Page 113 of My Million Dollar Secret

“Aaron, I need to know how you feel about – our baby,” I say.

He lets out a long breath as he trails his fingers through my hair. “I’m scared, Emily,” he admits. “Petrified, actually. I’m afraid I’ll be a terrible father.”

I think his fears are unfounded, but I can understand where he’s coming from. I worry about the kind of mother I’m going to make, too. But as long as we can both figure it out together – as long as we stand together in all things – I believe we’ll be okay. I know my heart, and I know his, and I believe that together, we will raise our child in a loving home. I know that together, we’ll raise our child to be strong, intelligent, and independent.

Together, I know we’ll raise an amazing person. But he has to be open to it. He has to let his heart be open to it.

“I’m terrified of the idea, Emily,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper. “But I want to try. I want to try to be a good father – and a good husband.”

If my heart swells any more, I’m afraid it’s going to burst in my chest. Though there is still a laundry list of uncertainties, there are some pieces of the puzzle falling into place – many of which I never knew were missing before Aaron fell back into my life.

And I know that when the picture is complete, it will be nothing short of amazing.

Epilogue

Emily

Two Years Later…

I sit in the audience, my stomach fluttering and my heart racing. It’s taken months of hard work, dedication, and discipline to get here, but I made it. I finally made it. I look down and touch my robes, as if to confirm that they’re real. Even now, sitting here among all of my fellow graduates, all of their eyes shining bright with the promise of a future they worked themselves to death for. I still can’t believe it.

Today I’m a graduate. Today, I begin fulfilling dreams I’ve been chasing for my entire life.

With Aaron’s help, together we’ve raised our child – a little boy we named EdisonEdison – while I’ve been taking classes. Aside from the time I dedicate to my son, every other waking moment of my day has been dedicated to my schooling – to finishing out my law degree.

For his part, Aaron is an amazing father. Sure, he makes mistakes – just as I do – but he’s doting, he’s loving, he’s everything a father should be and more. I love seeing him with Edison, the juxtaposition of such a large, rough-and-tumble man with such a small, delicate baby in his arms is not just striking, it’s adorable.

With the government contracts secured, and new business pouring through the doors almost faster than they can keep up with it, Aaron has put together a team to help run the day-to-day operations of his company. And business is booming. As a result, he’s been able to take a step back and dedicate most of his time to Edison. We have a nanny who helps, but Aaron and I are very hands-on in the raising of our son.

As we sit here on a warm spring day in sunny Southern California, I reflect on the journey we’ve taken to get to this point in our lives. My relationship with Aaron has never been stronger. All of the fears and doubts that marked our early days are long gone. And in its place is a relationship filled with nothing but pure joy and unadulterated love.

This life I’m living – that I was somehow fortunate enough to fall into – is better and more amazing than anything I could have ever wished for. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of and everything I could never bring myself to admit I wanted for so long – not even to myself.

I know I should be paying attention to the speaker at the podium, but I can’t quite seem to focus. Between pinching myself and touching my robes, needing the tactile confirmation that this is indeed reality, I can’t concentrate. But as he finishes up, something the Dean of the Law School says captures my attention.

“We are fortunate enough today to have a special guest to help send you off into the world with a few words of his wisdom,” he intones. “Please join me in welcoming Aaron Steel.”

I sit up in my seat, my attention piqued. What in the hell is Aaron doing onstage? I left him, Edison, and Olivia in the audience. Yet I watch him step out onto the stage to the applause of the students. From where I’m sitting, I can see Olivia in the wings, just offstage, with Edison in her arms.

I’m sitting in the second row and catch his eye as he strides to the podium. I shoot him a questioning look. He gives me a sly, flirty smirk in return. Aaron stands behind the podium and adjusts the microphone. He looks out over the audience, a wide, warm smile on his face.

“First of all, let me express my sincerest congratulations, graduates,” he begins. “I’ve seen firsthand just how hard you work, and I think you should all be incredibly proud of yourselves. Your dedication and perseverance are the cornerstones to building a successful career. My hat’s off to you all.”

Aaron leads the audience in a round of hearty applause – nobody cheering harder than the graduates. His eyes find me again, and he gives me that enigmatic smile that makes me wonder what he’s up to. As far as I know, he has no connection to the school, he’s not an attorney, so why he’s giving a commencement address is beyond me. But he’s clearly up to something, so I sit back and let it all play out.

“I’m sure most of you have never heard of me before today…”

There’s a muttering of affirmatives from the crowd as well as some laughter. Aaron gives a wry chuckle and nods.

“That’s okay,” he says. “But believe me when I say that I’m kind of a big deal – just not in law circles.”

Another round of applause and laughter ripples through the crowd.

“Dean Lannigan has been gracious enough to indulge me today, mostly because I cut the university a fat check for a few minutes up here before such a distinguished crowd,” he cracks, to more laughter. “But also, because having witnessed the dedication of the student body – one in particular – up close and personal. And because of that experience, I gained a deep respect for you all and wanted to offer a few insights as you head out into the world to make a name for yourselves.”

Aaron goes on for a few minutes, sharing a few anecdotes from his own life and his own experience as he got Frontline up and running, which he impressively managed to tie into our experiences as we worked our way through law school. He finishes his speech with some inspirational insights and words of praise for us.

“Congratulations to each and every one of you. I wish you all the very best of luck moving forward,” Aaron says. “And before I give up the microphone, Dean Lannigan has been kind enough to give me a little time for a more – personal matter. But one that relates to you all as you venture out into the world.”

---