I felt my stomach pick up out of my body and start spinning uncontrollably. I felt like I was on the steepest rollercoaster. I couldn’t catch my breath. “You didn’t really want the house?”
His voice pitched low, “I wanted the house… with you in it.” One corner of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile. “And I wanted the dog as long as you got her too. I wanted the TV and the kitchen table and the bed upstairs and whatever else I made that asshole lawyer fight with you about because they came attached to you. I couldn’t let you go, Kate. Until the other morning when I thought you would leave me anyway. I didn’t know what else to do besides give you what you wanted. But you should know that if you had gone through with it, I would have still belonged to you. You own me, Kate. You will always own me. You are my wife till death do us part.”
My heart swelled in my chest until I was certain it would burst. Until I knew I would die from happiness.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for fighting for me.”
He pulled me against his chest again and I rested there. I gave up everything at that moment and just breathed in my husband.
He was right. He was mine. I was his. He owned me and I owned him.
Till death do us part.
We stayed there the rest of the afternoon and evening. We stayed there, on our couch and talked and talked and talked. We made more apologies. We made more promises. We decided to find a couple’s counselor that could help us through the next part of this journey. And we finally made love.
Right there on the couch.
Afterward, wrapped in the throw blankets from our living room, we ate a meal of cheese and crackers and ice cream. Then we walked hand in hand to our bedroom where we made love all over again.
This time when Nick wrapped me in his arms, I didn’t wake in a panic. I fell blissfully asleep in his arms and didn’t stir until morning.
And when we woke, we kissed without brushing our teeth. We held each other closely and made promises all over again.
It wouldn’t always be like this. Seven years of marriage had taught us that every day would be different, that life would throw us curve balls and we wouldn’t always get along. But our eyes were wide open now. We knew what we wanted. And that was each other.
He would drive me crazy and I would inevitably make him furious.
But he would also make me happier than I had ever been. He would also take care of me, adore me, love me. And I would love him in return. I would support him. And I would respect him.
We had a long way to go toward healing, but we were starting in the right place.
We were starting hand-in-hand and together.
And neither one of us would ever let go.
Chapter Twenty-Five
31. He loves me.
32. He will always love me.
“Are you finished?” Kara’s pretty red head poked in my doorway and she took in the room with lightning fast quickness. “You look finished.”
I stood up from a box I had been taping closed and stretched my back. “I think I am. Nick is going to pick me up and carry all this.”
She grinned at me, “Perks of having a good man.” I laughed and waggled my eyebrows at her. She stepped into the room completely. “This year went by so fast. I can’t believe it’s over.”
I smiled wryly, “I can. I’m ready for summer.” I sighed. “I’m ready to actually start summer.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Why, Kate? It’s not like you have a job in the fall. What does it matter to you?”
I laughed as my hand landed gently on my slightly swollen belly. “I didn’t take you for the jealous type. I thought you had a purpose here.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “Well, mostly my purpose is to annoy my parents. These hoodlums are a side effect of bad judgment and stubborn rebellion.”
“You’re such a liar. You love the kids here. And you’re only half serious about annoying your parents.”