Page 36 of His Collateral Wife

And so run they did, with Eden and her trio leading the way while Calixte and his six took up the rear.

"Be careful," he called out to her as they began climbing a rocky but slightly inclined trail that was still within their property.

His wife glanced at him over her shoulder, and it was his turn to feel his heart race at the smile she flashed his way.

"Can you just imagine how it would be a few years from now?"

He saw her touch her rounded belly as she spoke, and his chest tightened.

Was it really just months ago when his future appeared to him as an endless sea of gray?

And yet now...

He didn't even have to close his eyes to imagine what it would be like, to run every day with their dogs, and eventually, their twin boys.

"Calixte?"

He glanced at her. "What is it?"

She gave him another smile that had his heart aching with love. "I just want to say...I love you."

Hearing her say the words still caught him off guard, and Calixte promptly tripped over his own feet.

The End

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