Chapter 12 - Five Years LaterFive years after Claire Monroe arrived at St. Catherine Medical Center bleeding and terrified, she returned through the front entrance carrying cupcakes.
Claire almost became annoyed.
Then one Saturday morning, Maggie appeared at the lake house and announced she was kidnapping the twins.
“You are not.”
“I have bottles.”
“You don’t have authorization.”
“I have Eleanor.”
Claire stared.
Her sister pointed outside.
Eleanor sat in a waiting SUV beside two infant car seats.
Claire turned toward Adrian.
He was wearing jeans, a navy sweater, and the expression of a man pretending nothing unusual was happening.
“No.”
“I haven’t asked anything.”
“Your mother and my sister are collaborating.”
“A disturbing development.”
Maggie picked up the diaper bag.
“Goodbye.”
Claire blocked the door.
“Where are you taking my children?”
“To Eleanor’s house.”
“You hate Eleanor.”
“I contain multitudes.”
Eleanor called from outside.
“I heard that.”
Maggie grinned.
Twenty minutes later, the twins were gone.
Claire crossed her arms.
“What did you do?”
Adrian held out his hand.
“Come with me.”
She eyed him.
“Are there photographers?”
“No.”
“Board members?”
“No.”
“Your mother hiding behind a tree?”
“I hope not.”
“Champagne?”
“Eventually.”
Claire took his hand.
He led her down to the dock.
Spring sunlight glimmered across the lake.
There were no flowers.
No violinist.
No elaborate decorations.
Only two wooden chairs.
And a small box.
Claire stopped.
Adrian faced her.
“Five years ago, I proposed here because I thought asking you to marry me was the beginning.”
Her eyes filled.
“I was wrong.”
He opened the box.
Inside was not a ring.
It contained two tiny hospital bracelets.
Oliver Monroe.
Grace Monroe.
Claire covered her mouth.
Adrian’s voice roughened.
“The beginning was an operating room where I thought I might lose you before I understood what I had found.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
He took another box from his pocket.
This one held a ring.
Simple.
Elegant.
A round diamond set between two smaller stones.
No giant family jewel.
No historic Vale inheritance.
Something new.
“I spent five years wishing I could undo one decision,” Adrian said. “Then you came back into my life under circumstances I would never have chosen.”
Claire laughed through tears.
“That’s an understatement.”
“I can’t return those years.”
“No.”
“I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you.”
She nodded.
“Nobody can.”
“I can promise that if I’m afraid, I’ll tell you.”
Her chin trembled.
“If I’m angry, I’ll stay.”
Another tear.
“If someone puts evidence in front of me telling me you’re not who I believe you are, I will ask you before I believe the evidence.”
Claire laughed softly.
“Very specific.”
“I’ve learned expensive lessons.”
She nodded.
Adrian went down on one knee.
“Claire Monroe, I loved you when I was too frightened to deserve you.”
Her breath caught.
“I loved you when I thought you had chosen a life without me.”
He looked toward the house.
“I loved you when you handed me our son for the first time.”
Claire wiped her cheek.
“And I loved you when you screamed at my security director while wearing hospital socks.”
“He deserved it.”
“He agrees.”
She laughed.
Adrian’s eyes filled.
“I don’t want you because you’re the mother of my children.”
Claire grew still.
“I want you because you are Claire.”
Her heart broke open.
“Will you marry me?”
Claire stared at him.
Five years earlier, she had said yes immediately.
This time she let herself feel everything.
The pain.
The fear.
The hospital.
The lies.
The twins.
The therapy.
The sleepless nights.
The laughter.
Adrian waited.
He did not rush her.
That was the answer before she even spoke.
“Yes.”
His eyes closed.
Claire laughed.
“Yes, Adrian.”
He stood so quickly he nearly dropped the ring.
She caught his wrist.
“Careful.”
“I’m nervous.”
“You perform surgery.”
“This is worse.”
He slid the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly.
Claire kissed him.
Halfway through the kiss, applause erupted from the trees.
Claire jumped.
Maggie stepped out holding Grace.
Eleanor followed with Oliver.
Samuel stood behind them.
Claire stared at Adrian.
“You said nobody was hiding behind a tree!”
“I specifically said I hoped my mother wasn’t.”
“You are unbelievable.”
Maggie shouted, “Show us the ring!”
Claire lifted her hand.
Eleanor began crying.
Then Grace started crying because Eleanor was crying.
Oliver joined because apparently solidarity mattered.
Everyone laughed.
Claire looked at Adrian.
For one perfect moment, she could see their entire future.
Not smooth.
Not simple.
But theirs.
They planned a small wedding.
That lasted nine days.
Eleanor wanted four hundred guests.
Maggie wanted twenty.
Adrian wanted Claire.
Claire wanted a garden, the lake, and no reporters.
They compromised at sixty guests.
The wedding would take place in September at the lake house.
No magazine rights.
No corporate sponsors.
No Vale board members unless Claire personally liked them.
Adrian claimed this reduced the list dramatically.
Grace and Oliver would be eleven months old.
Claire chose a simple ivory dress.
Adrian refused to see it.
Everything seemed almost too peaceful.
Which was why the call from her obstetrician surprised her.
Claire was at work when Dr. Patel asked her to come in.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’d rather discuss the results in person.”
Fear returned instantly.
Claire had undergone routine follow-up bloodwork because her cycles remained irregular after pregnancy.
She called Adrian.
He answered from the hospital.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
Twenty minutes later, he was beside her in Dr. Patel’s office.
Claire held his hand.
Dr. Patel entered smiling.
That smile confused Claire.
“What?”
The doctor sat down.
“Your bloodwork is unusual for one very specific reason.”
Claire stared.
Adrian stared.
Dr. Patel turned the monitor.
“You’re pregnant.”
Silence.
Claire blinked.
“No.”
Dr. Patel laughed.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked as though someone had struck him.
Claire turned toward him.
“You.”
He pointed at himself.
“Me?”
“We have twins who still wake up at five.”
“I’m aware.”
“You said—”
“What did I say?”
“I don’t know, but this is somehow your fault.”
Dr. Patel tried not to laugh.
Adrian stared at the ultrasound request.
“How far along?”
“Approximately seven weeks.”
Claire groaned.
Their wedding was in three months.
She would be pregnant.
Again.
Adrian looked at her carefully.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want this?”
Claire looked at him.
That was the only question that mattered.
She imagined Oliver.
Grace.
Another baby.
A louder house.
More bottles.
More terror.
More love.
Slowly, she smiled.
“Yes.”
Adrian exhaled.
Then he laughed.
A completely helpless laugh.
Claire started laughing too.
Dr. Patel shook her head.
“I’m scheduling one early ultrasound.”
Claire immediately pointed.
“One.”
Adrian looked concerned.
“What?”
“One baby.”
He nodded solemnly.
“One would be great.”
Claire narrowed her eyes.
“Do not tempt the universe.”
Three days later, the ultrasound technician stared at the screen for an unusually long time.
Claire stopped breathing.
“No.”
Adrian whispered, “What?”
The technician turned.
“There’s one heartbeat.”
Claire collapsed backward with relief.
Then the technician smiled.
“One very healthy heartbeat.”
Adrian kissed Claire’s forehead.
Claire started crying.
Not from fear.
From gratitude.
One baby.
One ordinary pregnancy, they hoped.
May you like
One more chapter neither had planned.
And this time, Adrian would be there for every day of it.
