Page 82 of Zen's Crash

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “I don’t know how much they can handle, but they’re getting all of it.”

“You’re going to get us thrown out of here if you’re not careful,” I tease.

He just grins.

As the family starts bringing out food, I’m taken aback by the sheer volume—it’s a feast. Once everyone’s settled with plates full of food, Miriam begins chatting about how nice it is that Cody finally has a girlfriend. His mom refuses to call him by his club name.

Zen interjects casually, “You mean fiancée. We’re engaged.”

Miriam’s head snaps up. “What? Since when?”

“Since last night,” Zen says, completely unfazed. “I proposed, and Lexi said yes.”

All eyes drop to my hand. Lori squeals, “Oh my God! You bought her a black diamond? You must be loaded, bro!”

Miriam’s face lights up with absolute delight. “One step closer to the holy grail of grandchildren,” she declares.

Bob chimes in, “Don’t push them, Miriam. They’re not even married yet.”

Zen pulls out the pregnancy test I gave him earlier and holds it up. “Don’t worry, Ma—I’ve got you covered.”

The room goes silent for a moment before Miriam starts rubbing her hands together in excitement. “That’s great, Cody! We need to get started on a nursery.”

Bob raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

“Absolutely not. Once we get the nursery out of the way, we can focus on giving Lexi the wedding of her dreams.”

I cough awkwardly. “I don’t really dream big when it comes to weddings.”

Zen cuts in, “Lexi and I are setting up the nursery ourselves. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Miriam gives him a knowing look. “I meant the nursery here at our house. We’ll need one for when our grandson or granddaughter visits. And for when you two are too exhausted to parent and need a break.”

Zen tries to laugh it off. “Come on, Ma. How much trouble can one little baby be?”

Lori bursts out laughing. “How can younotknow how utterly exhausting babies are? And what if it’s twins?”

The room erupts in excited chatter, and I realize something important—I’m not just marrying Zen. I’m gaining a whole family. They’re warm, loving, and genuinely excited about the baby. And for the first time, I feel like I can trust someone other than Zen to help look after my child. It’s a strange but comforting realization.

As I sit back and listen to them discuss baby names, second nurseries, and even wedding plans, a deep warmth fills my chest. Despite everything I’ve lost, I’ve gained something so precious—a future filled with love, family, and support.

Miriam looks at me and says, “Lexi, don’t be afraid to dream big. We want you to have everything you’ve ever wanted.”

I smile, my heart full. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”

Epilogue

Lexi

Six Months Later

I’m getting married today. It’s supposed to be one of the best days of my life. And it is. Getting hitched to Zen is all I’ve dreamed about since he proposed to me. The nightmares I used to have, have all been replaced with dreams of long white dresses, being wrapped in Zen’s arms, and our loved ones gathered around to give their best wishes.

But in the middle of all this, I can’t help but think of my mom and dad. And of my dad’s fucked-up family. I force myself not to dwell on it because now is not the time. I’ve been back in therapy and dealt with a lot of what happened to me. I’m just sad that my parents can’t be here to see me walk down the aisle. I know they’d want the best for me, though. That soothes the hurt a little.

We’re having our wedding at Zen’s place. We still live above his computer repair shop, but we’re in the process of having our dream home built. It’ll take time. We’re still in the beginning stages with an architect, but we’re both really excited about how the design is coming along.

I’ve been wearing my long white mermaid-style wedding dress for an hour. Standing in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom, I take a long, hard look at myself. I like what I see. My belly is growing round with our child. I rub my hands lovingly over my baby bump, awed by this child we have made, evidence of our love and commitment to each other.

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