“Keiran,” she hiccupped and struggled to breathe. “What is this?”

I took her face in my hands and brought her close so only she could hear. “This is the day we meet for the first time and the rest of forever.”

“I still don’t understand,” she cried, so I kissed her lips and prepared myself for what came next.

“You promised me a long time ago that when it was all over, you’d bring me to my knees.” I let go of her face and took her hand. “I hope one will do.”

I lowered myself to one knee and looked her in her eyes. “You chased away the monsters and became my reason—my forever. I’m yours, Lake Monroe. Will you marry me today?”

“Yes, I fucking will,” she screamed. Just then, a light showering of flower petals rained down on us, and when she looked up, her breath caught. Buddy sat on the edge of the monkey bars with a handful flowers, sprinkling them over us. “Buddy!”

“You were my hero.” He grinned.

She smiled up at him and then turned to face me, and I nodded at the priest to begin. “We are gathered together to celebrate the very special love between bride and groom, by joining them in marriage…”

Epilogue

LAKE

ELEVEN MONTHS LATER

During almost a year of wedded bliss, a lot has happened. I graduated with my Masters in Education and accepted a job in Six Forks at Bainbridge Elementary. Keiran sold his part of the business back to Jesse and followed me. He’s been volunteering his time to help coach the basketball team at Bainbridge High and started an after-school little league for younger kids. He didn’t seem to be in a rush to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, and when he opened a joint account, I realized why. The nosy wife in me reared its curious head, and I couldn’t believe how much cash he was sitting on.

When we first moved back to Six Forks, we stayed with Keenan and Sheldon while Keiran and I scoped out a home to buy, which ended up the next street over from theirs anyway. They had run off to elope a few months after we married when Keenan decided he wasn’t taking any more chances. She, in turn, convinced Keenan she wanted to stay local despite his earlier ruling on her attending med school in California as planned.

Today was the best day of them all because today my best friend would marry the love of her life. Shortly after Haven was born, they moved into a beautiful home that Dash had built for their family. It was then we discovered where Dash had been hiding all of the baby stuff he had purchased. Willow, Sheldon, and I—and Keenan—all cried at the sight of the beautiful nursery.

Everything was perfect.

Until reality crash-landed and I learned our world was about to get a little bigger. I had been helping Willow with her dress when a wave of nausea overcame me, and I nearly puked all over her ivory gown. It was the most subtle thing I’d ever seen her wear, and I almost ruined it.

“Should I go get Keiran?” Sheldon asked after I finally stopped vomiting. I shook my head and closed my eyes as I leaned over the toilet. He was the last person I needed to see right now. I still hadn’t found a way to tell him.

God.

I thought we’d slain all his demons.

“I just need to sit down, I think.” She nodded and I followed her back out into the church hallway. Keenan walked by as the door closed behind us but stopped when he noticed my face.

“Whoa. Why do you look like that?” he frowned.

“Honey, have a brain. She’s sick and you’re not being nice.”

“Sick?” He stroked his chin and stared at me for a long moment. “Are you sure you aren’t pregnant?”

Sheldon’ stiffened at the same time I did. Her head whipped around to face me, and her jaw dropped. I felt as if my tongue had become lodged in my throat.

“I—I, uh…” I couldn’t form words but it didn’t matter because he smirked and walked away.

“Are you?” Sheldon shrieked. I could only nod and stare down a spot on the floor. “Does Keiran know?”

“No,” I croaked. “I don’t think I can tell him.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“I’ll lose him.” It was the only thing I was afraid of now.

“That’s not possible.”

The door to Willow’s dressing room opened, and she poked her head out. Her curls had been whipped and beaten into shaped by her mother and pulled back to show off the angelic lines of her face, which was now pulled down with concern.

“What’s going on?”

Neither of us responded though Sheldon pulled us inside and shut the door. “Tell her,” she nudged when the silence stretched too long.