Page 27 of Timeless Valentine

"No,you'retoo sexy to resist," Grace says with a sultry smile, yanking me by the collar in for another kiss. I love that she's becoming more forceful when she wants something.

She quickly grabs some tissues from her purse to clean up as we pull ourselves back together.

As we head to Endless Waves, I can't stop staring at the light in Grace's eyes. Although she couldn't be any more beautiful, there's always a special glow about her right after we've made love.

I know that glow will continue through the evening, as I begin dropping hints about moving her mother into this amazing home I have found nearby. I know that she'll consider it, and dive in to do a ton of research. I'll let it be her decision, whenever she feels comfortable allowing me to pay.

Whenever she feels the time is right.

I also know that during dessert, her eyes are going to light up when I explain that instead of it being a surprise, I want us to design her engagement ring together, so she understands that we're a team from now on.

But first, I have to make sure that my sweet girlfriend has her dinner.

EPILOGUE TWO

GRACE

* Seven Years Later *

Even though I ask every afternoon, I know the answer will be the same for at least the next month, maybe more: "What do we want for the clean up song today?"

Two little voices chirp together, "The apples song!"

Alice and Harper bounce up and down for a second, then stand still, waiting. As soon as I turn the song on the living room sound system, the chaos begins. Or should I say, the frenzied reversal of chaos.

Leo sticks his head out of the kitchen, smiling, as I supervise our five- and three-year-old daughters frantically putting the toys strewn all over the living room back in the huge toy bin. Alice is now tall enough to reach the couch cushions, so she picks one up from the floor that a doll had been using as a bed earlier, and puts it back in place.

By the time we've all learned about the importance of apples for the million and seventh time, the living room is back in order.

"What do we want for?—"

"Jellyfishes!"

I put on the other favorite housework song as four surprisingly loud little feet surge down the hall to their bedrooms. Seconds later I hear the clattering chaos of toys being chucked into baskets in their bedrooms.

Just as I decide that my life can't possibly be any better, the sublime aroma of Leo's pasta sauce wafts from the kitchen. Years later, we still do groceries on Sunday, and some food prep for the week, but then, instead of takeout, he cooks.

He really is perfect for me.

Shortly after we were married in a tiny service in the beautiful park behind the library, Leo and I had a very important conversation about the most important job in the world, which we both agreed was parenthood. We decided that he was doing well enough that he could work shorter hours and still have plenty of money for us, and I could work from home for just a few hours a day doing research for his company. That would give me the flexibility for my new main job of raising our kids.

To this day, I have never been quite sure whether he originally made up the position just to give me something to do, but it turns out I'm really good at it, and I've helped his company a lot.

Meanwhile, being with the girls all day is the most fulfilling, weird and creative job I've ever had, and I'm so grateful that I'm able to direct my entire focus to watching them grow.

They've even been to see my mother in her new long term care home. The second we were married, after just ten months of dating, Leo said that moving Mom into the facility was his wedding gift to me. We were able to get her in almost immediately, which made me suspect Leo had been planning it for months.

It's perfect. Mom thinks she's in a tiny town where she can walk around freely on the days she feels up to it, and where thenice neighbors will somehow just know to look in on her on the days she doesn’t. I don't know if she always fully grasps that the girls are her grandchildren, but she loves to sit near them and listen to their rambling stories of what they've done that week.

When the song is over, Alice and Harper return with reports that their floors are clean, pillows are on the beds, and they're hungry. I hoist them into their chairs just before Leo comes out with bowls filled with pasta.

"Baby shells with cheese!" Alice squeals in delight. It's her favorite of all the shapes we've tried.

Leo stands behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Our sauce is a bit spicier, and the wine is already opened and breathing."

"I love the nights when you cook."

He nuzzles my throat. "I love feeding you. Always have."

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