Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
I felt my blush. He knew how I’d slept. Thanks to his sexual appetite, I was exhausted.
“Good, thanks.”
Mia climbed off the chair and ran over, flinging her arms around my legs. “We’re having a breakfast picnic.”
“Oh?” I asked.
Simon nodded, flipping the pancakes. “Cold and wet outside, so we thought we’d have an early picnic instead today.”
“Good plan.”
He handed me a cup of coffee, kissing me quickly. “Go sit, and we’ll bring it in.”
“I can help,” I protested.
“Nope. We got this. Right, Sweet Pea?”
Mia nodded her head vigorously. “Yep.”
I walked into the living area, gasping at the setup. The fire was on, casting a warmth into the room. Candles flickered, adding a glow that banished the dull light from outside. Warm blankets were on the floor, and flowers were scattered around as if we were outside. In the middle of the blanket was a small vase with more flowers, and there were even pillows to rest on. It was lovely and thoughtful.
I sat down, cross-legged, shaking my head in wonder. Whatever possessed Simon to do this I had no idea, but I loved it. An indoor picnic while outside it rained and stormed. He was ingenious.
He came in, carrying a tray. It held plates of small pancakes and bacon. Bowls of syrup and jam. Butter. Peanut butter. Mia had smaller plates, napkins, and utensils.
They set everything up, and Simon disappeared, coming back with juice for Mia and a carafe of coffee. I exclaimed over everything, and we began to eat.
We laughed as we discarded the forks, instead spreading on the peanut butter and dipping the little pancakes in the syrup. Simon preferred them with butter and syrup or jam, but Mia and I liked my combination the best. We ate bacon with our fingers, licking off the grease. Simon went and got some wet towels for us to clean up with, but the stickiness and grease were part of the fun. I noticed he was a little tense, and I wondered why but put off asking until we were alone later. Still, he laughed and teased Mia, made sure she ate and drank her juice and didn’t spill more than she consumed. She seemed overly excited, but I put it down to the picnic and the sugar.
Finally, we were done eating and had piled the dishes onto the tray, the pancakes and bacon still between us for snacking. I wiped my fingers and picked up my coffee, meeting Simon’s gaze.
“That was amazing. Thank you.”
He nodded, looking somber. I sat straighter. “Simon? What is it?”
He looked at Mia and cleared his throat.
“Amy, you came into our life and changed it. I’m not sure you realize how much.”
I blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in atmosphere. It felt serious.
“Oh,” was all I said.
“You became a partner, a friend…” He smiled. “My best friend. A surrogate mom for Mia.”
“I love you both,” I replied, my heart beginning to beat faster.
“We love you.”
Mia scooted next to Simon, who smiled and wrapped his arm around her. She was almost vibrating now in anticipation, and I felt my eyes fill with tears at his next words.
“We wanted to know if you would do us the honor of becoming my wife. Mia’s mom. Making us a family.” He held out a small leather pouch. “If you would accept this as a token of how much you are loved. How much you would be loved for the rest of your life.”
I covered my mouth with my hand. He wanted to love me for the rest of my life. They wanted me to belong to them. They already belonged to me.
A sob burst from my mouth, and all I could do was nod. “Y-yes,” I managed to get out through my lips.
In a blur of motion, I was in his arms. Mia was there too, and we were hugging. Laughing. Crying. He held me tight, whispering his love and his promises of forever. Kissing me. Mia kissing me. Me kissing them both. Holding Mia’s sweet face between my hands and knowing this was where I belonged. Seeing the glow of love in Simon’s warm hazel eyes I would never grow tired of witnessing.
He pulled back and grimaced. “I knew I would mess something up.”
I looked down and began to laugh. His knee was squarely in the plate of pancakes, the bowl of syrup knocked over and soaking into his pants. I threw my arms back around his neck. “You didn’t mess anything up. It’s perfect. It’s all perfect.”
He kissed me. “You’re the perfect one. Perfect for us. Now open your ring so I can go change my pants.”
I didn’t think I could fall in love with him more. But as I opened the pouch with my shaky fingers and saw the ring—the one I had fallen in love with so long ago—it happened.