Page 131 of Gracefully Yours

Honestly, I had no idea what it even was, but I wanted to see what he’d been working on for the last few months. Wanted to be the kind of wife who showed up at his office with a basket of muffins and got to know all the people he worked with. So the fact that he’d even thought of me in that regard made me smile.

“So, what was that about dinner?”

“Oh.” I could feel my cheeks turning pink. “I know you normally cook, but…” I’d wanted to surprise him. “I made lasagna. Just like your Mom’s.”

He grinned. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know. But I wanted to. You’re always taking care of me, and I thought maybe… it was my turn to take care of you.” For a long time, I’d always taken care of myself, and then he’d shown me what it was like to let someone else take care of me. I wanted to show him how much I loved that. How much it meant to me.

Daniel’s face lit up, and he delicately brushed the hair away from my face. “I want to kiss you so badly right now.”

Playfully, I smacked his chest. “You can’t. The food will get cold.”

This time, it was him who pouted, especially after I forced myself to climb off of his lap before I kissed him myself. He was too tempting, especially with that dopey expression on his face.

I winced as a prickling feeling went through my stomach.

“What?” Daniel rushed to my side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just… a cramp, I think.” I bit my lip.Probably just my period.I didn’t mention that, though. It was due any day, and I didn’t want to think about it. “I’m fine now.”

He frowned. “If you’re sure…”

I nodded. “Yup. Now… dinner?”

Daniel extended his hand. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way, husband,” I said, wondering if this would ever stop feeling like we were just playing house. Wondering how to work up the courage to tell him how I really felt.

* * *

My phone rang,a four-way FaceTime call with the girls. Gabbi had started it, and when I joined, three other smiling faces looked back at me.

“Hello?” I blinked at the tiny screen on my phone.

“Charlotte!” Gabbi beamed. “I have news!”

Is that why you’re calling at this time of the morning?I grumbled as I rubbed my eyes. I’d been feeling extra tired this week, and I’d laid down for a mid-morning nap, which was now, unfortunately, over.

All of my complaints came screeching to a halt when Gabbi’s hand lifted into the frame of the camera—her left hand, now sporting a gorgeous diamond ring. “We’re engaged!”

We all squealed, practically screaming in excitement at our friend.

“Oh my gosh!” Noelle exclaimed. “I can’t believe it!”

Hunter poked his head into the frame, wrapping his tall frame around Gabbi’s much smaller one. “Hi, girls.”

“Hi, Hunter,” Angelina said, batting her eyelashes. “You better take good care of my best friend, you hear me?”

He gave her a wink through the phone. “I plan on it.”

Gabbi pushed him away playfully. “And I have someone else I want you all to meet, too.” She hefted up a little bundle of light brown fur into the frame. “This is Rowan. Guess it was time we joined the dog circle, too. Hunter surprised me with her this morning. The ring was on her collar.”

“Oh, Gabs.” My heart melted. “She’s beautiful.”

“Can’t we get a dog?” I heard Benjamin mumbling in the background of Angelina’s call, and she shushed him. I laughed. Those two already had their hands full with their two black cats, though I couldn’t imagine either of them as anything other than cat parents.

“Guess the group chat name officially needs to change,” Noelle said with a laugh.

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