Page 129 of If You Stayed

“Okay. Good. Now…can I buy you a cinnamon muffin?”

***

After meeting with Claire, I headed back home to meet up with Ava and Gabriel. To my surprise, when I pulled up, I saw an archway beside the house with sparkling strings of lights all over it. Under said archway stood Gabriel who was smiling my way.

My heart began to beat faster as I realized what was happening.

I parked the car and climbed out. Each step I took in his direction felt like a step toward forever and always.

“What are you doing?” I nervously asked as I approached him.

He smiled his lazy smile and took my hand in his as I reached the arch. He kissed my palm before he spoke. “Did you know that when penguin males find their partner, they present them with a pebble? They search time and time again to find the perfect pebble to propose with. They first build a nest to make sure the foundation is good to start a family, and the final pebble the male brings is the one that ties him to his partner,making them mates for life. I searched for a long time to find the right one for you, with some help from a good friend,” he said, gesturing toward Ava, who was smiling widely on the front porch.

When I turned back to face Gabriel, he was down on one knee. “Kierra, you are my penguin, and I want to build my nest with you. You’re my everything. You’ve been the planet that I’ve been orbiting my whole life, even when my mind became foggy. My soul always knew you, and it called out your name every single day. You are everything I could ever dream of. An amazing woman, an amazing mother, an amazing partner, and an amazing best friend. I want you, and this, and us, for the rest of our days.” He opened the ring box and I gasped at the beautiful diamond sitting in the box. “Marry me?”

I couldn’t think of anything else to say except for an excited, “Yes.”

I leaped into his arms and kissed him before he even had a chance to slide the ring onto my finger. He kissed me back and laughed as he tried to place the ring on.

“Yay!” Ava shouted, darting over to us to celebrate. She wrapped her arms around both of us and we all cried and hugged one another.

I couldn’t believe it.

I couldn’t believe that Gabriel and I had found our way back to each other again.

Out of all the wishes I’d ever wished, I was thankful that my wish for him came true.

Epilogue

Kierra

One Year Later

Ava, Gabriel, and I sat outside our home, staring up at a huge tree in front of us. Stacks of lumber lay beside said tree, waiting for the build to take place for our future. A future tree house, that was. It wasn’t just any tree house, though. It was a carbon copy of the one Gabriel’s father built for him when he was a little boy. When his mother gave him those blueprints, I knew it was something we’d have to re-create on our property. I loved that Gabriel and Ava added a few of their own architectural ideas to the design, too.

As Gabriel sat on my left side, and Ava on my right, I held both of their hands in mine as we stared up at the sky, drunk in love with stars. I felt a burst of peace as the quietness of the night swept over us.

“He’s kicking!” I said, nudging Ava in the side. She quickly turned toward me and placed her hands against my growing stomach. I was eight months pregnant and felt it through my whole body.

“Oh gosh. The dude sure has a lot of movement going on,” she observed.

“Maybe he’ll be a track star,” Gabriel joked.

I went to laugh but a yawn came out instead.

Gabriel kissed my cheek. “Bedtime.”

I agreed. “Bedtime.”

He helped me stand and Ava headed off to her room for the night.

“I’m so tired,” I whispered as Gabriel led me to our bedroom. “But so, so happy.” My back hurt, but I was happy. Whenever I sat, I was uncomfortable, but I was happy. Whenever my sweet baby boy turned in my stomach, I was happy.

I had so much to be happy for. For Gabriel. For Ava. For my future baby boy, Elijah Gabriel Sinclair. Named after two of the best men I’d ever known.

After so many years of trials, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was finally getting the one thing I thought I’d never receive—my own authentic happily ever after.

Gabriel pulled back the blankets on our bed, and after I climbed in, I collapsed into the pillows. I was beyond tired, and my feet were swollen and aching. Without me even stating that fact, Gabriel moved to the edge of the bed, took off my socks, and began massaging my feet.

---