Epilogue

Seven months later...

Slipping the sundress over her head, she pushed her hair back and stepped out onto the balcony.  This would be the last time here for a while.  She smoothed her hand over the basketball her stomach had become.  A hand or possibly a foot beat a light tattoo against her palm and brought a quiet smile to her face.  She was seven months along and her travel days were just about over.  She had convinced her doctor to let her come here one last time before the baby came.  It would be another year, at her best guess, before they could get back to Hawaii so she was going to cherish every moment of these two weeks. 

Tipping her head back, she breathed deeply of the tropical salty air.  Opening her eyes she watched as the sun stretched fiery fingers of daylight in pinks and golds across the sky.  God she loved it here. 

“Everything okay, Sweetheart?”

She whirled around so fast she nearly lost her balance.  “Oh, Rich, you startled me.  I didn’t think you were awake.”

He looked out at the pending sunrise and then back at her.  “I’m usually not.  What’s got you up?”

She took his hand and laid it on her stomach, “this is one very active little baby.” 

He smiled at the light beat and followed the movement with his hand.  “Could be a whole marching band in there for all we know.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “don’t even joke about that.  I’m only prepared to push out one kid, not an entire band.”

He chuckled quietly.  “And one is more than enough, Sweetheart.”  He took her hand and stepped toward the stairs.  “Take a walk with me?”

She followed along behind him, down the stairs and across the cool sand.  The tide was out and they strolled along the water, the sun creeping ever higher in the sky.

They hadn’t gone far when Richie angled them away from the water and on to dry sand.  He stopped and turned, taking both her hands in his.  “You know I want to marry you, right?”

Surprise colored her features and she nodded her head, “yes, I know.”  They had talked about marriage more than once since she had gotten pregnant.  She still wasn’t sure she wanted to go down that road again.    

“If I asked you right now” he started, “what would you say?”

She looked up into his eyes, “no, Rich.  I’d have to say no.”

He let of one of her hands go and reached into his shirt pocket.  “That’s what I figured.”  He let the necklace drop and it dangled between his fingers.  “That’s why I got you this instead of a ring.”  Letting her other hand go, he unclasped it and put it around her neck. 

She looked down at the pendant.  It was beautiful and it very nearly matched the ring he had given her the last time they had been here.  The bold, red rubies and lighter rhodolite garnets swirled together in an infinity loop, him and her, no beginning, no end.  “It’s beautiful, Rich.  But why?  I don’t need you to buy me jewelry to keep me around.  Even though I can’t see myself getting married again, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know” he told her.  “But I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere either.”  He took her hands again.  “I want you to know, right here, right now, that I will always be here for you, whether you take my name or not.  Whatever the future holds for us, the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, I’m not going anywhere.  Right here with you is where I’m going to stay.”

Emotion swam in her eyes, her hormones weren’t ready for such a declaration.  She took a deep, steadying breath.  What could she say to him after that?  She searched his eyes and opened her heart.  “Just because I won’t take your name, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you.  I do, Rich.  I want to be with you more than anything.”  She put their hands on her stomach.  “I want us to raise this child together.  And I want you to know that I’ve got your back, always.  I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone again.  I’m here to stay, for as long as you’ll have me anyway.”

He chuckled and as their child moved he slid his hand over her stomach.

“Forever, Sweetheart.”

A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.  She nodded and as the sun rose higher into the sky, bathing them in its warm rays, she echoed his sentiment.  “Forever, Rich.”

 ***