by S. E. Law
“You’re the perfect one.”
“Well then I guess we’ll have a doubly perfect child,” he smiles. Brick kisses my chin before going to my lips. His tongue slips into my mouth, dancing with mine. I moan, pressing my body into his as much as I can.
“Tammy?” Brick mumbles against my lips.
“Yes.” I move my head back ever so slightly so that Brick can say what he needs to.
“Will you marry me?”
“What?” I couldn’t have heard Brick correctly. There’s no way he just asked me that. “What did you say?”
“Will you marry me?”
“You want to marry me?”
“I want to spend my whole life with you. I never want you to leave my side. I never want to leave your side. I want our lives to be forever intertwined. I want to marry you.”
I feel like such an overly emotional idiot. Tears have been flowing down my face nonstop all day, and it looks like they aren’t going to stop any time soon.
“So, Tammy Thompson,” Brick tilts his head, giving me his most serious stare, “do you want to marry me?”
“Of course I do.” I knew my answer immediately, but I needed time to fully grasp what was happening. I cannot believe Brick has just asked me to marry him. “Of course I want to marry you, Brick Barrister.”
It’s been a morning of many kisses, and I plant another big one on him.
“I don’t have a ring, but I’ll get you one tomorrow. I want the world to know that you’re mine,” Brick mumbles against my lips.
“Okay,” I mumble back. While I’ll love to have a ring broadcasting our relationship to the world, if all we had was each other, I’d be the happiest woman in the world. A lifetime with Brick is the greatest blessing I could ever ask for. And having his child makes a perfect situation even more perfect. I never thought my existence could be so blessed, but here I am. I’ve got everything I could possibly need, everything I could possibly want.
I’m finally getting to live the life I want. Today is the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
Epilogue 1
Tammy
Three years later.
Harlow’s birthday is coming up, and I’ve been sitting at this table fretting over the flowers she’ll have at her party. I know it's not the huge problem I am making it out to be, and she probably won’t care if I go with purple lilies or white lilies, but I want my daughter to enjoy the beauty of a gorgeously crafted flower arrangement. Even at the young age of two. A two-year-old can still appreciate pretty things.
Plus, being able to work with flowers the way I want to is so much more enjoyable. After Brick proposed to me, I never went back to work at Greener Thumb. I called Abigail and quit in the most polite voice I could muster. I never enjoyed working there, but I also didn’t have any desire to yell at her. Brick had brought so much happiness into my life, and I was riding that wave. Any animosity I had toward my former boss wasn't really a factor anymore.
Surprisingly, Abigail wasn't terrible about the whole thing. I mean, she still had her standard Abigail-ness, but she was trying. It was the nicest end to our working relationship possible. I still sometimes go to Greener Thumb to purchase flowers. Soon after I quit, Abigail hired another assistant. She looks a lot less ragged than I did on the job, so I'm guessing Abigail has become a lot nicer.
I hold up a white camellia. I’ve been toying with the idea of including them in the display. I laugh, thinking back to all those years ago when I wanted to be on that reality show. It was going to be my ticket to the big life. What a crazy idea! But it’s the reason Brick and I found one another, so I’m glad I made those plans. And I’m grateful that sometimes things don't go as planned. In fact, not a single thing went as I’d planned, but I wouldn’t change any of it. Not for all of the money in the world.
I haven’t completely given up on my dream to have my own flower shop, though. In fact, I've been thinking a lot more critically about that dream. So much has changed in my life; it makes sense that my dreams have followed suit. But I've put all of that on hold so that I can enjoy my new family life. Spending time with my baby and my husband is more than enough for me right now.
And I love being a stay-at-home mom more than anything. Spending every day with Harlow – watching her grow and experience the world – has made me happier than I could have ever imagined being. Everything seen through the eyes of a baby is brand-new. It's like I'm rediscovering everything with Harlow. Which is part of the reason why I am fussing so much over these flowers. I want my child to grow up feeling as much love as she possibly can. I want her to only absorb positive energy. I know that’s not entirely possible, but I can do my best for her.
My daughter is the light in my life. And Brick is such a good father. We were both so nervous before she was born. Having your first kid will give anyone a scare. We had a million questions and no way to know if we were getting the right answers. I really thought parenting was going to be one long panic attack. At one point, we had three different cribs in our house. Brick's rationale was that the baby might reject the bed. I was also doing some silly routines myself, so there wasn't a whole lot of room for me to judge. But once she came into the world, we all bonded immediately. Everything else just kind of fell into place after that.
The easiest thing in the world was loving her.
“Tammy?” I hear Brick call for me as the door opens.
“I’m in the living room.” Brick comes to where I’m sitting and places a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
“What are you doing, baby?”
“I’m trying to figure out how the display will look for Harlow’s birthday.”
“Weren’t you doing that yesterday?”
“Maybe,” I sigh. I've been working on this for a bit longer than two days, unbeknownst to Brick. I've put way too much energy into this project, but I can't help it. “I just want everything to be perfect. It’s the first time we’re having people over in our new house.”
When Brick found out we were expecting, he thought a new house might be better. We raised Harlow in his apartment for a while. Since it was close to his work, he could be home at a moment’s notice. But as she got older, we thought it would be nice to have more room and a yard. His other house felt much too big and not very child-friendly, so together, we found something that would work for our family.
“My parents are also coming here for the first time,” I continue. “It’s like the beginning of a new chapter.”
After the huge argument with my mom and dad, Brick and I didn’t talk to them for months. Brick continued to pay my dad as if he were still on staff. Since there was no formal resignation, Brick Productions treated my father’s absence as a prolonged vacation. Eventually, the news that I was pregnant reached my parents, and we were all able to come together and have an adult conversation about what happened. I apologized for lying, but not before my parents said they were sorry for the way they had reacted. We all realized our relationship was changing and that it wasn't getting worse, just different. Which makes sense because I'm an adult now with my own child. It was such a healing experience, and we are all better for it.
The blessing extended to Brick’s business as well. The expansion of his studio ended up being one of the best moves he’s ever made. This is the first year one of their documentaries has ever been nominated for an Academy Award. A bottle of champagne was popped that night. I also may have shown Brick how proud I was of him in…other ways.
“I’m sure everyone will have a great time,” he reassures me.
“Plus,” I continue, “Harlow deserves cute flowers.” I hold up some petals to my face, putting on a faux pout to make Brick understand the importance of my task.
“Well, I can’t argue with you there. That little girl deserves the world.” And Brick would give it to her if he had the chance. I put down the flowers I’ve been playing around with, placing them off to the side. I can work on that later. Ma
ybe some time away from it will reinvigorate my mind.
“My mom called,” I tell my husband.
“Oh, are they still coming for the party?”
“Yeah, yeah. They wouldn’t miss it for the world. She just wanted to know if she could use our kitchen for the cake.”
“Of course she can. She doesn’t even have to ask. Where else would she bake it?”
"I have no idea,” I shrug. "I told her she doesn't have to ask, but she likes to double-check.” Ever since my parents moved down to Florida, my mom always asks about using our home whenever they’re in town. We’ve never said no, and as long as we have room, we will never say no, but she insists on getting permission every time. I guess our conversation on healthy boundaries really hit home for her.
Florida has been great for my parents. After Brick reached the decision that it would be best for my father to leave the company, he came up with a plan to make sure my parents didn’t lose everything. Once we all reconciled, Brick set up a nice retirement package for my dad. Even though my parents had realized their mistake by then, I was still kind of worried my dad might say no because he would see the package as charity. But Brick took my dad out for a fancy steak dinner and got him to accept the offer that same night. I'm still in awe over Brick's persuasion skills.
“Can your mom make it to the party?” I ask Brick. She has been on the fence because of some issues she’s having in Europe. Nothing major, but she thought she might have to come see us the week after Harlow's birthday.
“Yes. All of the grandparents will be together for the first time.” It's surprising, I know. The first meeting was meant to be at our wedding, but all of the planes flying out of Rome at the time had been grounded, and other means of leaving the city had been limited, so Sandra had basically been stuck. We’d offered to postpone our wedding, but she would have none of it, so we ended up live streaming the wedding to her. Thankfully, Brick has some of the best cinematographers in the biz. Our parents did say hi over the livestream, so I guess this is more their first time physically being in the same space.
“Here’s hoping they all get along,” I cross my fingers. It’s a bit of a joke because Sandra is amazing, and I know my parents will like her. And I’m sure she’ll like them as well. I've been making myself extra anxious over a child's birthday party. Yes, my child, but still.
“It’ll be great,” Brick reassures me. He moves some hair from in front of my face to behind my ear before kissing my forehead. “I’m going to head to the bedroom. Call me if you need anything. Just promise me you won't drive yourself crazy with all of this birthday stuff.”
"I can't make any promises, but I will try to calm down.”
"Okay, I can accept that. I'm going to head up now.”
Brick grabs his briefcase and walks away. He heads upstairs, leaving me alone. Usually, Brick would go straight to Harlow’s room to say hi, but she’s with Auntie Mamie for the night. I was actually hoping to reveal some good news to him but got caught up talking about Harlow's party instead.
I stand up. Planning can be put on hold for now. All of these materials will still be here when I get back. I quietly follow Brick upstairs, excited to have this conversation with him.
When I get to the bedroom, he is taking off his button-up shirt. He turns to face me as I step inside.
“Is everything okay?” he asks while pulling his shirt off.
“Yeah,” I nod. I know I came in here with a purpose, but seeing my husband’s exposed chest like that wipes all thoughts from my head. Well, all thoughts that don’t involve running my hands all over his beautiful god-like body.
“Tammy?”
I don’t say anything. Instead, I walk up to him and press my palms into his chest. He’s caught off guard, which allows me to push him down on the bed. I smile at his wide-eyed expression, making quick work of climbing on top of this big strong man, my thighs squeezing on either side of his body.
I bend over, bringing my lips right by Brick’s ear.
“I think I might need something,” I whisper. I lift my body back up slightly so that I can look into his eyes. They’re ablaze with the same passion I have deep inside my bones.
“Whatever you need.” Brick’s hands come up my sides, pushing my dress over my thighs and bunching it at my waist. His hands knead the meaty flesh of my legs, getting closer and closer to my center.
I scoot myself down. With better access to Brick’s pants, I unbutton and unzip him, pulling his pants down. I rub my hand over his bulge, my fingers softly bumping over the ridges.
I bend over again, kissing him as I slip my hand into his underwear, gently tugging on his cock. He grumbles while I play with him. I bite down on his bottom lip, pulling it out a little.
I can’t hold back any longer, and in a flurry of hands, I pull his underwear down. His dick hits my stomach.
“Are you going to ride me, baby?”
“Yes,” I breathe. I pull my dress over my head and throw it onto the ground. Brick takes in a deep breath as I remove my bra. My nipples are already peaked, the cold air igniting their sensitivity even more.
“You’re so beautiful.” Brick massages my breast. I hold back the mewls in my throat as I push my underwear to the side. Positioning Brick’s dick at my entrance, I slide my pussy down his hard shaft. The grooves of his cock massage my walls, twisting my insides into knots.
Brick moves his hands to my hips and starts to move me up and down. I throw my head back, a million and one sensations coursing through me at once. Every time with Brick feels like the first time. Being with him never gets old. All I want is to be consumed by him, taken over and over again.
“Brick!” I scream as his dick pounds in and out of me, our bodies slapping together. The smell of sex fills the air as our scents mix together.
I drop my hands onto his chest, arching my back gently. My thighs want to come together, but the big hunk of man between them is keeping that from happening.
I grind my pelvis down, connecting our bodies even further. My throat is taut with the sounds of pleasure ripping through it. My entire body goes warm as the beginning tingles of my orgasm rage through me.
“Are you close, baby? Are you close?”
“I am,” I purr. I can’t hold back any longer. The tension in my muscles is just too great. I let it out, the vibrations racking through my body from my head to my toes.
Brick’s fingers dig into my sides. I feel his cum shoot into me, coating me and dripping down my thighs. I collapse on top of him, catching my breath. Brick wraps his arms around me and then rolls the two of us over. We’re lying down next to one another, face-to-face. Brick moves some of the hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I'm still catching my breath from our little exercise routine, but I cannot wait any longer.
“Brick?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s something I want to tell you.” I don’t know why I’m all nervous. It’s not like this is the first time I’m telling him news like this. We're old pros at this point. Still, it will be a big change.
“What is it?” He brings his finger down my cheek, going over to my shoulder until my hand is in his.
“It’s good news,” I start out.
“Okay.”
“At least, I think it’s good news.” I let out a deep breath. “I’m nervous. I didn’t expect to be nervous.”
“Just tell me. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Okay, well,” I take a deep breath, "it looks like Harlow is going to have a sibling in a few months.” I give Brick’s hand a small squeeze over all of the excitement I’m feeling. When I first took the test, I was overjoyed. Having one child has made me so happy; two can only double that feeling.
“For real?” Brick is suddenly sitting up, looking at me with the type of excitement you see a child have on Christmas morning.
“Yes! I took a couple of tests, and they were all positive. I still have to schedule a doctor's visit, but everything feels like when I wa
s carrying Harlow. We’re pregnant, baby.” Brick looks up at the ceiling for a couple of seconds, speechless, before bending down and raining kisses on my face.
I scream with giddiness, his happiness further fueling my own. I’m so happy and excited to be growing a family with the man I love.
"We're having another kid!” I'm not going to lie, Brick seems even more excited than I am, and I am pretty freaking excited.
"I hope Harlow will like having a sibling. She's had two years of being the focal point of our lives.”
"Harlow is going to be the greatest big sister,” I reassure him.
"She will, won't she?"
I nod, smiling. At two, she's already so kind. I know parents always think they have the best baby, but Harlow really is an amazing kid. If she isn't number one, our kid cracks the top ten at least.
"And I promise to buy only one crib this time," Brick jokes.
"We really want overboard before Harlow was born, huh?”
"Baby, we lost our damn minds."
"Fuck, we really did.”
“But we're pros at this now,” Brick says. "We could have ten kids and not miss a single step.'’
"Ten kids? You want ten kids?” Brick and I have never discussed how many kids we want. Harlow, though a blessing, was a huge surprise. Not much happened in the way of talking about having more kids because we were so focused on the one on the way, and that focus has not wavered. But having more kids makes sense. The number ten is what surprises me.
"Oh, I just threw that number out there. I'm saying we are great parents, and we're going to raise great kids.”
That makes sense, but thinking about ten kids running around this house? I'm actually not upset by the idea.
"I mean, I wouldn't mind a full house, if that’s something you want.”
"Yeah," Brick responds like this is the first time he's really thought about it. "Yeah, let's have a bunch of kids!”
I'm giggling now because Brick is such a goofball, but I am 100% on board.