She rolls over and I tuck her head under my chin, and hold her tight. She runs her hand down my chest, over my hip bone, and then down my thigh. Goosebumps break out all over my body. She reaches under my boxers, takes me in her hand, and I moan. Rolling her onto her back, I take her mouth in a slow tangle of lips and tongue. Lacing her fingers in mine, I bring them to the side of her head. I trail kisses down her neck to her left breast.
The stitches are healing nicely and have started to dissolve. Gently, I kiss on top of them and say, “So beautiful.” Trailing further down to the scars on her left breast, I whisper, “Every inch of you is so beautiful.” She gasps with pleasure; I love showing her how much I love her, scars and all. She’s mine and she’s so beautiful. Still holding her, fingers laced in mine, I position myself over her and enter her slowly.
She calls out my name as I begin to move slowly, then slightly faster. Lifting her right leg and placing it on my shoulder, she moans with the sensation of the new position. I can see the look on her face, she’s close. Leaning down to take her nipple in my mouth, she shudders and clenches around me with her release. I follow, shortly after, with my own powerful orgasm.
Carrying her to the shower, I gently wash her beautiful red hair and the rest of her body. She returns the favor, massaging my scalp with shampoo, then she slides her soapy hands all over my body.
Laying in bed in ‘our nighttime position,’ we quickly fall asleep.
Chapter 23
~ Two Months Later ~
Willow
The last two months have been crazy with moving and wedding planning. My mom and I have seen each other twice now, and she and I quickly formed a bond that is equal to the bond that Asher’s sisters have with their mother. Her husband is great and I can see that they’re truly and deeply in love. I’m so happy for them. I started calling him Dad and I can tell he’s tickled, well, pink by it. Asher and I are stronger than ever, falling more in love each day if that’s even possible. His home is our home now.
Sometimes we have dinners with the family here at our house; I even cooked them my chili with noodles. Most of the family said it was definitely better than without the noodles. I’m not sure if they were saying that just to be nice, but I didn’t care. I enjoy cooking for our families. The last time my mom and dad were here, we all got together at Asher’s parents’ house for dinner to introduce them, it was one big happy family dinner.
The wedding plans are well under way, and the beach location is a go. I’m so excited. Ava and Amelia agreed to be my maids of honor, and they’ll each stand up with Adrian and Aiden. The big day is only three months away. Everything seems to be going great until recently; I started not to feel well.
I don’t want to alarm anyone, so I’ve been keeping it to myself, telling everyone I’m just tired from the move, wedding planning, and working. But, the fact is, I’m so tired and sometimes I’m so nauseated, that I need to lie down, which is hard to do because I don’t want to worry anyone.
It’s Saturday and I’m sleeping in bed in the middle of the day, when Asher comes in. I feel the bed move as he sits down.
“Sweetheart, are you feeling OK?” he asks with concern.
I know I can’t ignore him or the fact that I’m not feeling well anymore.
“I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“You’re not fooling anyone, I’ve seen how tired you’ve been, you can’t hide anything from me, and I know you haven’t been feeling well. What’s going on?”
“Really, I’m fine, just a little tired. That’s all, really.”
“You know I have a business trip scheduled for Monday, I think I should cancel and we should take you to the doctor. This isn’t anything to fool around with, Willow.”
“No, you don’t have to cancel. This is an important meeting, you have to go. I’ll make an appointment Monday, I promise. I’ll even take one of your sisters with me if it makes you feel better.”
“I don’t like this and I don’t feel right about it, but if you promise to take one of my sisters, I’ll still go.”
“I promise. First thing Monday morning, I’ll make an appointment.”
“OK, you rest. I’ll make dinner and I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”
With a kiss on the forehead, which I’m sure is to see if I was running a fever, he goes back downstairs.
I lay there wondering what’s wrong with me, of course, I’m thinking the worst. My cancer is back; I just know it.
Asher
Leaving Willow Monday morning is hard, but with Ava’s promise that she’ll take her to her appointment scheduled for later this afternoon, I feel a little more comfortable with it. The business meeting was scheduled a month ago and is important, which is the only reason I’m going. I can cut it short from the four days to two, but being away is still hard not knowing what’s going on.
Between texting Ava and Willow every fifteen minutes for updates, I think they’re both ready to kill me. By the time I know she’s in the appointment, I can’t seem to focus on the meeting at all. Thirty minutes later, I’m back to texting them both repeatedly. Finally, I get a call from Willow.
“Sweetheart, how did it go?” I ask.
“Asher, you’re going to make your sister want to commit murder. Relax, the doctor said it was probably just the flu and all my test results came back normal.”
“Oh, thank God, I was thinking . . .”
“I know what you were thinking. I was thinking the same thing and he assured me it’s not. I’m perfectly healthy.”
Finally being able to relax, I concentrate on my meeting and the task at hand. I’m so worried about her. With the wedding only three months away, I can hardly wait to make her my wife. I’m still cutting my trip short. I can’t wait to see her tomorrow. I need to hold her. I need to be with her to make sure for myself that she’s really alright.
Chapter 24
Willow
I’m sitting in the doctor’s office, holding Ava’s hand and I tell him all the symptoms I’ve been experiencing. He orders blood tests, then asks us to wait in his office. So here we sit holding hands, not saying a word. The clock on the wall is ticking loudly, with each second that passes and each second seems to be getting louder.
Ava touches my hand; I look at her face and it looks like she’s in pain. Her eyes go to our connected hands, so I look there too. Her hand is turning white because I’ve been squeezing her hand so hard.
“Sorry, so sorry. I’m just so nervous.”
“It’s OK, but damn woman you’ve got a grip.”
Just then the doctor comes in with a file in his hand. People and their damn files, they usually only bring bad news. This is how this whole thing started in the first place. He sets the file on the desk and takes a seat.
“Willow, I have all your results back and you’re still in remission. The cancer is not back.”
That’s a huge relief, but I’m confused now. Why haven’t I been feeling good?
“It seems that you’re pregnant,” he says, answers my unspoken question.
“What?” I ask, suddenly feel light-headed. Well, that would certainly explain it, but . . .
Ava’s now squeezing my hand so tight I think it’s going to leave a permanent bruise.
“I thought I couldn’t get pregnant because of the chemo and I’ve been on the pill for my heavy periods since I was a teenager.”
“Willow, no one ever told you, you couldn’t get pregnant after chemo. Lots of women go on after chemo and get pregnant, although I wish it were a little longer after your last treatment. Your OB/GYN will monitor you closely and as far as I can tell there’s no need for concern. Stop taking the pill immediately, here’s a prescription for prenatal vitamins. I’m recommending this obstetrician that works closely with cancer survivors. Make an appointment right away, and Willow, congratulations,” he says, handing me the prescription and a business card.
I call Asher and tell him everything’s fine; it’s probably just the flu.
I don’t want to tell him this big of news over the phone. He says he’s coming home early anyway. Walking hand in hand with Ava, we return to the car.
“I’m so happy for both of you. How are you going to tell him, we should think of a special way to tell him?” Ava says.
“I have the perfect idea. I’m going to need your help, though.”
“You got it. Tell me what you’re planning.”
After telling Ava my idea, she’s all smiles. She drops me off at home and immediately goes into action pulling everything together.
Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. I can hardly wait until Asher gets home. I text him and tell him I invited everyone over for dinner to welcome him home. He doesn’t think anything about it. He won’t be home until almost dinner time anyway.
The next morning, I’m able to get in to the see the OB/GYN. My doctor, Dr. Fleming, has already been informed about my history and she wants to do an exam. She asks me to strip from the waist down; I’m slightly confused.
She holds up a large wand looking device, then says she’s going to do an internal sonogram. I didn’t even know they did internal sonograms. Amelia insisted on coming with me and she’s been holding my hand the entire time.
A fuzzy black-and-white image appears on the screen. After some measuring and looking at the fuzzy blob, she says I’m ten weeks pregnant and that everything looks normal. She flips a switch on the machine, and a whoosh whoosh sound fills the air. It’s my baby’s heartbeat. Our baby’s heartbeat. Asher and I made a baby. She prints a few pictures and makes me my next appointment.
I make a quick call to Ava and she assures me that everything is ready, and that she’ll come over before Asher gets home to help me. She tells him she’s helping me cook, which he’s happy about because he worries too much about me. Changing my clothes and putting on a sweatshirt jacket zipped up, I head into the kitchen to help Ava. Asher should be home any minute.
Just as expected, Asher walks through the door a few minutes later and makes a beeline straight to me. He wraps me in a tight hug and kisses me like it’s been weeks since he last saw me, instead of two days.
“How are you feeling? Better?” he asks concerned.
“Yes, one hundred percent better.”
“Are you cold? You’re wearing a jacket. Did you want me to turn the heat up?”
“No, I’m fine. I just put on a short-sleeved shirt without thinking. So I threw on a jacket. How was your trip?” I ask, trying to take his mind off me.
“The trip was a success, but I’m so glad to be home.”
The rest of the family arrives each bringing more food than we can possibly eat; then Asher eyes his dad suspiciously.
“Dad, why does your shirt say, ‘Dad’ on it? Are you getting senile in your old age, and need to be reminded what your name is?”
“Funny son, real funny.”
Giggling softly to myself, I know exactly why his shirt says, “Dad.”
Asher
Being home is such a relief, I’m so glad Wilow is alright. I was terrified for her. Coming home to my house filled with family is just what I needed.
Willow clears her throat and says, “If everyone can pay attention for a second before dinner, I have something I need to say.”
She’s probably going to tell everyone that her appointment went fine, and she’s still cancer free. Then everyone moves around and it seems like they’re trying to stand in a straight line. Aiden and Ava are fighting about who gets to stand next to Mom. What is wrong with these people? Willow stands next to me and takes my hand. Everyone else is lined up in front of us like a firing squad.
“OK everyone, now,” Willow says.
I’ve just now noticed that everyone is wearing zipped up jackets, except for my dad, whose jacket is already unzipped. They all start taking them off one by one. Everyone’s t-shirt has one word written across the front of it.
I read them starting from left to right. “You’re a be to going Dad.” I think everyone’s lost their mind.
Everyone looks down at their shirts, they all start talking at once, and then they re-arrange themselves. Willow joins them and unzips her jacket. I read them all again.
“Congratulations you’re going to be a Dad.” Wait. What?
Willow is standing with silent tears streaming down her face, shaking her head yes.
“How can this be? I thought you said you couldn’t get pregnant?”
She rushes over and plows into me with a tight hug. She slightly pulls away to look into my eyes, and says, “I thought I couldn’t get pregnant either, the doctor said everything looks great, here.”
She reaches into her back pocket and takes out a black and white image and puts it in my hand.
“This is our baby. Tell me you’re happy,” she says, looking into my eyes.
Staring at the photo in my hand, Willow slowly backs away unsure of how I’m reacting. My face has fallen. My mom walks up and touches my arm, “Asher, please say something, you’re scaring Willow.”
“I’m just . . . I’m just so happy; I don’t even think I can think. Willow, this is amazing, come here, sweetheart, I’m so happy. I never thought this was possible,” I say hugging her.
I feel like I’m about to come out of my own skin, then Willow bursts into tears.
“I thought for a second you were angry.”
“Never, sweetheart, I’m so happy. You’ve made me the happiest man alive. We’re having a baby,” I say, placing my hand over her flat belly, our child is growing right now inside Willow and I’m going to be a dad.
Dinner is filled with so much joy. Soon, Willow and I will be married and soon after that we’re going to be parents. Then I start to think back to Olivia; we talked about having a family. We talked about it all the time. In fact, we were even trying the last few years, but had been unsuccessful. I know she’s looking down with a smile, I know she’s happy for me.
After everyone leaves, I stand in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the dinner mess. Willow wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head on my back.
“Are you really happy, you weren’t just saying that because your family was here, were you?”
Turning around, I put the dish towel on the counter, wrap her securely in my arms, and kiss the top of her head.
“I’m sorry if you thought that for one second. I was so surprised, but in a good way. I didn’t know what I was doing. Time was standing still. It’s the happiest thing, besides you being cancer free, I’ve ever heard. I love you so much. And I love this baby.”
Smiling, she kisses me tenderly, then says, “So I guess it’s fitting that our wedding is going to be at the beach, because I just might be the beached whale.”
“Willow, sweetheart, you’re going to be beautiful on our wedding day and just remember that you’re my beached whale.”
She smacks me hard on the arm, and I say, “Ow,” with a smile.
Chapter 25
~ Three Months Later ~
Willow
Today is the day. Today I will become Mrs. Asher Wellington. I’m the happiest woman alive. I’m just starting my sixth month of pregnancy, and it’s coming along beautifully. I’m monitored closely by my OB/GYN, and all my testing indicates it’s a normal, healthy pregnancy. My regular testing for cancer also continues to come out clean.
My relationship with my mom continues to grow and we talk on the phone all the time. We’ve flown to Illinois a few times and she’s made several trips here. Asher won’t allow me to travel anymore, always being the overprotective one. She and her husband flew in earlier this week for the wedding. Everyone is in full wedding mode.
We’re all staying in a hotel near Alki Beach. My mom, Asher’s mom, and his sisters are rushing around in a frenzy while I sit. The hairdresser and makeup artist are performing their magic. My fingers and toes are painted in a pink French manicure. As they finish up with hair and make-up, there’s a knock at the door. Amelia answers it, then comes back with a small rectangular
box with a pink ribbon on top and a card. She hands me the card first, I open it and read it out loud:
Sweetheart,
In just a few minutes, you will make me the happiest man by becoming my wife. From the first day we met, I was captivated by your beauty. I knew that day, that my life would be forever changed. You helped me heal my broken heart and taught me how to love again. You’ve shown me that love is forever growing and you’ve opened my heart to unimaginable joy. Today, I marry my best friend. I promise, from this day forward, to be the best husband and father I know how to be. I love you with all my heart.
Love,
Asher
Not a dry eye in the room, I tell you. Samantha is dabbing her eyes with a tissue, Amelia is snorting snot and wipes it on the back of her hand. Ava turns around and is looking out the window, and my mom is staring at me with her mouth hanging open and tears streaming down her cheeks.
I don’t even know how I read the whole thing without crying myself. You’d think with pregnancy hormones and being the one getting married, I’d be the one blubbering like a baby. But I sit here with a smile on my face.
Amelia hands me the box. I open it, tossing the paper on the floor. Inside there’s a beautiful platinum tennis bracelet, with alternating pink sapphires and pristine clear diamonds. There’s a piece of paper under it from Asher, ‘This is your something new. The alternating pink sapphires and diamonds signify everlasting love.’ Amelia takes the bracelet and puts it on my right wrist. On my left is the platinum charm bracelet Asher gave me months ago.
Stepping forward, Samantha hands me a small square box. Inside are sparkling diamond stud earrings.
“These are your something old; they were given to me on my wedding day by my mother. Her mother gave them to her, on her wedding day.”
“I couldn’t, this is something you should give to one of your daughters, not me.”
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