Page 51 of Nico
"And she seems to be adjusting nicely."
"Why wouldn't she?" he chuckled softly. "She's the belle of the ball, people are falling all over themselves to tend to her." He told her about his parents' relaxed manner and what they were wearing for most of the morning. "It's the first time all of us were in one place for the holidays. Usually, the parents would be off to some exotic location and Nadine would be away with friends."
"And you?"
Tipping her face up, he kissed her lips. "I would be either at the club or at home, buried in work. We met right after the Christmas holidays last year."
She nodded, a luminous expression on her face. "You walked into the gallery and looked rumpled and untidy."
He grinned. "And saw you standing by one of Jackson's paintings. A violent red and blue crash of colors that tend to make the eyes hurt. I saw only you. I walked in to see if it was somewhere I would be comfortable showcasing my art and I saw you. Everything else drained out of my head." He touched her cheek gently. "There was only you."
She swallowed the lump in her throat or at least tried to.
She couldn't help but smile, her heart fluttering at the memory. The room was quiet except for the soft crackle of the fire and the gentle breathing of the sleeping child. For a long moment, theysimply lay together, letting the warmth of the hearth and each other's company fill the silence. Finally, Sadie turned toward Nico, her eyes shining with contentment.
"I never thought I'd find this," she whispered, her voice barely more than a sigh. "A place that feels like home. Not just a house or a season, but this, us."
Nico brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, his gaze tender. "You are my home, Sadie. Wherever you are."
She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. The connection was as natural as breathing now, as if it had always been there, waiting to be discovered. Outside, snow began to fall in slow, lazy flakes, dusting the windowpanes with a delicate white veil.
Sadie glanced over at Gracie, her heart swelling with a mixture of love and gratitude. "She'll wake up and want more hot chocolate," she said with a soft laugh.
Nico smiled, pulling Sadie closer. "Then we'll make it. Together."
As the fire burned low and the world outside faded further away, Sadie rested her head against Nico's shoulder, savoring the peace of the moment and the promise of many more to come.
After another few minutes of contented silence, he spoke. All the way to her place he had been thinking and planning. He needed her with him. She could argue and put up all the obstacles she wanted to, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He was going to come at her until he wore her down. He knew what he wanted. A life with her, not just a mother for his daughter, but he wanted her in his life for always.
"Marry me."
Her head jerked upwards to stare at him.
"You cannot be surprised. I've asked you before."
"And we planned to wait."
"You suggested waiting and I said I would give you time." His fingers gripped her chin. "I know what I want. And you said you loved me."
"Gracie..."
"She's already taken with you."
"Your family." She tried to make another point, but he simply shook his head.
"No. You, me and Gracie will be a family and further down the road, we'll have children of our own. A brother or sister for her. I'm sure she would love to be a big sister."
Sadie's breath caught, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, fear, hope, disbelief, and a tender ache that felt like longingfinally answered. The firelight danced in Nico's eyes, painting his earnestness in gold and shadow. For years she'd built walls, made bargains with her heart, and yet, here he was, steady and sure, offering her everything she thought she could never truly have.
She laughed softly, the sound a little shaky, and blinked away a sudden sting of tears. "You make it sound so simple."
Nico smiled, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "It is simple, Sadie. I love you. I love Gracie. I want our life, all of it."
Outside, the snow fell thicker, turning the world into a quiet sanctuary. Gracie murmured in her sleep, and for a moment, the only sound was the soft pop of embers.
Sadie closed her eyes, letting the warmth and certainty of his words sink deep. When she opened them, her voice was steady, full of wonder and resolve. "We could continue as we are."
"No." his voice was resolute, expression stamped with stubbornness and determination. "I want to show my daughter that the next step after meeting the person you fall in love with is marriage." His hand drifted to her throat. "That's my next step Sadie, marriage, a union with you, binding us together as a family. I want to commit myself to you for the rest of my life. Anything less is simply unacceptable. I want everything."
