Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Vaughn’s face shifts several shades of red as the table erupts into hearty laughter. But as it all settles down, Victor’s attention lingers on Mom, who’s staring right back at him. His brow flicks upward as if the pair of them are having some telepathic conversation, and after a long sip from his short glass, Victor speaks.
“Two down, Mother.” He snakes a hand behind Olivia’s neck. “One more wish, though I believe I know where it’s going.”
“And you’d no doubt be correct.” They both turn their attention to Vaughn.
Leaving them to whatever they’re talking about, I face Hana directly, staring deep into her eyes. The start of a smile twists the corner of her lips upward.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispers, not to interrupt the rest of my family.
“Like what?” She opens her mouth to speak, but I continue before she gets the chance. “Like you really are a stunning woman? A goddess among us mere mortals? The love of my life?”
The smile and blushing from my first two points disappear behind a wall of astonishment on the last. “What did you just say?”
“I love you, Hana. Known it since the very first second I saw you—”
Without caring about who’s around, Hana throws herself into me for a kiss. Her hands snap up to my cheeks and hold onto me tightly, refusing to let me break away from her mouth. Not that I would. Or could, for that matter.
“I love you too,” she whispers. Either from embarrassment that the first time hearing and saying those words is in front of my family, or because she’s so taken away that she can’t raise her voice any higher.
As we turn back to the table, Victor brings his hands together in a clap. The rest join in, cheering on our future.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
HANA
Nine Months Later
“Where is she?” Vance’s voice booms from the hallway outside. He sounds panicked, and I don’t suppose I can blame him. Hospitals have a way of putting people in that position. “Where is my wife?”
“Mr. Valentine, please.” My doctor’s calm voice comes next. Not once during the operation did I hear anything but those dulcet tones, and I’m certain they’re the reason I got through it without losing my mind. “I must urge you to remain quiet. There are others—”
“Others?” Had the doctor not been kind enough to insist on him lowering his voice, I’m sure Vance would’ve screamed the word out.
“Yes, others. All resting after their—”
“Where’s Hana?” Vance cuts him off again.
“She’s in here, and she has a surprise for you.”
“Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?” I hear him more clearly as the door swings open.
“Because you came in hot,” the doctor jokes. “And I didn’t want to—”
“You’ll have to forgive me, doc.” Another interruption. How the doctor isn’t losing his mind for being cut off every time he tries to speak is astounding. “I’m not feeling myse—”
Vance steps inside, and it seems this time he cut himself off. And who could blame him when he’s staring directly at his wife, cradling his son to her breast?
“That’s my boy?” Vance asks, but the question seems to be more to himself than either of us. “That’s my boy!” This time, his words come out with the intensity of newly found fatherly pride.
Vance rushes over to the hospital bed and collapses to his knees beside me. Everything about him has been so rushed, but as he reaches for our baby boy resting in my arms, his hand moves cautiously toward him.
“Yes, he is,” I find myself whispering. “The newest addition to our family.”
“My pride and joy,” Vance whimpers, bringing his lips closer to our son’s head for a gentle kiss atop his crown.
As he pulls back, his eyes sparkle with unshed tears. He slips one hand under my neck while the other extends over my belly to coil me and our child in a hug.
“I fucking love you, y’know that?” he says, choking back the tears.
“I do.” I kiss him on the cheek, unable to get the wide smile off my face. “And I love you. So, so much.”
More than the sun and the stars.
My man, my husband, my Valentine.
The End