Eight months later
The clinic was in utter chaos. But it was a good chaos. Glorious weather allowed for milling about, both inside and outside. Bright balloons and streamers, buttery popcorn, steamy hot dogs, and even the local high school cheerleading squad kept the visiting families entertained, while Kendra and her business partners played hosts and gave impromptu tours of the new facility.
Kendra stopped interacting at one point and simply surveyed the scene before her.
A warm, deep voice interrupted her thoughts. “I suppose a lot of these kids are your babies, huh?” Steven’s arms wrapped around her from behind, and he nestled his head next to hers. She rested her arms on his and leaned comfortably into him.
“Mm-hmm. Not the cheerleaders, of course. But a few of their younger siblings. A lot of the tweeners and most of these little ragamuffins running around are mine or Shelly’s or Rita’s.” She sighed. “We’re going to work so well together.”
“I like that you’ll have more steady backup for your patients. You think that might make your schedule less hectic? Less … unpredictable?”
She gently pulled out of his embrace so she could face him. She looked intently into his eyes. “Is it starting to get to you? My crazy, baby-impulsive lifestyle?” Not a month went by when they didn’t have something interrupted by a delivery.
He held her gaze. “Not at all. I’ve never known you otherwise, so I’m used to it. It’s just …”
She struggled not to worry. He had always been completely up front with her when anything bothered him. It was one of the qualities she most loved about him. “Just what? You can tell me.”
“I like to think that now you’ll have time to plan things.”
She smiled. “I’m always planning things. Sometimes they get interrupted, that’s all.”
“Yeah, but now that you’re partnering with Rita and Shelly, maybe you’ll be able to take that trip to Fiji we’ve always talked about.”
They had never talked about a trip to Fiji. She laughed. “Oh. Right. That.”
His mouth twitched. She just loved when he tried not to smile. He forced a serious expression. “And if you plan to go to Fiji with me, there would be a couple other things you’d have to plan for, too.”
What in the world?
In one swift movement, he reached into his pocket and lowered to one knee.
A yelp from someone was so loud, Kendra thought maybe she had done it. Both she and Steven shot a glance in that direction, as did many other people.
Marianne stood facing them, Callie perched on her hip, and her hand over her mouth. She dropped her hand and grimaced. “Sorry. So sorry. Go ahead.”
Now all eyes turned to Kendra and Steven, and Kendra heard gasps all around. She looked back at Steven and realized she was crying. “Steven …”
He held a brilliant solitaire ring between his fingers. His voice was soft, intimate, and just for her to hear. “Kendra, I cherish you. And I love you. I need to know you’re safely back home in the middle of the night after those babies decide to show up. I need to know we’ll have time together when the babies leave you alone. I … I just need you.”
She couldn’t speak. She reached forward and grazed her palm over his cheek, loving the manly stubble on it. Loving him.
“So, I thought you might marry me,” he said. “Will you marry me?”
Kendra still felt she would be unable to answer, so she nodded several times before she finally swallowed her emotions and found her voice. “Yes!”
The moment Steven stood and they embraced, the crowd enveloped them. The already celebratory atmosphere took on an even stronger feel of family. Kendra couldn’t have loved the moment more.
She kissed Steven, shocked and thrilled to imagine him her husband. She pulled away and whispered to him. “Perfect. How did you know this was the perfect time and place to do this?”
He kissed her again. “Have you forgotten already? Ellie told you the day we met.” His smile drew her to him. “I’m a genius.”
She laughed and hugged him again, a prayer pouring from her heart: Thank You, Lord. You have truly blessed me. You protected me from lasting harm and led me to new love. And the clinic! How I wish Adele, Polly, and Christiana were here today. In many ways I feel they are. Thank You, Lord, for giving me their words, for reminding me that ours is a labor of love.
TRISH PERRY turned to writing after a time in the stock exchange and DC law firms, as well as raising two children. Using a degree in psychology, she writes award-winning contemporary fiction that delves into her characters’ minds and emotions. She serves on the board of directors of CCW and is a member of both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit her at www.trishperry.com.
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