by Diana Nixon
"I'm not furious," I said. "Stressed, yes. But not furious."
"Does that mean you are ready to come back home?" Blake asked.
"Or what? Will you fire me?"
"I fired you a long time ago. But I pretended you were still working for me, because back then, it felt like the only way to keep you close to me."
"Aw… Just look at you, love doves!" Mia smiled through her tears. "Aren't you two lovely?"
"How about dinner?" Mom asked. "I'll make my signature dish."
"And wine," Mia added. "We need a lot of wine today."
We said good-bye to my parents and walked back to our cars.
"Hope you don't mind if I take Blake's?" I said to Ian.
He rolled his eyes. "As if I didn't know you would go with him."
I kissed my brother on the cheek. "See you at home."
When Blake and I got into his car, my first question was, "How's Ari?"
"Didn't you call her first thing in the morning?"
"How do you know?"
"Well, you left me, remember? And I hate being alone. So I slept in your bed and when you called, I heard Ari talking to you."
"You slept in my room?"
"Yes. But after we get back home tonight, you will sleep in mine. Period."
I shook my head. "As bossy as ever. How could I fall in love with you?"
"It was inevitable, baby." He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "Now, be honest, how are you feeling?"
"Physically or mentally?"
"Both."
"A little lightheaded, but it's nothing, I swear. I always feel lightheaded when I'm stressed. As for what my heart feels… I guess it needs a little more time to figure it out."
"We will go through it together, Eden. I'm not leaving you alone in this."
"I know. And I'm so grateful for having you in my life. If it were not for your love, I don't know where I would be now."
"I could say the same thing about myself."
"Oh, I know – you would stay locked in your room until another pretty babysitter would take you out of there."
"Another babysitter? No, thank you. I don't think I can handle another one. Besides, we don't need a babysitter anymore. We have you now."
Those words, they were music to my ears.
They had me now and I had them, and it was my biggest treasure ever…
***
Blake
They say love heals. In my case, love wasn't just a cure; it was something bigger and more valuable than anything that has a price on it.
I was glad Eden was back with us. The house just didn't feel the same without her. She filled it with light, love and happiness that made everyone smile. Even Reggie, who never smiled that much in her entire life.
"This girl, she turned everything upside down," she said a few days after Eden's arrival a few months back. "But who knows, maybe this is exactly what we've been lacking all this time."
And she was so right about it.
It's been almost a week since the night I brought Eden home. After the dinner with her family and Mia, we went back home and I couldn't be happier to fall asleep, holding her in my arms again.
After all the secrets that had been revealed, there was one more thing that we needed to do to be finally happy and free from everything that made us the prisoners of our fears and our past.
We needed to tell Ariel Eden was her aunt.
"Hey," I said, walking into Ari's room. "What are you doing?" She was sitting on her bed, holding a blue paper box in her hands; the kitten was sleeping on her pillow.
"I'm trying to find something," she said with a very serious expression on her face.
"What is it that you are trying to find?"
"A picture. It's very important."
"All right… What was in that picture?"
"I can't tell you. I need to find it first." She put aside the blue box and opened another one. This one was bigger and there were many pictures inside it. Most of them belonged to Rachel. "What did you want to talk about?"
I was surprised to hear her question. "How did you know I wanted to talk about something?"
"It's almost eleven on Tuesday morning, and you are still at home. You are wearing a shirt and pants that you often wear for work, which means you were going to the office, when you decided to stay and talk to me about something. So? What is it?"
Smiling, I said, "You know me so well, young lady."
"I know, right?"
"The thing is…"
"Is it about Eden?"
"Yes."
"Hope she's fine, 'cause I have a surprise for her and I don't want her to take another day off, or it will ruin everything."
"She won't have days off, not anymore."
Ari stopped looking through the old pictures and turned to me. "Oh, no… Have you fired her?"
"Yes and no. But it's not about that…" I paused for a moment, not sure what to say next or how to get to the truth that I wanted to tell her.
"You are scaring me, Blake. Just say it! I'm a big girl, you know?"
"Right, I forgot." I sighed.
"If you didn't know how to tell me that Eden is going to live in your room now, save me from your explanations. Those are not needed. You love each other and it's natural that you two are going to share a room."
"That…is not exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. But thanks for telling me you don't mind us sharing a room."
"You are welcome." She proceeded her searching mission, without paying any attention to me.
"Tell me something," I started. "The day you saw Eden for the very first time… Did you notice any resemblance between her and your mom?"
"Of course I did. I'm not blind."
God, this child wasn't helping me.
"But there's an explanation to it," she said.
"Really?" I was curious to hear her version of the mentioned above explanation.
"Yes. And this is exactly why I need to find that picture." She looked around the room and said thoughtfully, "Where could it be?" She then jumped from her bed and went to her vanity table. Opening one drawer after another, she finally pulled out the picture she'd been looking for. "Here it is!"
She came back to her bed and gave it to me.
"See? This is my mom." She pointed to the girl on the right. It was definitely Rachel. "She is nine here. And this," Ari pointed to the girl standing next to Rachel, "is her little sister."
"Eden…" I whispered, shocked. "Where did you get this picture?"
"I found it at Lily's."
"How did you know the girl in the picture was your mom's sister?"
"Isn't it obvious? They look so much alike. Despite the age difference."
I stared at Ari, trying to understand if she knew how much this picture meant to everyone of us.
"You think I didn't know Eden was mom's sister?" She smiled and moved closer to me. "I knew it the very first time we met." She took the picture from my hands and proceeded. "I found this picture a long time ago. Mom was still alive back then. I showed her the picture and she told me the girl standing next to her was her friend. I didn't know she was lying, but then I heard her talking to aunt Mia. She told her I found Eden's picture and that she made a mistake by not telling me the truth about her. This is how I knew Eden wasn't just a friend, but mom's sister."
"Did you ever ask Rachel about this picture again?"
"No, but one day, I saw her talking to this picture. She said she was sorry she couldn't save Eden. This is how I knew she was gone. I thought she died and that's why mom didn't want to tell me about her. But then Eden walked into my room, looked under the bed where I had been playing, and I knew it was her – the lost girl from the picture."
"Why didn't you tell anyone about your guesses?"
"I wanted to make sure I was right about her."
"And how exactly were you going to make sure it was her?"
She smiled like a sly little fox. "Remember I asked you to ta
ke us to Lily's? I knew if Eden were mom's sister, she would recognize the place."
"Oh, Ari… I can't believe you knew everything and didn't tell anyone a word!"
"Now you know the truth. Does Eden know she's my aunt?"
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat.
"Is she happy?"
"She sure is." I pulled Ari closer to my chest and kissed her forehead.
"Does it mean her memories are back? All of them?"
"Yes."
"That's great. Now I don't need to hide anything from her."
"Hide what?" Eden asked, walking into the room.
Ari and I shared a look.
She then jumped from the bed and came to Eden, "I know who you are."
"You do?" Eden looked at me questioningly.
"I knew it from the very beginning."
"What?" Eden, just like me, was genuinely surprised to hear that.
I chuckled. "Turns out our little spy was running her own investigation behind our backs."
"I'm so glad we've found you, auntie!" Ari wrapped her arms around Eden's neck and covered her cheeks with lots of small kisses.
Eden's eyes filled with happy tears. "There's nothing I could wish for more than this."
That day turned into a real family reunion. After we talked to Ariel, I called Eden's parents and Mia and asked them to come to share that day with us. There was nothing else to hide and I swear I had never felt more relieved in my entire life. The house never felt so much like home, with a family I never hoped to have. I also called my parents and told them I had a surprise for them. Eden, Ari and I would visit them later that month.
As for Mason and his fatherhood… Ariel took the news much easier than expected. She said she didn't mind spending more time with him and that she always knew he wasn't Eden's friend, because he didn't even know when her birthday was.
And so, everything seemed to be getting back to normal.
Except for one thing…
"I don't want this to be temporary," I said to Eden when we were back in our room.
"What do you mean?" She pulled down a binder holding her hair and let it flow down her shoulders.
"Us," I said, standing behind her. I watched her through the mirror.
She turned around and looked me in the eye. "What do you have in mind?"
I put my hands on her sides and said, "How about we make it official?"
"How official?"
"Very official..." I pulled out a small box from my jeans pocket and gave it to Eden. "Will you marry me?"
She looked at the box and her face fell.
"Blake…"
"I know everything you are going to say next. And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
Her eyes searched mine. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes and a million time yes."
There was worry in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking.
"There's nothing we can't deal with together," I told her.
"We can't change our fate, Blake. We are not almighty."
"But our love is. It's stronger than fear, Eden. It won't let our hearts break. Besides," I put my palm over where her heart was beating, "this heart has been through hell, but it's still beating. For you, for me and for the new life that we can't let slip through our fingers."
She covered my hand with hers and squeezed it slightly. "If being with you means living a life I was so scared to live after the surgery, I will say 'yes' to this. Because I do want to love you Blake. I want to grow old with you and see wrinkles all over my face; I don't want to die young. I want to see Ariel grow up and turn into one beautiful swan. I want to see her marry the love of her life and maybe, just maybe – if heaven lets me live that long – see her giving birth to her small copy – a girl or a boy – and know that my sister's legacy will live forever."
"Does this mean…"
"I will marry you, Blake Bowen. And give all the time that I have to you. Because without you, I don't need even a second of it."
I swept her in my arms and spun with her.
She laughed, begging me to put her down.
And when I did, I covered her lips with mine, showing all the love that I felt for her through my kiss – the very first one that opened the door to our future that I couldn't imagine without her. Because to me, she was a blessing I never hoped to get, but heaven finally had some mercy on me and I was thankful for it.
Forever or so later, I broke the kiss and said, "I thought I knew love, but I was wrong. Before you, it was just an illusion…"
"I'm so lucky to share my reality with you, Blake. I've been lost for so long, and then you found me. And if I ever get lost again, I want it to be in your eyes, in your arms and in your heart."
"Now you've got two hearts beating for you, Eden – yours and mine…"
EPILOGUE
Blake
Six years later
I was waiting for Eden to come back home. She had an appointment with Dr. Hensley and he was going to tell her something very important.
A few days ago, I went to see him, because there was a question no one but him could answer. It's been so long since the day he told me Eden wasn't going to live longer than five years. I had been counting every single day we spent together. I knew exactly when the five-year period was gonna end and I was so damn scared for that day to come.
Then, about a year later, I looked at the calendar on the wall and realized that it was so stupid to keep counting the time that she and I were predestined to live together. And then, I knew I wanted to do one more thing that I was sure would make my wife very happy…
I called her doctor and made an appointment with him.
"Is it dangerous for her to get pregnant?" I asked, hoping his words wouldn't break my hope to see my love caring my baby under her heart.
"Well, technically, any woman who has heart problems should be very careful with decisions like that. Because chances are high, pregnancy might not end well for her or the baby, not to mention both of them. As for Eden's case, I don't see why you can't try having babies."
"Really?"
"Her case is unique. It's different from any other case I've ever studied in my life. And trust me, I've operated on many people, including some with the same diagnosis as hers. But she's the only one who’s made it this far. She lives a normal life, her heart is functioning like any other healthy heart. And I think she's ready for more."
"Thank you, doctor. This is all I needed to hear from you."
"Mr. Bowen… My words are true, but what if she isn't ready to risk her life for a baby?"
I thought about it many times. But I knew how much she wanted to become a mom. She loved Ariel as if she were her own daughter. But every time she met women who were expecting babies, I saw sadness cross her face. She wanted to be one of them too. And even though she never said it out loud, probably thinking it was not possible, I knew deep down inside she wanted to give it a try.
"Will you do me a favor, doctor?"
"Sure. What do you want me to do?"
"Talk to her. Ask her what she thinks about having babies. And if she's ready to have them with me."
I couldn't do it myself. Because knowing Eden, she would never do anything that would push her life closer to the end, especially now that we were living a happy life together. She would never risk losing it, and leaving Ariel and me alone. But if her doctor told her she could give her biggest wish a try, she would look at it from a different point of view. And maybe, just maybe, consider going for it.
"How did it go?" Was the first thing I said when I saw Eden enter the house.
"Good." She took off her shoes and came to kiss me. "Is Ariel home?"
"No, she's still at school."
She walked into the living room and sat down on a couch.
"I wanted to discuss something with you, Blake…"
"What is it?"
She gave me a careful look, as if she was afraid I might not like what she was going to tell me.
; "What would you say if I told you I want to have a baby?" She bit her lower lip, waiting for my response.
I smiled. "I would say I want it too."
"Really?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"Oh, Blake…" She leaned into me and wrapped her arms around me.
"Have you talked to your doctor about it?" I knew she probably did, but pretended I didn't know anything about their conversation.
"I did. Two months ago…"
I frowned, surprised to hear her words.
"Two months ago?" But I called her doctor just a week ago, and he acted as if he and Eden never spoke about her chances to have a baby. "Does this mean…" She thought about having babies before I did.
She started nodding and then I saw a weak smile touch her lips.
"Oh, my God, Eden… You are pregnant!"
She nodded again and I swear I never saw her happier than now.
"I thought I was imagining things. I started feeling something, but I ignored it. Until the signs were more than obvious. I got scared and called the doctor. I didn't tell you anything because I wanted to make sure the baby and I could make it this far. Then, after the doctors told me we were fine and there was nothing to worry about, I thought it was time to tell you the news. I couldn't wait to tell you everything."
I touched her belly and mentally thanked God for this gift.
"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"It's a boy."
"I'm gonna be a dad… Unbelievable!"
"Finally!" I heard Ariel say.
Eden and I turned around at the sound of her voice.
"Honestly, Blake, I never thought you were that blind."
"You knew?" Eden asked in surprise.
Ariel came closer and crossed her arms, watching us. Our little princess was not a kid anymore, but a beautiful young lady who took the best from both of her parents.
"Of course, I did!" She said, looking at Eden. "Since the very first time I saw you embracing the sink early in the morning. I can't believe you've been fooling your husband for so long." She shook head and smiled. "Congratulations to both of you."
"Come here." Eden stood up to give her a big hug. "You're going to be an aunt."
"The best ever." Ariel then brushed Eden's hair away from her face and added quietly, "After you, of course."