The Spark Between Us by Stacy Travis

Epilogue

Sarah

Three MonthsLater

I rushedthrough the door to our new bungalow north of campus and only cast a passing glance at the photo of us on the entryway table. It was a candid photo of us at the beach, Braden shirtless, me in a straw hat. I loved the photo. It reminded me of one of my favorite days together.

We’d hiked to the Point Reyes National Seashore, which was only reachable via the hiking trail on foot or horseback. On the particular weekend we went, we crested the bluffs above the beach to find it nearly empty. We spent the rest of the day walking along the shore, collecting driftwood to make a campfire on the beach, and thoroughly, responsibly extinguishing the fire before we slipped into our tent. Each time I looked at the photo, it brought back the memory of the cloudless sky, warm end of summer weather, and gentle Pacific surf.

“This is what it feels like to be happy,” Braden had said to me that day. Maybe that’s why I’d used it as a touchstone ever since, a daily reminder that all I needed to be happy was him.

But today, I didn’t stop to admire the photo. My heart pounded with the panic I’d felt for the past hour as I raced through the small craftsman to find Braden in the backyard. He’d never ended up building a firepit at his house in Carolwood, so it became his first project after we moved in here.

He’d dug the pit itself in a corner of the yard and flanked it with low-slung deck chairs and outdoor pillows. The pile of rocks surrounding the pit, however, was in constant need of tweaking, according to Braden.

The second he stood up from the rocks he’d already arranged and rearranged countless times, I flew at him and wrapped my arms around his neck. His body automatically absorbed me like a second skin. “Hey, you okay?” His voice came out muffled as he kissed the top of my head.

It wasn’t unusual for me to practically jump him the minute I arrived home—often I spent the short drive from campus imagining exactly how and where I wanted him and put my desires into action the second I saw him.

Today, I had a slightly different goal—not to pass out from sheer nerves and anxiety. And because he knew me so well, he sensed something was up.

“I’m … not gonna lie. I’m freaking out.” I didn’t let go of him. He held me up and rubbed circles on my back until my rapid breathing returned to something resembling normal, and I leaned away enough to look at him.

I exhaled a lungful of air while his eyes roamed over my face, assessing. “Talk to me, Damsel.” The nickname had stuck and would always remind me of the day we met beside the firetruck for Engine 97.

I inhaled again and loosened my grip around Braden’s waist. He spun me around and gently lowered me into one of the chairs. Sitting in his own, he slid it closer until our knees were touching and picked up my hand. His other hand went to my cheek and stroked, turning my face toward his.

Swallowing hard, I steeled myself to blurt out my news without any more leadup or subtext. “I’m three months pregnant.”

Puffy white clouds filled the deep blue of the late summer sky. I had the wherewithal to notice the perfect day and the even more perfect way Braden continued stroking my cheek. Glancing at his face, I looked for signs of shock or dismay. I saw neither.

The serenity of Braden’s beautifully angular face cracked as a smile took over. His teeth were so damned white and straight that I caught myself staring at them and wondering what kind of orthodonture he’d had as a kid. So blinded by his smile, I almost forgot what I’d just told him.

As the deep gray of his eyes shifted to a lighter, brighter hue, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened more than I’d ever seen them.

“That’s the best damn news I’ve heard in my life.” He leaned in and grazed my lips with the barest whisper of a kiss before sitting back and watching my expression. “Your eyes are huge. You look grim,” he assessed. “You’re not happy about this.”

“No … it’s not … I am. I’m happy. It’s just sudden and a little bit shocking and very unplanned.”

He nodded, his hand never leaving mine. He knew how I felt about unplanned.

We’d talked about kids—briefly. We both wanted them, both loved our big families, but that was about as far as we’d gotten. Already in my thirties, I knew I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for years and years, but I’d officially begin my tenure the following semester and I hardly felt like I should start by taking maternity leave.

Forget unplanned … I didn’t even have a plan for a future version of this.

But for as much as I felt freaked out by that, Braden’s smile never waved from his face. Not for a second.

And that made me certain I’d be okay. “I just earned tenure. I don’t know if my work schedule will change. Or how I’ll feel…” My shoulders sunk as I accepted these unknowns. I’d have to deal with them, and I wouldn’t be able to control every outcome.

“I’ve got you,” Braden said quietly, bringing my hand to his lips. He cupped my chin and turned my face toward his. “You’re amazing and you can do this. And in the moments you think you can’t, I’ll remind you.” He put his arm around me and held me tight.

I loved that he knew it was all I needed. And I loved this man—who rushed into danger when most people ran from it, who made a career of managing situations outside of his control—I love that he had my back. He had me. I could do this.

“We’ll figure it out,” I agreed, leaning my head against his shoulder.

Braden and I were solid. Even as I’d grown to feel more comfortable with events I couldn’t control, I had a long way to go before I could embrace the unknown. Doing it by the side of someone I loved made the journey bearable, even enjoyable.

I knew we’d be together forever.

“This is good news. I’m so, so happy, Sarah. I love you.” Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and my strong heroic firefighter looked like he’d just rescued a hundred people from a burning building.

In reality, he’d rescued one—me.

THE END

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