“Yes, it is, and I couldn’t be happier for you and Jack. You know that.”
“I do, and I can’t thank you enough for all your support of—and interest in—our relationship.”
“I love when good things happen for good people, and you two deserve all the happiness in the world. But I’ll miss having you living close by.”
“We live on an island. I won’t be far away.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I’ll miss the pitter-patter of six little feet upstairs and having you and Owen around, too. But I’ll still be here every day.”
“Thank goodness for that. When are you moving?”
“We rented a place on the west side as of January first, so we’ll move in after we get back from Christmas with my family.”
“You’re taking Jack home to meet the family?”
“I am.”
“Wow, these are big steps.”
“It’s very exciting—and scary, too.”
“How so?”
“I love him so much. So much more than I loved the one I was supposed to marry. Everything about this is different and so special. I just worry about something going wrong.”
“It won’t. He loves you just as much. Try to relax and enjoy the best thing to ever happen. Soon enough, life and kids take over, and that early magic starts to feel like a long time ago. Don’t spend too much time worrying about a future you can’t control anyway.”
“Good advice, as always. Keep it coming, will you?”
“Any time you need it. I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ll be here.”
Laura went into the living room to find her kids and encountered her husband, who gave her a curious look. “What?”
“‘The early magic starts to feel like a long time ago’?”
“Oh. You heard that?”
“I did, and what shall we do about that?”
“I… I was just talking to Piper. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Smiling, Owen came to put an arm around her as the kids ran in circles through the room. “I know you didn’t, but what that says to me is we need a little Mommy/Daddy time to reconnect and find some of that old magic.”
“Owen…” She looked up at the love of her life, the man who’d given up everything to stay with her when she was pregnant with another man’s child. He’d picked her up off the floor when she was so sick she couldn’t move… “Every minute with you is magic. I’d never want you to think otherwise.”
He kissed her softly. “I never would, but you’re not wrong about life and kids taking the steam out of a hot romance.”
“Our romance is still hot.”
He nuzzled her neck and brought her in closer to him. “But it can always be hotter, right?”
“Mmm. Uh-huh.” Just that quickly, he’d made her forget about why she’d come downstairs in the first place. Oh. Right. Dinner for Shane and Katie. “I need to go to the store.”
“Okay,” he said, keeping her pressed against him.
