Page 137 of Johnathan

“I want to see Honey, Daddy.” Katy asked to see her every day over the last week. He hadn’t been ready for her to go back to school, and Abby was out with the wounds on her wrists and leg still healing, so they’d been treading carefully around the topic of Honey and what happened to her mother.

“I know.” John pulled a red sweater over Katy’s head. “But remember what Abby and I told you? Honey had to go to her grandma’s house for a little while.”

“Forever?”

“Probably, ladybug.”

One thing they would never share with Katy was how Honey’s father was found deceased in his home. The man had been stabbed over seventy times.

“I miss my fwend.”

Oh god, the way her little lip quivered absolutely shattered John’s heart.

“I know you do. Maybe we can ask Honey’s grandma if we can send her letters, or do a video call one day. Would you like that?”

“Yes, Daddy! I ask Santa, too.”

“That’s a good idea. What else are you going to ask Santa for?”

“To put a baby brother in Abby’s tummy!!”

John felt his whole body grow hot.

“I think we need to ask her something else before that, what do you think?”

“Yep! I prememba Dad!”

“What do you remember, Katy? We need to leave for your parent’s house soon, right?”

Abby walked into the living room, a red velvet dress clinging to all her beautiful curves as she put her earrings in. His heart jumped into his throat. Fuck, his tie was too tight.

“You look stunning,” he said as he loosened the fabric around his neck. Why the fuck was he so nervous? He loved her, and he knew she loved him. It was just a formality.

They’d spent the afternoon at the church Christmas pageant. Abby and Grace had both cried when Katy came dancing down to the stage, Jack rolling behind her in a little cart pulled by one of the older kids. He hadn’t wanted to take his eyes off his daughter, but the look on his wife’s face during the whole presentation was too precious. Shit. Future wife. If she said yes.

“Didn’t want to mess up your family’s Christmas picture this year.”

“You could never. Don’t tell my mom, or Grace, but you’ll be the most beautiful woman there.”

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this, John. What did Katy need to remember?”

John turned towards his daughter, her eyes wide with hope.

“Ready kiddo?”

“Ready!”

John grabbed Abby’s hand and pulled her next to the Christmas tree. The lights sparkled in her eyes and added to the magic of the moment.

“Abby.” He reached into the pocket of his trousers and touched the box he’d put in there just a few minutes earlier, then dropped down to one knee. “God, I love you, Abigail Cooper. I want to show you each and every day just how much you mean to me. To Katy. You are the missing piece to our family puzzle. When I think about what I want my life to look like in a year,or five, or twenty, there is always one constant. And that’s you by my side. I know we’re in the thick of finding the light on the other side of everything that happened. But, I want to walk through it with you. And I want to walk through every day for the rest of my life with you. I’d really like to be your husband, baby.”

“Are you sure?” she whispered, her wide eyes filled with tears.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Will you marry me?”

“Yes! Of course I will, John. There is nothing more I want in this world than to be a part of this family.” John slid the ring onto her finger. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Katy helped me pick it out.”

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