Page 133 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

“Um, that’s new?” Merriam said as she leaned into me, looking at me accusingly.

I pulled her in close. “It’s new to me, too.”

“That’s because I just thought of it,” Chris said as he put Rosa up onto his shoulder. “Now that I don’t have to worry about childcare, thanks to your fabulous woman taking care of Rosa and the rest of the hooligans, I’ve agreed to take on a really big project. And I could really use the help.”

Since we’d all grown up with hammers in our hands thanks to Gramps, I was more than capable of helping, but…

“As long as he’s back by dinnertime, you can have him,” Merriam answered for me. “But just know, I reserve the right to meet him for quickies once all the kids are in school.”

Chris hooted. “Deal!”

The kids left one by one, until only Anleigh was left.

After dinner and the bedtime routine commenced, I’d made love to the woman I loved, and we were back in bed as I said, “I want to marry you.”

She blinked at me. “Was that a proposal?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’m just waiting on the ring. It’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow, and since I now have to go help Chris, you’ll have to sign for it.”

She laughed. “Do I get to put it on after I sign?”

“No.” I tickled her, causing her to giggle. “I want to propose. And then we can set our wedding date for December 25th.” I pressed my hand to her slightly swollen belly. “When we have our baby, it’ll give you two months to prepare. After I give you my name, I then want to go in front of a judge and give Anleigh my last name, too.”

She pressed closer to me. “That’s a lot of thought in four sentences.”

“Do you disagree with any of them?”

She sniffled. “No.”

“Then let’s do this,” I said. “Let’s do life together.”

She pressed her lips against mine. “Okay, Jeremiah Dixon. But only under one condition.”

“And what’s that?” I asked.

“You stop making me cry because you’re making me so deliriously happy.”

“Absolutely not,” I disagreed. “From now on, I want you as happy as possible. Speaking of happiness…I saw a foreclosed sign on a certain someone’s candy shop.”

The laugh that burst out of my future wife was one I’d remember forever.

“Why do I love that so much?” she asked.

“Because you’re healing.” I pulled her in close. “I can’t wait to marry you and make you the happiest woman in the world.”

She pressed in close. “You’ve already made me the happiest person in the world, Dixon. No marriage required.”

Epilogue

Life is better with a hockey player.

—Merriam’s secret thoughts

MERRIAM

I watched as Jeremiah spun Anleigh around the dance floor in his arms.

The paperwork to make her his daughter was officially signed as of ten minutes ago.

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