Page 40 of The Parent Pick-Up
When the song ends, the applause booms like thunder. The girls are glowing with joy, laughing, waving, eating it up.
Adrenaline spikes through my blood stream, and I suddenly feel braver than I’ve ever been. I rush backstage and grab Owen by both hands.
“Come out and take a bow.”
He shakes his head. “This isn’t my night. It’s yours.”
“It’s ours.” I gesture at the girls. “All of ours.”
He peeks behind me onto the stage. “You’re sure?”
Axel gives Owen a push. “She’s sure!”
Owen drags his feet for a moment, then breaks out in a grin. We rush onto the stage and take our bows together.
And then I kiss him.
Hard.
Right there in front of a crowd of strangers, in front of our daughters, under the blinding lights of a stage I thought I’d left behind forever.
His arms wrap around me like he’s been waiting to catch me all along. The kiss deepens.
The crowd erupts.
The girls shriek and yell,“Finally!”
Chapter Sixteen
Owen
Six MonthsLater
The sky’s been threatening rain all afternoon, but I’m hoping it will hold off for our walk along the coastline.
Ivy is relaxed in rolled-up baggy jeans and a sweater that hangs off one shoulder. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, and she’s barefoot. She skips ahead a few steps and bends to pick up a seashell.
Ever since her comeback performance, she’s been different.
It’s as if a weight has been taken off her shoulders. She’s lighter and happier, but more grounded at the same time.
And since the girls know about us and approve, we don’t have to sneak into the pantry to kiss.
I can’t get over the fact that she’s in my life.
It’s time to make things official. I’m going to ask Ivy to be my wife tonight.
I have it all planned out. My parents took the girls for weekend, and Ivy’s favorite meal—my world-famous meatloaf—is keeping warm in the oven.
Here’s hoping this rain holds off so I can show her my favorite spot on the beach and ask her to be mine.
If she says yes, it will be the picture-perfect moment.
If she says no, at least the rugged coastline will provide a distraction from my misery.
She drops my hand runs ahead a few steps, and bends to pick up a seashell.
My heart skips, and my nerves threaten to get the best of me.
