Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
I beam at Tyson. “Yes. Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!”
Tyson gets to his feet, and I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. I never thought I could ever feel as happy as I am right now. I didn’t know this kind of happiness even existed. It seems like a fairy tale. A dream. And if it is a dream, it’s one I hope I never wake up from.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
TYSON
Five Years Later
“Ithink I may actually die before my residency is up,” she says.
“At least you’ll die happy,” I reply. “I mean, you are still happy, right?”
“Beyond happy.”
“I’m proud of you, baby girl.”
She blushes and can’t keep the smile off her face. She is always one to run from praise and the spotlight. It’s adorable. I finish packing her lunch, slip the box into her bag, and slide it across the counter to her.
“And what’s for lunch today?” she asks.
“Today, you have salmon with mango chutney and spinach salad with strawberry vinaigrette,” I reply with a smile.
“You spoil me.”
“Nonsense. I treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
She comes around the center island and wraps me in a warm embrace, giving me a soft kiss. We stand together for a moment, and I revel in the feel of her body pressed to mine. It’s something I know I can never get tired of feeling. Tabitha has changed my life in too many ways to count, all for the better. Before her, I never believed I would know what true love and happiness were, let alone have them for myself. But every single day, she shows me that I can. She makes me feel worthy of happiness. Worthy of her love. That’s a debt I can never repay.
With her encouragement, I opened my own place a couple of years ago, and though it took a minute to get off the ground, now it’s booming. It’s become one of the hottest restaurants in the city and a hot spot for celebrities and athletes. People rave about the creativity of my menus and the quality of the food. Honestly, it surpassed every expectation I had when I opened the doors. And the sheer joy I have in the kitchen is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I love my job. Not nearly as much as I love my wife, but it’s a close second.
It’s not nearly as noble as what Tabitha does—she saves people, I just feed them—but I feel absolute satisfaction and fulfillment from what I do. It’s something I never felt in my previous life. It’s something I never thought I’d feel. And yet, here I am. Because of her.
“Thank you,” she says.
“For what?”
“For this beautiful life we have.”
“I should be thanking you for it. Without you—”
She puts her finger to my lips and smiles, but I gently push her hand away.
“I mean it. You’ve made me dream things I never would have let myself before. You’ve changed my world in ten thousand ways. A hundred thousand,” I tell her earnestly. “Before you, I never would have had the courage to do any of this. So, thank you, baby girl.”
Her smile is soft. “We bring out the best in each other.”
“We do.”
We share a gentle kiss that’s interrupted by the sound of small feet traipsing up the hallway behind us. A second set follows the first, and I can’t help but laugh as I turn around and find our twins hustling into the kitchen, not sure what they’re missing but sure they’re missing something. I laugh as I scoop them both up. They giggle and squirm in my arms, making me smile.
Dax and Daria, my two little rays of sunshine. They’ve both got my white-blonde hair, but they’ve got their mother’s sparkling green eyes and delicate features. They’re absolutely perfect. And they’re two more amazing things I never thought I’d have in my life.
Tabitha steps forward and gives them both a kiss and a snuggle, making them giggle and squirm even harder.
Trina, our nanny, comes bustling into the kitchen, a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry about that. They’re quick and slippery.”
“That’s all right. They just wanted to say goodbye to Mommy before she goes out to save the world. Isn’t that right, little ones?” I say.
Tabitha smiles and gives me a quick peck on the lips. As I look at my family, I’m hit again by a massive wave of disbelief. This is yet another gift Tabitha has given me. She has filled holes in my heart and soul that I never knew existed. Given the life I’ve led, I don’t know what I did to deserve this bounty of love and joy, but I’m thankful.
And I’m never letting go.
The End