Page 2 of Embrace Me Forever

“No,” I whisper, my eyes welling up.

With a tight hug around my hips—careful of my tender chest—he lifts me off the ground and spins us around, his laughter bubbling up like a child’s. “Looks like our love algorithm just got an upgrade!”

I laugh through my joy, unable to speak. The hands on my waist make me squirm under his touch.

“Baby on board, still wriggling about like a tickle convention!” Sebastian dips his fingers into my sides with deliberate, loving tickles.

I giggle, bordering on a squeal, as I twist in his arms. Finally, he sets me down and cups my face in his hands, his eyes brimming with happiness.

As we stand there, wrapped in each other’s arms, I feel his body tense. He winces, his hand going to his chest.

“Sebastian, what’s wrong?” I ask, panic creeping into my voice.

“Nothing.” He tries to wave it off with a weak smile. “The battery in my pacemaker may be on the blink. I’ll have it sorted tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? Why don’t we go now?”

He gives me a reassuring smile. “Nothing’s going to ruin this moment, okay?” He presses a kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment. “I promise I’m fine. Let’s just enjoy this.”

Sebastian invites me to sit on the couch, abandoning dinner for a moment. With his arm around me, I rest my head on his shoulder, although my concern hasn’t faded.

“Sebastian Langford,” I murmur.

“Yes, Mary O’Connor?”

I cringe. He catches it, knowing how much I despise my own name. I have no issue with the name ‘Mary’ itself, but I’ve grown to detest it as my own—all because of my mother. She was there but never really there. Honestly, I’d rather she hadn’t been there at all. Her presence brought nothing but pain, and she had the audacity to name me after herself.

“Should we get married?” I blurt.

“Are you proposing to me?” He raises one eyebrow in that distinct, endearing way that always makes me smile.

“If it’s not for love, at least see the marriage as your gift to grant me a new name.”

He cradles my face, his thumb brushing my temple. “You’re the smartest person I know, but right now, you’re being daft. Of course I’ll marry you. I love you. And yes, I want you to be happy with your own name.”

“How about…Georgia-May Langford?”

Sebastian’s smile widens. “That was fast.”

I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant, though the truth is, I’ve thought about it a lot. “Guess I’m just bold. I asked you like I was jumping off a cliff without a parachute.”

“You’re not just smart. You’ve got guts. Honestly, I had a plan. But screw the plan! I’ve never been prouder to be proposed to by you.” He pauses to appraise me, then asks, “So why Georgia-May?”

“Well, Georgia holds special memories for me. Dad used to take me to Providence Canyon State Park—‘Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon.’ And May is my grandmother’s middle name, a woman I always wished could’ve been my mother.”

“The name suits you, Mrs. Langford-to-be,” he replies. Then, as if inspired by my candor, he drops a bombshell. “Why don’t we tie the knot—like, tomorrow?”

I’m speechless, completely floored by how over the moon he is about the baby. I knew he’d be happy, but this…this is beyond my wildest dreams!

He adds, “We leave as husband and wife. And I don’t just mean leaving the registry office—I mean leaving the country.” His words make me study his intense gaze as he continues, “How about your home? America? Your sister is still in Santa Fe, right?”

“Nope,” I reply, still mulling it over. “She just got divorced again and moved to Colorado. She’ll be thrilled to have us with her until we find our own place.”

Sebastian tilts his head, his thinking mode. “You go first, and I’ll join you later,” he suggests.

“What happened to leaving together, as husband and wife?”

“Bertram can’t know about us.”

---