Page 17 of Valentine's with the Cartel

I tilted his chin up with one hand, gazing deeply into his eyes as I brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen across his brow. The vulnerability shining back at me made my heart clench in a way I had never experienced before.

"You should say those things," I told him softly but firmly, letting him see the sincerity and support in my own expression. "And then you should take steps to make them a reality. Because that is what you deserve—a life filled with purpose andfulfillment." And I would help him get there if it was the last thing I did.

Anan's eyes widened slightly at my words, a flicker of hope mingling with disbelief in their gray depths. "You really mean that?" He breathed after a moment, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing from me. "You wouldn't just be saying that because we're in this moment right now?"

I shook my head firmly, cupping his face in both hands as I gazed at him with unwavering intensity. "No, of course not," I murmured. "What I'm telling you has nothing to do with the pleasure we just shared. This is about who and what you are to me now—a partner and confidant whom I trust implicitly. And that means I support your dreams wholeheartedly." He needed to understand that and I was going to make sure he did.

He blinked a few times against the sudden burn of tears, his lips parting soundlessly as he struggled to process my declaration. "I... Thank you," he whispered after a moment. He never thought I'd say something like that. "No one has ever made me feel like I mattered more than anything else in their world before. Not even my parents when they were alive."

The pain of that admission was evident in the way his shoulders curled inward on themselves, as if trying to retreat into himself and avoid any further rejection or hurt. It made me want to crush his aunt for all the damage she had inflicted upon him with her cruelty and neglect. But I wouldn't do that. Anan would probably never forgive me.

"You do matter more than anything to me," I vowed, pressing a tender kiss to each tear-stained cheek before capturing his lips in one soft, sweet brush of mouth on mouth that held so much promise for our future together. "And I will spend the rest of my days proving it to you if that is what it takes."

Anan rested his head in the crook of my shoulder, his fingers absently tracing patterns over my chest as he probably thought about something important. Maybe he was thinking about our future together? It was likely that he was. I wondered, within that context, how he imagined us a few years from now.

Everything was happening so fast, but there was no denying that we would still be together years from now. My entire body told me that.

The intimacy of the moment felt surreal even to me, considering everything that had transpired between us since our wedding ceremony just hours before.

"What would we do if we became parents someday?" He asked after a long pause, his voice soft and wistful in the dimly lit room. Ah, so that was what he was thinking about. "Would we be good at it or would we repeat the mistakes of our own families?"

The question caught me off guard, both because it was so vulnerable and open from him and because I had never truly considered fatherhood as an option before now, not with any seriousness.

Not to mention the comparison with our own parents. My parents weren't good. His parents hadn't been present for him. His aunt was a bitch. He wanted to do better for his kids, if he ever had them.

Hearing him ask that question like this, with such fragile hope shining in his eyes even as he braced himself for disappointment—I found myself wanting to explore the possibility in earnest.

I was going to be sensitive about it. Not my usual style, but it was required in that moment.

"I don't know," I replied honestly after a moment's reflection. "But I like to think that we would approach parenting from a place of love and support rather than fear and control."

Anan nodded slowly, a wistful smile playing about his lips as he imagined that future for us. "You mean like being present and understanding instead of distant and punitive? Letting our kids be their true selves without trying to mold them into some preconceived ideal?"

I grinned at his description, marveling at how perfectly it encapsulated my own nascent vision for parenthood. It was clear that he had put a great deal of thought into this already, perhaps even before meeting me.

"That's exactly right," I agreed. "And not shying away from difficult conversations when our kids have questions or need guidance—really listening to them and trying to understand their perspective."

Anan chuckled softly at that, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked up at me. "Sounds like a tall order," he remarked, but there was genuine appreciation in his voice. "But one I think we could pull off with the right dedication and open-mindedness."

"And patience," I added, stroking a hand down his back in a soothing caress as I held him close. "It's important not to get discouraged if things don't go perfectly right away. Parenthood is a lifelong journey of learning and growth for both children and parents alike." And, wow, I never thought I was capable of saying things like that. It really made me look different to people.

Anan hummed thoughtfully at that, seeming to savor the sentiment as he snuggled further into my embrace with a content sigh. "I like the sound of that," he murmured after a beat, his voice softening almost imperceptibly. "Having a partner who understands the value of hard work and the importance of maintaining an open dialogue."

There was something vulnerable and touching in the way he looked at me as he said it—an unspoken admission of trust and affection that warmed me right to my core. And for the first time,I found myself longing not just for a future with this amazing omega by my side but one where we could build our own family together someday.

And maybe we would sooner than I thought.

"That's the key," I affirmed with a tender smile. "Being able to talk openly about hopes and fears, successes and failures—that will give our kids the foundation they need to navigate life with resilience and emotional intelligence."

We were talking in general terms, of course. Things would become more specific when the moment to become an actual family was closer.

Anan leaned into me more fully at that, his body molding against mine as if he couldn't get quite close enough. "It's like you're describing an ideal world," he murmured almost dreamily, his fingertips continuing their absent dance over my skin in mesmerizing patterns. "One where we're not afraid to be open and vulnerable with each other, where strength is measured by the courage to empathize rather than dominate."

"It is ideal," I agreed solemnly. "But it's also very possible if both partners are committed to growing and evolving together. And I have no doubt that you and I have that in us."

He gazed up at me then with eyes gone soft with wonder and something much deeper, his lips curling into a smile that made my heart flutter wildly against my ribs.

"God," he breathed almost reverently, "I never thought I'd find someone who could make me believe in possibilities I had long given up on. But you do it so effortlessly, as if it's the most natural thing in the world." He shook his head, still smiling, even as a sheen of unshed tears glimmered in his eyes. "How did I get so lucky?" And in the meantime, I never thought he'd say something like that.

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