Page 135 of Crazy Imperfect Hearts

Sniffles have me opening my eyes. I turn to see Regan standing near Darrin.

She looks stunned. “They, um… kicked me out for shift change and rounds.”

I spring out of my chair, certain by the look on her face that she heard most or all of what I said.

“Regan, I know I’m putting it all on the line here. But he’s worth fighting for.You’reworth fighting for. I know I can never be a husband. I’ve proven that. But I can be a good partner. A good boyfriend. And Iwillbe a good dad. I plan on being the best goddamn father any kid ever had. What I said is true. Every word of it. I love you. We’re great together, you and me. We laugh. We cry. We’re the most unlikely pair, but maybe what they say is true about how opposites attract. You’re more than my child’s mom, you’re my best friend. And maybe in time, you could come to feel about me the way I feel about you.”

She takes two steps closer. “I already do, you dummy.”

“Regan, baby,” Darrin says. “Don’t give into this. It’s your hormones. Now is not the time to make any rash decisions.”

She turns to him. “I love him, Daddy.”

My heart explodes and expands all at once, the same way it did the moment Mitchell was born. “You do?”

She laughs and cries. “I do.” She takes another step toward me. “I thought you’d bail,” she says. “When things got serious with the baby. When he was born early and then had his episodes, I thought you’d bail. But you didn’t. You’re here. You’re always here. And I love the way you love him.”

“It’s not just him I love.”

I’m vaguely aware of Darrin’s hasty departure as I draw her into my arms and kiss her. I kiss her sweet, salty mouth knowing it’s the only mouth I ever want to kiss for the rest of my life.

“It’s about damn time,” someone says.

I look over Regan’s shoulder to see Christa putting on her coat and slinging a purse over her arm.

Regan and I embrace long and hard. But it’s much more than a hug. It’s a promise of love. Of commitment. Of always being there for him and each other.

When my brain has fully wrapped around the fact that this is actually happening, I ask, “So you’ll come home with me? Today? You’ll move in? Both of you?”

“I don’t know.” Her dimples make an appearance. “We’d be violating the contract.”

“Fuck the contract.” I cup her face in my hands. “Fuck all of it. Let’s tear it to shreds.”

She wipes her tears and shrugs nonchalantly. “Well, I mean, you do have that closet.”

I laugh out loud and pull her against me once more.

Then she gets serious and looks into my eyes. “Just promise me one thing.”

I caress the side of her cheek with my thumb. “Anything.”

“Never ever ask me to marry you.”

I laugh again, knowing for sure she’s the one. The one who will always make me laugh. The one who I can feel comfortable crying with. The one who will never need a piece of paper to know that I’ll love her forever.

“Deal.”

Chapter Forty-six

Regan

It’s eight pm and I’m exhausted. Being at the hospital is more than a full-time job. But I’m not complaining. I’ll never complain about getting to spend time with our son.

“Are you sure your parents don’t mind doing the night shift?” I ask in the elevator.

“They’re happy to do it. Between our four parents, M&M gets a lot of overnight company.”

The elevator dings and the doors open to the penthouse level. I step off, but before we go inside, Lucas holds a key out to me.

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