The Blush Factor by Deborah Bladon

Epilogue

3 Months Later

Faith

I glancedown at my diary in my backpack.

I didn’t have an entry for today.

I haven’t written in it as much as I used to because I’m living out every fantasy I’ve ever had.

I moved across the hall to live with Matthew. I’m still working my way through pre-med, and I’m volunteering at a clinic that Sadie runs on the weekends. Gavin stops by to help when he can.

It’s a non-profit for people who need to drop by to have anything minor tended to.

I’m not licensed to offer care the same way Sadie or Gavin do, but I help with paperwork, and I listen.

I listen intently when people who have nowhere to go come to us looking for aid.

It’s a good feeling.

Today was especially good because I got to sit with a woman who is in the second trimester of her third pregnancy.

I told her about when I helped welcome little Penn into the world.

I’ll tell that story to anyone who wants to hear it because it was a day that shaped my life. Everything changed for me that day, and it’s still changing.

My friendship with Gwynn is definitely different. She was hurt that I didn’t confide in her about Matthew while she was still living in New York. We’re patching up our friendship long distance, but it’s not the same as it was once. It’s better in many ways because she’s happier and more content with the path she’s on.

My hair has gone through a big change too.

I switched back to blue one night when Matthew was working late.

He came home to find me snuggled in our bed with long blue waves trailing over my shoulders.

He jumped into bed next to me, devouring my pussy the way he always does, before he tenderly made love to me while he whispered words about how remarkable I am and how much color I’ve brought into his life.

“FU!”

I laugh when I hear that behind me.

I spin around to see the man that I love with snowflakes dotting his dark hair and a growth of stubble on his jaw. He gets more handsome by the day, by the minute, if I’m being honest.

“What’s your problem, you son-of-a…”

“Not you, dude,” Matthew says to the younger guy racing toward him with his glove-covered fists at the ready. “I’m talking to the love of my life.”

“You’re talking to who?” The guy questions him. “You just yelled fuck you at me. I heard it.”

“You heard a nickname,” Matthew explains as he places a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “It’s the initials of my love. At least for now…”

For now.

We talk about when my initials will change. Marriage is on our horizon. We know that. We haven’t discussed when that will happen, but it will. Neither of us has any doubt about that.

“You need to pick a new nickname for your love,” the man talking to Matthew says. “I was about to deck you.”

“You were about to try,” Matthew corrects him. “I could have taken you down for the count.”

The guy laughs as he wanders off. “Sure, sir. Sure.”

I can’t help but giggle as Matthew races toward me. “Are you surprised to see me?”

“Very,” I admit. “I was going to pick up take-out and surprise you at home with it.”

“I have a surprise for you.” Matthew brushes falling snow from the shoulders of my wool coat.

“You do?” I ask with a tilt of my head. “I thought I had this figured out. Sadie told me earlier that salmon was Axel’s special today, so I’m on my way to get that for our dinner since it’s your favorite. Our schedule was supposed to be dinner, sex, dessert, sex.”

“The sex part is happening, but there’s more.” He moves to kiss me softly. “You have had everything figured out since the day I met you. Today, I wanted to pull the rug out from under your feet.”

I glance down. “What?”

He scoops me up like a bride to carry me down the sidewalk. “Close your eyes, baby. Close them up tight.”

I do as I’m told.

I listen carefully, hearing a door creak open and then whispered voices in the distance.

“Let me open them,” I whisper.

“Not yet,” Matthew answers with another soft kiss.

I feel him place me down softly. “Stand here. No peeking and don’t move.”

“I won’t,” I say softly, wondering what the hell is happening.

A minute passes, then another, and finally, I hear the voice of the man I love again. It’s in my left ear. “Open your eyes, my beautiful Faith.”

The second I do, I scream.

Everyone I love is standing in front of me. We’re all inside of Axel NY. This looks like a private party, just for …me?

I spot Sadie near the kitchen waving a hand at me. I glance to the side to see Roman, Bianca, the twins, and baby Penn in Matthew’s mom’s arms. Callum is standing to the side next to Delia, and then I scream louder because it’s my parents.

I rush toward them, pulling them into an embrace.

Then Rhea is next to me, and Arya too.

“It’s not my birthday,” I whimper through a cloud of tears. “What’s happening?”

“It’s better than your birthday,” Matthew says from behind me.

I turn to see him on one knee.

It feels like my heart cracks open in my chest because this is beyond anything I’ve ever written in my diary.

“I could wax poetic here and tell you that you’re a remarkable woman who taught me that life can be so much more than I ever thought it could be.”

My mom sighs from behind me.

“I could say that I’m going to spend every day making your life better,” Matthew pauses. “Or I could tell you that there isn’t a person on this earth who compares to the woman you are.”

I watch in silence as he opens his right hand to reveal a ring. “I bought this for you three months ago, Faith. It was right before Penn was born. It was that day. I was on my way to ask you to marry me when you got stuck in the elevator. I knew it was too early. I knew there was a good chance you’d say no, but I knew, fuck, I knew that if you did, I’d keep asking until you said yes, because you are my person. You are the only person for me.”

“Uncle Matty said a bad word,” Georgie says. “He said…”

“No.” Dora covers her sister’s mouth with her hand. “Don’t say it. Dad won’t like it. He’s not chill about stuff like that.”

The room erupts in laughter.

Matthew tugs on the hem of the blue sweater I’m wearing. “I don’t want to waste another minute not being your husband, so marry me, sweet Faith. Let me love you completely forever.”

I nod softly. “I’ll marry you.”

Claps and whistles fill the air around us as Matthew slides a square-shaped diamond onto my finger.

He stands to gather me into his arms. “This ring is as unique as you.”

I stare at it and then at him. “Our forever will be filled with love.”

“And dancing,” he whispers in my ear. “Hit it, Roman!”

Roman holds his phone in the air as a pounding beat fills the air.

Matthew twirls me around. “May I have this dance?”

I laugh as I glance at the video playing on Roman’s phone. “Rhea and The Pimps?”

“It’s our song, baby,” he says with a smile. “This is our life.”

This is our life, and I’m grateful for every moment of it.