Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Kayla’s avatar flutters above the house, dancing from side to side with excitement. I can just see her in her apartment doing the same happy dance. I know things are going great with Finn. The young man has proved he’s doing his best to make up for everything he did, just like Maci and I are.
“You want us to get married at home?” I say, chuckling.
Her fairy avatar twinkles. “Humor me, okay?”
With a shrug, I float after her, joining her in the house. She leads me down the hallway to a bedroom with a crib in it. My heart tightens as she floats over to the crib. There’s a baby inside, cooing softly.
“Hey, bro,” Kayla says. “Or is it sis?”
“What is this?” I ask. A joke? A trick? “I don’t understand.”
“It’s our future,” Maci says.
I look around the digital baby’s room. Suddenly, Kayla’s gone. I can’t see Maci anywhere.
“Maci?” I call.
She laughs in the cutest, most captivating way. “I’m not in the VR, Luke.”
I snatch off my headset to find her standing in my office, clutching a small parcel of purple paper in her hands. She’s got a bright smile and that adventurous glint in her eyes I love so much. Since Kayla gave us her blessing, she’s become even more beautiful, like a weight has been lifted.
Rushing over to her, I place my hand on hers. “Is that what I think it is?”
She nods. “A gift…” She smooths a hand over her belly. “A gift for both of us.”
“Are you…” I take the parcel from her, unwrap it, and look at the pregnancy test. It’s positive. “You’re pregnant.”
“Yeah, Luke. We’re going to have a baby.”
I cheer and sweep her into my arms, spinning her around. Her laughter fills my ears. Her love fills my heart. I know I’ll remember this moment. Forever.
EPILOGUE
FINN
Two Months Later
“If there’s one thing Lukas has taught me,” I say, a ball of nerves in my throat as I give my best-man speech with dozens of people watching me. The Barbados sun sets in the background, showering the scene in warm orange light.
Kayla gives me a thumbs-up. She looks so gorgeous in her maid-of-honor dress that I almost ditch the speech to sit beside her.
“It’s that it’s never too late,” I go on. “Lukas has spent his entire life working on his company, trying to be the best father he can be. As the man who has the honor of calling myself Kayla’s fiancé, I can say he’s succeeded there. But second chances… Lukas is a good man. He deserves a second chance. He’s given me just that. I…”
I swallow again. Ashley, sitting beside Kayla, gives me a double thumbs-up. I toss my flashcards onto the table in front of me.
“But this isn’t about chances. This isn’t about cliches. This is about something far simpler. It’s about love, dedication, and loyalty. Anybody who’s spent even a few minutes around Lukas and Maci knows they’re in love. They’re the real deal.” I grab my glass of champagne, raising it.
Everybody claps. As I rush back to my seat, Lukas pats me on the arm. “Good job, kid.”
“I’m supposed to be good with words,” I mumble, sitting beside Kayla.
She places her hand on my arm. “You did great.”
“Really, Finn. You did.” Ashley places her hand on my other arm.
“Thanks,” I say. “Both of you.”
I told the truth. Looking across the beach at Maci and Lukas, nobody could ever ignore the love they share. Maci is glowing with her pregnancy. Lukas looks sharp, strong, and capable in his suit. He also looks younger, though I know he’d never have plastic surgery. It’s more like being with Maci and learning he’s going to be a dad again has given him a second wind.
He leans over, kissing his wife on the cheek, and she smiles up at him as though nobody else exists.
EPILOGUE
MACI
Seven Years Later
Lukas has his hand on the small of my back as we walk through the house. It’s the middle of the night, and we’re checking in on the kids. Max sleeps curled up in a ball, his thumb stuck in his mouth. Lina is on her back, our little snorer, her night light shining on her smile. She’s always smiling.
Finally, Adrian sleeps in his crib, his soft breathing audible in his bedroom and the baby monitor I carry clipped on my hip. He’s our newest addition, our little bundle of joy. We walk into his bedroom together, looking down at him, savoring how his tiny chest rises and falls.
“It never gets old, does it?” Lukas says, kissing me just below the ear.
A tingle dances over me. “No,” I whisper. “None of it does.”
He knows what I’m talking about. A new baby is always a magical feeling, and the first time after the new baby is magical, too. Lukas takes my hand, leading me through the house and down to the basement pool. We’ve got security alarms and the baby monitor, in case our children need us, but this is just for us.