by L M Terry
“You look incredible,” I say after a few seconds of not being able to speak or breathe.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Bond.” She laughs as I spin her into my chest.
“You’re not mad?” I ask.
“How could I be mad that you want to marry me? You are the one thing I’ve always wanted, and you are finally going to be mine.”
I tug her to the windows and hug her from behind. Her breath hitches as she sees everyone below. “They are all here to see the beautiful bride,” I whisper in her ear.
“Thank you, Anthony, for all of this.” She taps the glass and laughs. “I remember when we first stood here. I couldn’t’ have imagined then all of the things that I would discover about myself. Thank you for that.”
Hmm, I kiss the side of her neck. “The pleasure has been all mine, discovering Danielle has been the best adventure I’ve ever had.” I pull the necklace from my pocket and wrap it around her neck, securing the clasp at the back before placing a featherlike kiss at her nape. “A gift for the bride.”
She runs her fingers along the diamonds and sapphires studying it in the reflection of the glass. “I didn’t realize that today was going to be my wedding day, but it just happens that I picked up a gift for you as well.”
“A gift? What was this gift for?” I ask following her over to the sofa where she tossed her purse. I watch as she fishes through it. She pulls a little box out and hands it to me.
“Well, this was supposed to be for your birthday but, since we are getting married consider it a wedding gift.”
I open the box and there snuggled in tissue paper is a tiny matchbox Hot Wheel. Not just any Hot Wheel but the one I told her was my favorite. A 1968 white custom Camaro. “Dani, it’s just like the one my dad gave me when I was little.”
“I know, I thought maybe you could start a collection again…with our kids.”
“Our kids, I like the sound of that,” I tell her. We hadn’t talked about having kids but now that she has said it, I’m ready to go start on them right now.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” she says as she pulls something else out her purse and hands it to me.
“What’s this?” It looks like a scan of something. Shit, is she sick again? Panic flares deep in my soul but, wait. This looks like one of those pictures that Anna always shows me when she’s…I glance up at Dani and tears are streaming down her face.
“I hadn’t been feeling well so I went to the doctor this morning and turns out I’m healthy, um, I’m pregnant.”
I drop to my knees at her feet and wrap my arms around her waist kissing her tummy. Her body shakes as she laughs. “So, your happy?”
“Oh my god, Dani. I’m more than happy. I’m ecstatic, I’m…fuck I don’t even know. Today was supposed to be about me surprising you not the other way around.” I stand and pick her up swinging her around in a circle. “You’ve just made me the happiest man on the planet.”
We hug for a few minutes, no words, just an overwhelming amount of feelings pass between us. “I suppose I better get down there before they send the whole posse out for us. I’ll see you down there. Yeah?”
“Yeah, I guess I can’t back out now. You did knock me up.”
Oh, Dani. I love this girl. I give her a quick peck and then head down to the beach. She follows me shortly after everyone is in place. Tank meets her at the top of the path to escort her down to me. Sophia is ahead of them, tossing wildflowers along the way. Dani in her wedding dress will be a vision engrained in my brain forever. We may have met in the darkness but together we found light. A year ago, I didn’t know what I wanted, what was missing. Dani cured that insistent ache that had formed deep down inside of me.
When Tank hands her off to me I interrupt the minister and take her hand turning us to face everyone. “I have an announcement to make before we begin.” Everyone looks around nervous, not sure what is going on. Everyone but Dani, she smiles at me. “You, all know that today was a surprise for Danielle. But, it turns out she had a surprise up her sleeve as well. Can you believe that? Someone actually surprised me for once.” Everyone laughs. “Hard to believe I know. Anyhow, I’m rambling. So, today isn’t just about Dani and I becoming man and wife, it is a day to celebrate us becoming a family.” Everyone looks around at each other confused. Well everyone but Dylan. He has a shit eating grin on his face, I’ll have to remember to ask him about that later. “Dani and I are having a baby!”
Collectively our family and friends gasp and then cheer. The minister congratulates us and then we finally begin. I stare at Dani, the setting sun highlighting her hair. Strands wisp around her face as she smiles at me, no longer the scared girl she once was. She is beautiful and she is going to be wife. She is carrying my baby. My baby. This has been an incredible year and our story is just beginning. After the ceremony is over Dylan releases the butterflies. One flits near us and lands on her shoulder, reminding me of her self-portrait. This past year discovering Danielle has been the best year of my life. Now we have many, many more years of discovering us…Dani, myself and the little one on the way.
“You thought of everything, the wedding was perfect. I love you,” she whispers laying her head on my shoulder. “But, there is cake right?”
“I love you too and yes, there is cake,” I say kissing her on the nose.
Yeah, life is good. Life is really, really good.
The end.
Epilogue
Danielle
14 years later – Dylan and Anna’s Estate in Mexico
◆◆◆
“Mom, please stop. You know Aunt Dani and Uncle Tony are only going to be thirty minutes away. I’ll be fine,” Sophia wines to Anna.
“I just worry my baby girl is leaving me. It’s not too late to change your mind and go to a school closer to home,” Anna frets as she covers the leftover salads with Tupperware lids.
“You know it is too late. Plus, Uncle Tony says he thinks he can help me get an internship at his precinct in a year or two,” Sophia says as she pleads her case to her mom.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Anna asks.
“Aunt Dani will be there too. Won’t you?” she looks to me for help.
“Well, yes and no. I’m only there when they need me to sketch potential perpetrators for victims. But, I’m sure Anthony will keep a very close eye on her, Anna.”
“It’s in my blood mom. If grandpa were here he would be on my side.”
I’m not sure why Sophia and Anna are still arguing this. Sophia is already enrolled in a college near Anthony and I’s home. She is interested in criminal justice. Anthony promised to help her get an internship as soon as he thinks she is ready for the responsibility. He accepted a detective position at our local police station shortly after we were married. I also work for them part-time as a police sketch artist. It’s been nice because both of us have been able to be home with our kids every day. Owen will be fourteen this summer and Tess will twelve in a few weeks.
Anthony, Dylan and Liam walk up with their fishing poles interrupting the heated discussion. “Please tell me you two are not arguing again,” Dylan says pointing between Anna and Sophia.
“Tell mom she is being overprotective. I’m an adult now and I can take care of myself.”
“Your mom will always worry, Sophia. Give her a break, you are the first of our kids to leave home.” Dylan kisses Sophia on the top of her head and shoos her off. “Go check on the younger kids and tell them to put more sunblock on.”
As she takes off down the hill towards the lake Dylan wraps Anna up in his arms. “It will be okay, momma. She is a tough girl. She can take care of herself. Anthony and Dani will be close by if she has any problems.”
“She is too damn stubborn for her own good. Much like her daddy,” Anna grumbles shoving the leftovers in the ice cooler for later.
“Hey,” he says swatting her butt as she is bent over. She yelps but when she rights herself she smiles at him.
&n
bsp; Dylan and Anna have five kids. Sophia, Noah, Manuel, and the twins Lilla and Lacey. Liam and Addy have a little girl named Charlette, she is five. They waited longer than the rest of us to have kids. Addy wanted to wait until she finished her residency and it took years of therapy to work through her fears of becoming a mother. I can’t imagine what she went through during her captivity. Anyhow, she overcame it and she is an amazing mother and she is also the doctor here at the estate.
Anna, Addy and I have become best friends. I still miss Lizzie, but I never did re-connect with her. Her betrayal was just too much for me to get past. But, Tank and I are best friends. Like best, best friends. Anthony helped him open up his own auto garage just down the street from Mrs. Chan’s. Our son, Owen spends as much time there as Tank does most days. Owen is a car guy just like his dad and he loves nothing more than spending his days under the hood. I’m getting really good at getting grease stains out of his clothes.
Our daughter loves Tank too. Her and I eat lunch with him almost every day of the week. We opened an art studio above Mrs. Chan’s. We gutted the place and installed big windows in the front. Tess took after my mom and does amazing things with clay. Pottery, sculptures, you name it she can do it. She is the epitome of an old soul; she reminds me of Sophia.
I’m looking forward to having Sophia close to us. We are in Mexico for her graduation and she is going home with us tomorrow. She doesn’t move into her dorms for a few months, but we thought it would be nice for her to come early and start making new friends. She will. She is outgoing…maybe a bit too outgoing but Dylan is right. She can hold her own, but I understand Anna’s fears. I have them too.
“Now that we are alone it’s time for margarita’s,” Addy says handing us each a glass.
“Here’s to surviving the first of many graduations,” I make the toast and we all clink our glasses together.
“My parents would be so happy if they could see us all now,” Anna whispers as we look down the hill at the kids splashing and playing in the lake. Sophia is helping Liam and Addy’s little girl build a sandcastle on the beach. The guys not far away in a boat in the middle of the lake fishing. The sun is setting on the horizon. One big family. My family.
“It’s easy to forget about the darkness that brought us all together,” Addy adds.
“It is. You know I wouldn’t change it.” Anna says clinking her ice in her glass. “If it brought us this,” she gestures between the three of us and then down to the lake, “if we had to go through the pain to get this…then it’s was worth it to me.”
“Your right, I feel the same way,” Addy agrees.
“Being lost was so worth being found,” I add.
“Hell yes!” Addy and Anna both say at the same time and we clink our glasses together again.
“We survived the worst of the worst. Now, if we can survive these kids. The next generation is going keep us on our toes I have a feeling,” Anna says.
Yeah, we may be an unconventional family, but one with an abundance of love. I have no doubt we will have ups and downs but, we will survive whatever life throws at us. We are survivors.
Be Someone’s Hero ~ A Message from the Author
While my novels are fiction there is always a hint of realism within. Many people are victims of human trafficking every single day. Most real-life stories don’t end with a happy ending, but we are each capable of being someone’s hero. Please keep your eyes open and report anything that doesn’t seem right. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Always.
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-788
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Drug Helpline: 1-888-633-3239
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-RUNAWAY
About the Author
LM Terry is the upcoming dark romance novelist of Finding Anna, Saving Addy and Discovering Danielle. She has spent her life in the Midwest, growing up near a public library which helped fuel her love of books. With most of her eight children grown and with the support of her husband, she decided to follow her heart and begin her writing journey. In searching for that happily ever after, her characters have been enticing her to share their sinfully dark, delectable tales. She knows the world is filled with shadows and dark truths and is happy to give these characters the platform they have been begging for. She is currently working on fourth novel Death and Daffodils.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lmterryauthor/
Website: https://www.lmterryauthor.com
