Page 57 of Twenty Years Later

"Maybe it's TMI," Alex continued. "But Fiona didn't want to be touched the whole time she was pregnant."

"Ah, I see." I could understand that. Some women felt miserable the entire nine months. "Well, pregnancy can be pretty awful for certain women. Some of my friends were very unhappy pregnant ladies."

"I get that. I really do. I can't even imagine how it feels, all the hormones, the emotions, the physical changes, the—"

But he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because a few flurries began to fall, and Audrey started to scream and dance around.

"It's snowing! It's snowing!" she cried as Gabby stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Omigosh, Gabby's first snow," I said, excited for her to witness the magic.

She toddled over, and I picked her up. "Look, Gabby." I caught a snowflake on my finger and held it out to her. She touched the wetness as it melted then stared at the light flurries floating around us.

Audrey came running over. "Gabby, watch!" She stuck out her tongue and tried to eat some snowflakes. But it wasn't really coming down hard enough to catch any, so she cried out in frustration. "I want it to snow harder!"

"I think it will, love. Just need to be patient."

And like the heavens heard us, the snowfall started to pick up.

Alex ruffled Gabby's hair. "What do you think, pumpkin?"

The wind began to howl through the surrounding trees. "We should probably get going soon," I said, glancing around.

"I agree. Wouldn't want either of us to have to drive in a blizzard. Although I wouldn't mind trying."

I laughed. "Of course, you wouldn't."

***

A focused Alex drove us home, and I couldn't help smiling at how much he'd changed from the daredevil high school boy to this man driving around precious cargo.

When we made it safely into the driveway, Alex grinned at me. "That was fun. Not much different than rain. Actually easier than the sheets of solid rain."

"Glad to hear that, Miami boy."

He laughed as we both worked at getting the girls out, snowflakes starting to stick to his dark hair and somehow making him look even sexier.

Once we were inside and the girls were unbundled, I realized I was too tired to deal with dinner. "You guys up for ordering some pizza?" I asked, watching the girls empty toys out of a bin.

"Extra cheese!" Audrey looked up to say.

Alex nodded, shrugging out of his coat. "Pizza sounds great."

"I just feel bad we're making some other poor soul drive around in this weather," I said, cringing as I hung up my coat.

Alex shook his head to get out the snow. "It's probably a teenage boy who actually likes it andwantsto skid out."

"Hopefully, he delivers the pizza first, and then he can do whatever it is that teenage boys do."

"Yeah. You don't want to know what teenage boys do."

"No." I laughed as I took off my hat and hung it on the doorknob to dry. "I really don't."

Normally, at the first sign of darkness, I closed the curtains around the big picture window in the front room. I hated the thought of someone looking in and watching us. But tonight, I left it open so we could see the snow, the streetlights illuminating the white glow.

I actually remembered to turn on the gas fireplace, and something about the scene caused that lump in my throat to return. The girls playing together, the gentle quiet of the snow falling, the warmth from the fire.

Everything was how itcouldbe, how I dreamed it could be late at night when I was by myself. I just really wished—with all my heart—that Alex and I would have some sort of future and that he could possibly return the feelings I had for him.

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