeezed his hand through another contraction.
“That was a bad one,” I said, releasing his hand once it was over.
He gently rubbed my back as he looked at me compassionately. Before I knew it another one was coming; this one even stronger than the last.
“I think you better go tell them to get my doctor.” I was now having an intense desire to push. Julian was able to handle anything, but for some reason this scared him to death. He stood up staring at me blankly.
“Julian, it’s time,” I said, working through another contraction. He finally broke from his trance when the nurse entered the room.
“How are you feeling, honey?” She checked the monitor for my contraction activity.
“Oh boy, I think you’re ready.” She said as she ran to get the doctor.
I looked at Julian who was standing there, dazed. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked. “You look like you’re going to pass out.” I felt another contraction coming on.
“No, I’ll be fine,” he reassured me as he rushed over to comfort me through it.
My doctor finally arrived. She examined me and confirmed that I was ten centimeters dilated. She told me that I could push whenever I felt the urge. I grabbed Julian’s hand as I bore down and pushed. The pain seemed more intense than it had been with Matty. I looked into Julian’s eyes that were filled with emotion.
“Come on, Kat, you’re almost there,” he reassured me.
I took a deep breath, never breaking eye contact with him, and pushed as hard as I could. The cries of my newborn baby filled the room.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor said, holding up the baby.
Julian was beaming as he leaned over to give me a kiss. “I love you so much, Kat.”
“I love you too,” I said, anxiously waiting to see my baby.
I patiently waited for them to clean her up and take her vitals. The nurse brought her over to me. She was wrapped in a blanket wearing a little pink knit hat. I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as Matty. Holding her for the very first time, I realized it was. I stared at her intently and kissed her head—she was perfect. She didn’t look at all like Julian or Matty. Instead, she looked more like me.
“Meet your daddy,” I said, placing her in Julian’s arms for the very first time. He was unable to wipe the smile from his face.
“She’s so beautiful,” he said, kissing her head.
I smiled in delight. I was enjoying every second of his bonding time with his daughter. I had denied him this moment with Matty and had every intention of making sure that he got to experience this now. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and she seemed so content in his arms. I could tell he was instantly in love.
He sat down on the bed next to me. “Olivia Hope Kiron,” I said, looking down at her in his arms.
Julian smiled in agreement. “Thank you so much,” he said, kissing me on the forehead. “I have two beautiful children and a beautiful wife; I don’t need anything else.”
“But that was my dream, Julian.” I smiled.
“You helped me realize that it’s mine too. You were the exception to the rule. You were the one person who made me rethink everything I ever believed in and I’m so happy that you did.”
The exception to the rule—I was taken back in time for a brief moment to a handsome blue-eyed stranger that I had just met, comforting me over losing a patient. So much had happened since then. It seemed like a lifetime ago. I took his hand in mine and kissed it. “I love you so much, Julian.”
“I love you too, baby,” he said, squeezing my hand gently.
Julian gave the baby her first bottle as she fell asleep in his arms. Matty finally appeared in the doorway, with Charles and Claire behind him.
“Matty, meet your sister,” Julian said, bringing the baby over to him.
His smile lit up the room. “Wow!” he said as he sat down in the chair and Julian placed her in his arms. I felt myself tearing up watching him with her – my brave little boy with his new baby sister. It didn’t get much better than this.
“Hi baby sister, I’m your big brother; I love you so much,” he said leaning down to kiss her. Julian turned around and looked at me. He seemed just as touched by this interaction as I was.
“We need a picture,” Claire shouted, taking her camera from her purse. She began snapping pictures of Matty and Olivia. Matty posed so proudly for everyone. “Let me get a family picture.” Claire placed the baby in my arms while Julian sat next to me on the bed with Matty on his lap.
“Everyone ready?” she asked before taking the picture.
“Absolutely beautiful,” Claire said, looking at the screen on her camera.
She walked over to show it to me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the camera screen. It was the most perfect picture, one that would be etched into my memory forever. I had a family, it was a long harrowing journey to get there, but I was living out my dream. I had two precious children with the love of my life - my life was finally complete.
Table of Contents
The Exception to the Rule
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue