“I love you too, Phillip,” I returned, smiling when the air he held whooshed out from his lungs.
I stood up from the bed and fell into his hug, the both of us laughing as we winced from the small pains leftover from the healing wounds on our skin.
“I suppose this wasn’t exactly how we imagined falling into each other’s arms, was it?” he said against my hair.
“At least we got you being on the dock part right,” I joked, pressing my lips against his neck and ear. “Thank you for being there and saving my life, Phillip.”
“Thank you for finally letting me in,” he replied, sealing his thoughts with a kiss to my cheek.
When I leaned back, heat moved in between us as his eyes fell over my face, stopping at my lips.
“So… what now?” I asked, feeling my heart falter as I lost myself in his eyes.
One eye the color of moss on the north side of a tree, keeping him rooted to the ground, and the other as blue as the bluest ocean, giving him the freedom to sail through his life as the man he wanted to be.
“I know it took me long enough to figure it out, but I know what I want now, and it doesn’t have anything to do with what anyone else wants. It’s what I want.”
“And that is?” I said, holding my breath.
“You, Maggie. Every second, every minute… every day for the rest of our lives. I want your happiness, your laughter, even your sadness so I can cheer you up. I want that dream of rocking chairs and gray hair. Of arguments and make-ups. I want…”
He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me closer against him.
“I want your eyes always looking at me the way you’re looking at me now,” he said, taking his time to kiss each one. “And your nose, the way it quirks up in a cute way when you’re irritated,” he said, planting a small kiss on its tip. “But mostly, mostly I want your lips, upturned and always smiling,” he said, kissing the corners, sending my heart into overdrive.
And with his eyes on mine, he kissed me, and I knew that the world had finally tilted back onto its axis. His hands cupped my cheeks as I wove my fingers through his hair, kissing him back with every fiber of my being. Kissing him as if my life depended on it.
I loved Phillip, wholeheartedly and completely, and I knew I would love him until my dying day. Until our souls left this earth and took their place amongst the stars.
AS WE SAT ON THE dock, the wind tugged at Maggie’s hair as she took a lungful of air and then let it go slowly, asking, “If you could jump on a boat, any boat, where would you go?”
It felt like a lifetime ago since we’d had this very same conversation.
So much had changed since then.
I laughed, putting my arm around her, lifting her sun-bleached hair up to catch the rays of sun. Each strand was a different shade, varying from a deep red to orange, with bits of blonde that were almost white. “Left. I’d go left and follow my sun.”
She shoved playfully at me. “You can’t say the same thing you said before, Silver Spoon,” she said, laughing in a way that filled my soul with happiness.
“Why not? It’s the only place I want to be,” I answered truthfully, pulling her in and kissing her forehead.
Almost losing her had filled me with a dread so profound that it had almost swallowed me whole. It had been a year to the date since that life-changing day, and no matter how calm the water before me looked, I could still see the raging seas and storm-filled sky that did its best to take her away from me.
But all of that was about to change.
She sighed in contentment, making everything all right in the world. The peace we’d found together outweighed every bad thing that had tried to tear us apart.
That hadn’t stopped her from being angry at me though. But I kept going back until one day she asked me to sit down. It was then that I knew she was ready to hear what I had to say.
We’d talked, well, more like had a clash of wills, but after my third visit, she’d listened to my apology as I’d done my best to explain what had happened with Sophia.
It had taken her almost losing her life for both of us to understand that every moment we had was precious. That it could be taken from us in the blink of an eye.
The hospital had kept her for almost two weeks and, during that time, after she’d had the chance to work through the hurt and the pain that all the lies had caused, we’d come to an understanding
We agreed to run the dive shop of her dreams on the plot of land I bought in Rum Cay the day before she sailed into port and nearly lost her life a year ago.
And we had ever since, happily.
I’d even come to find that I loved diving and fishing… something I thought would take a long time to adjust to, and I’d picked up quite a bit of the island language.
“So I was thinking…” she said, pulling back to look at me.
“Now that doesn’t surprise me,” I answered, laughing when she tried to playfully elbow me in the ribs.
“Do you want to hear it or not?” she asked, getting to her feet. She held her hands out to help me up.
“I’m all ears, Maggie, my love,” I said, taking her hands and getting to my feet. It was hard to hold down the excitement about what I would share with her soon enough.
She came into my arms as I pulled her tight against my chest. “It’s the anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever,” she said, her voice soft and wistful. “A day I never want to relive again.”
“You can say that again.”
She wiggled out of my arms and reached into the beach bag by our feet that she’d brought with us. When she stood back up, two small, glass vials, two pieces of paper, and two pens were in her hands.
“Even though we’ve accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, that day has kind of hung over us like a dark cloud.” She looked up at me, her blue eyes clearer than they’d ever been. “It’s time for us to let that day go—to move on without the weight of all the could bes looming over us.”
“So what do you suggest?” I asked, smiling down at her.
“I thought we could write a wish for each other and toss it out to the very sea that brought us back together.”
She never ceased to amaze me. I held my hand out, taking the paper and pen, and we each turned our backs to each other, scribbling down our wish.
When we finished, we put them in the vials, grabbed each other’s hand, and then threw them out, watching the tide pull them out to sea.
She leaned her head against my shoulder as that heavy feeling in my chest left from that awful day slowly started to fade away. “I love you, Phillip.”
“I love you too.” After a moment’s pause, I cleared my throat and added, “I have something for you too.”
I didn’t wait for her to ask me what. Reaching into the beach bag, I pulled out the box I had slipped in, hidden underneath the towels.
“What is it?” she asked excitedly, nearly bouncing on her toes.
I handed it to her. “Open it.”
She didn’t waste any time. Flipping the box open, she took out a silver keychain, a rounded trinket holder in the shape of a basketball hanging from it. I’d ordered it for her nearly a year ago, waiting for the right moment to give it to her.
Laughter burst from deep within her. “Hoops!” she said, clutching her stomach as she laughed. “There you go with that sense of humor again. This is good, Phillip! Thank you.”
But I wasn’t laughing. “Open it,” I said, swallowing down my nerves.
Her laughter quickly subsided the moment she saw the look on my face. “Okay,” she said, her voice trembling a little.
She found the small clasp on the side and opened the faux basketball. At the same time, I got to my knee.
“Magdeline Rosalie Fairchild…” The rest of my words were caught between kisses and tears as Maggie said yes, over and over, stalling out the words I’d agonized over for months. But none of that mattered because words weren’t needed when I realized the
world couldn’t be any more perfect.
I had my Maggie. Forever and always.
“And, Phillip?” she said, pulling back to look at her ring and then at me with a secretive smile.
“Hmm?” I said, turning her in my arms so that we could look out over the water and watch the hypnotic roll of the waves.
“Since today seems to be the day we change our lives forever. Permanently, I might add. Then I guess I should tell you the doctor called this morning.”
She turned in my arms, seeing a look of confusion, and then the fear I couldn’t hide flash across my face. “I didn’t know you went to the doctor. Why didn’t you tell me? Are you okay? Is there something wrong?”
She put her finger to my lips to stop the questions from rolling out back to back. Her lips turned up into a blazing smile that creased the corners of her eyes where something like tears sparkled against the sunlight. And what she said next took my breath away. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
“A baby,” I whispered, the words floating away on the warm breeze.
“Yes,” she answered, linking her fingers with mine as I leaned in and put my forehead to hers.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky, or even why, but, Maggie, I swear to you here and now that I’ll be the best damn husband and the most loving father…” My words stopped on a hitch that shook me.
“I know you will,” she said, pushing up on her tiptoes and brushing her lips against mine. “But first, and this is really important, Phillip… like right there on the list of most important things…” she said, stepping back and tugging on my hand.
“And what might that be?” I said, unable to stop smiling.
“I’m hungry and you really need to feed me.”
I swept her off her feet and jogged down the dock, back toward the beach. “Why do I see pickles and ice cream runs in my near future?” I said, chuckling when she tilted her head back and belted out a laugh that came from her toes.
I set her down at the end of the dock as she bumped her hand against her forehead. “We forgot the bag.”
“Stay right there; I’ll grab it.” I said, jogging back to the end of the pier.
I bent down, scooping the handles up as a rush of something deep and powerful rolled over me.
I was going to be a dad. Not a father… a dad. And little SS Hoops was in for the best life no amount of money could buy.
Thinking about what could and couldn’t be bought made my parents flash through my thoughts. It had taken me a while to call my father and, at Maggie’s insistence, I finally broke down and did. He wasn’t happy with me, but he wasn’t trying to force me from my decision. As far as my mother, I hadn’t said much at all to her since she’d cursed me with every foul thing she had in her arsenal until my father took the phone from her. It didn’t matter. Eventually, she’d either accept my life as I chose it to be, or not. And if she didn’t, well, that would be her loss.
I have my own family to look after now.
Pride. I was filled with so much pride that instead of jogging back to Maggie, I practically floated.
“You okay there, Daddy?” she said, as if testing the word out for the first time.
I pulled her in close as she wrapped her arm around my waist, snuggling in against my side.
“Absolutely perfect,” I answered as we walked along the beach, heading for the open-veranda restaurant that Maggie loved.
“What news should we tell my dad first?” Maggie giggled when my footsteps faltered as Sean rose from his seat at the table with a smile on his face.
“You already told him, didn’t you?” I said, ducking my head to whisper in her ear.
“Nope. I just invited him to come see us,” she said, letting go of me to walk over and hug her father tightly.
They held on a little longer than normal before Maggie stepped back, swiping at her eyes. Something close to awe broke out along his face, and then he lifted her off her feet and set her back down swiftly as his booming voice startled a couple dining a few tables away.
“I’m gonna be a grandpa!”
Maggie moved out of the way when Sean extended his hand out to me. As soon as our palms met, he pulled me in, clapping his large hand against my back.
STANDING THERE, WATCHING THE TWO men who meant the most to me in my life, congratulate each other on becoming a father and a grandfather, felt like a dream. Like a fairy tale I never once thought I’d live.
But that was the thing about life… it was not for us to figure out. Just to live at its fullest.
My soul felt swollen with love and happiness, on the near edge of bursting because of it.
Who’d have known that day on the basketball court at Diamond Isle Resort, that some orange hair and a pair of roller skates would have led me to this moment?
To this profoundly beautiful and breathtaking moment.
I had my dad, the love of my life, our baby on the way, and the dive shop of my dreams to work the rest of my days on this earth.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Couldn’t help but look up to the sky filled with all sorts of shaped clouds, and thank the angel I knew had been watching over me, guiding me to this miraculous point.
Thank you, Momma, I said, smiling.
Did you enjoy Love Always,?
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♥ Sonya Loveday & Candace knoebel
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Sonya Loveday:
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Candace Knoebel
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Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to purchasing her first laptop in 2009, and publishing her first novel, Casted, in 2013.
In early 2014, Sonya expanded Casted and then went on to publish Spelled, the sequel to Casted in March, wrapping up the series, and her stint with Paranormal Romance. For now.
Not long after the completion to the Casted Series, Sonya tried her hand at New Adult/Coming of Age, a sub-genre of Contemporary Romance. Thusly, the Six were born with The Summer I Fell, which released at the end of July 2014. The demand from readers was instantaneously, which brought about End Note, the second book of the series in December 2014, and book three, If Ever I Fall, in June 2015.
To date, Sonya lives in Central Florida with her husband, and two kids, and is currently working on the fourth book of the Six Series. Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming news on Sonya's website!
Books By Sonya Loveday
The Six Series:
The Summer I Fell (Book 1)
End Note (Book 2)
If Ever I Fall (Book 3)
The Casted Series:
Casted (Book 1)
Spelled (Book 2)
Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames—book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. And an outlet for all the voices residing in her head.
Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy. She now works on the Night Watchmen Series, while guzzling Red Bulls and pretending to be a ninja on Heelys.
Books By Candace Knoebel
The Night Watchmen Series:
The Gramm Curse (Night Watchmen, #0.5)
Everlasting (Night Watchmen, #1)
Evernight (Night Watchmen, #2
)
Everlost (Night Watchmen, #3)
Everdeep (Night Watchmen, #4) Coming Winter 2015
The Born in Flames Trilogy:
Born in Flames (Book 1)
Embracing the Flames (Book 2)
From the Embers (Book 3)
Love Always, Page 25