Kor crushed me to him, then pulled back hastily, as though he was afraid he might hurt me or the baby.
“Sorry!Ididn’t mean to squeeze you so hard,’ he said.
I reached for him and hugged him as tightly asIcould.
“You can squeeze me all you want,”Iwhispered in his ear.“Aslong as you stay with me forever.”
“Forever and ever,” he promised, holding me tight.“NowthatI’vegot you back again,I’mnever going to let you go.”
EPILOGUE
KOR
I don't thinkI'veever been happier in my life.
Not whenIinherited my father's construction company…not whenIgraduated college…not even whenIwon my firstAlphaChallengeand provedIcould stand on my own two feet.Noneof those moments came close to the simple happinessIfeel every morning whenIwake up besideVivienneand reach across the bed to find her warm and soft beside me.
The funny thing is that if you'd told me a year ago thatIwould end up living inColoradowith a beautiful woman ten years older than me,Iprobably would have laughed.Ifyou'd told me she would be my soul-mate—the one woman in the entire world who could touch my heart and make me feel whole—Iwould have called you crazy.Butlife has a funny way of giving you exactly what you need instead of what you think you want.
Vivienne is everything to me.
She’s my best friend, my partner, my mate, and the love of my life.EverydayIfind some new reason to fall in love with her all over again.Sometimesit’s the way she laughs whenIsay something stupid.Sometimesit was the way she curls against me at night, seeking my warmth even in her sleep.Andsometimes it’s just the sight of her sitting on the porch of our little mountain home with a book in her lap and the sunlight turning her dark hair to fiery silk.
After everything we'd been through together,Istill find myself looking at her and wondering howIgot so lucky.Andbelieve it or not, recentlyIgot even luckier.I’mtalking, of course, about the doctor’s appointment we went to the other day.
We'd gone in for a routine ultrasound, just to check and be sure the baby was growing properly.Viviennehad squeezed my hand while the technologist moved the wand over her swollen belly and we'd both watched the screen eagerly.Iremember thinking how incredible it was that our child was growing inside her.Aftereverything we'd endured to be together, it felt like a miracle.
Then the technologist frowned—not an unhappy frown, a confused one.
I feltViviennetense beside me.
"Is something wrong?"she asked immediately.
The technologist blinked and then smiled.
"Oh no.Nothing'swrong."Shepointed to the screen."Actually, everything looks perfect."
Vivienne squeezed my hand harder.
"Then what is it?"she demanded.“Youmade a face—Isaw you!”
The technologist laughed.
"Well, for starters, you're not havingonebaby."
I swear my heart stopped in my chest.Nothaving a baby?Whatwas she talking about?
"What?"VivienneandIasked together.
The technologist turned the screen slightly so we could see it better.
"There," she said, pointing to the black and white motion.
At firstIdidn't understand whatIwas looking at…thenIsaw it.Itwas like a rhythmic pulse, fluttering as fast as a bird’s wing.
And thenIsaw the second one.
“Is…is that whatIthink it is?”Iasked.