“You know I won’t let that happen. You can pay me back in other ways.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
“I’m rather certain that’s considered prostitution,” she said on a laugh, our easiness coming back like it always did.
“I wasn’t talking about that, but if you’re offering…” I kissed her forehead. “I’d actually meant something more.”
She raised an eyebrow and said, “Sounds scary.”
“Not at all. I want everything with you, Bree. Everything. I want more kids with you. I’ve missed out on so much with Ayla, and I don’t want to miss out on anything ever again. But we have plenty of time for that. Right now, all you need to focus on is getting this furniture thing going. Because I know you won’t give in to marrying me until you’re firmly on your feet. So if I have to help get you there, then so be it. My reason behind buying you all of this stuff is purely selfish. So don’t worry about it.”
Bree took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay. Fine.”
My one stipulation to her was that before she started painting her other projects, she had to fix the dollhouse. I was eager to see what she’d turn it into. To my surprise, after a week of hard work, she finally revealed the most amazing child’s bookcase I’d ever seen. Even without paint, I knew it would be a must-have for any little girl. It solidified my belief that Bree would go far, if only she’d ignore the voices of self-doubt in her head.
After spending a month together, we were closer than ever, but I knew I needed to do something to prove to Bree that what we had was real. Words didn’t seem to be enough, so I knew I had to do something to show her. I ran to the store and picked out everything I’d need, and then some. An idea had come to me the night before as I held a sleepy Bree in my arms. I knew what her concerns were, and I needed her to see that she didn’t have anything to worry about. I needed to prove to her where we had come from, and that I wasn’t there with her—I hadn’t chosen to fight for her—because we had Ayla. I needed her to know that my love for her was genuine. She’d once accused me of loving her because I wanted to save her from her mother. Now, she seemed to believe that it had to do with Ayla, or just saving her in general. So I had to pull out all the stops to let her know, to make her certain of the fact that I loved her for her…and no other reason.
After my trip to the store, I called her to tell her I’d pick her and Ayla up at eleven, and for them to be ready. She asked so many questions, trying to figure out what I had up my sleeve, but I wouldn’t give her anything. I wanted it to be a surprise.
At eleven o’clock on the dot, I pulled into her driveway, not needing to go to the door because they both walked out and met me at the truck. Ayla climbed in the back, excited because she loved how high my truck sat, and Bree rode up front next to me. She fidgeted in her seat, twisting her hands in her lap, but kept up a normal conversation with me. That was, until we pulled up to the field by the lake.
I watched as her eyes darted around, nervous and frantic over our location. I placed my hand over hers and smiled at her once she gave me her attention. “What are you so nervous about?”
“I don’t know. Why did you bring us here?”
My eyes narrowed at her, not understanding her apprehension. But I turned off the truck and got out, grabbing the bags from the back while Bree helped Ayla out of her seat. Grabbing her hand, I led her into the field while Ayla skipped ahead of us.
“Really, Axel, why did you bring us here?”
“I don’t get it. I thought you said you came here to clear your head. Why are you so upset about being here?” I asked once we reached the spot by the trees where the grass wasn’t as tall. I laid out the blanket, waiting for her response.
“This was my place to unwind. My personal space.”
I straightened up and held her hands in mine. “But this is also the place where we found each other. This is where I came to find peace. Don’t you see? We both came here, at the same time, to seek comfort. I don’t fully understand the comfort you sought, but I came here and thought of you. I came here to stare at the sky and imagine where you were and how you were doing. All the while, you were right across the street, or sitting on that dock over there. I know I’ve already said it, but that was the universe pushing us together. Bringing us to one place. And now, I’m bringing all three of us here.”
A tear slipped down her cheek before she brushed it away with the back of her hand. “I came here and thought of you,” she confessed softly. “This was my place where I could be seventeen again. In my head, you never left and time stood still.”
“We never needed time to stand still, Bree. We only needed it to catch up to us. The love we have, the love we had back then, was always bigger than two young people could ever handle. Life would have ended up tearing us apart. But fate stepped in and we had to sacrifice six years together in order to have a lifetime open to us.”
She dipped her head and pulled herself into my chest. “You really believe that?”
“There isn’t anything I believe in more. Think about it. We have always been beneath the same sky. We’ve always stood on the same land. We may have been separated by miles and time, but that doesn’t take away the fact that if we looked up, we saw the same thing. If we sat down, we were sitting on the same earth. But look around, Bree. Look up.”
“Same sky…same land…”
“All three of us. Finally here. Finally together again. Right where we deserve to be. When will you stop thinking that we don’t belong, or that something is going to happen? When will you stop assuming that I’m here for all the wrong reasons? When will you finally believe what the universe has been trying to tell you this whole time?”
“It’s hard to think things will work out when they didn’t before.”
“But they did, Bree. They did work out. You’ve said yourself how different things would’ve been had it all not happened this way. Don’t you see?”
“Well, I guess they’re right.” She smirked and rolled her eyes.
Confused, I asked, “Who’s right about what?”
“They say time heals. Great things come with time. I’ve never believed it until now.”
“I guess sometimes you just have to pass the time in order to see the greatness.” I pulled her close again and kissed her forehead. “Now come on. I’ve got food in these bags and I’m hungry.”
“A picnic?”
“It may not be in our enchanted forest…but now we have a wide, open field.”
Once we finished eating and played a few games with Ayla, it was time for my last part of the plan. “I have another surprise for you.”
“You do?” She turned to me in question, but the doubt that had been there over the past month was noticeably absent. My plan to express my feelings and gain her trust seemed to be working.
“It’s something else that’s important to you.”
“I can’t think of anything.” She glanced over to check on Ayla, who was running through the trees, having the time of her life. She loved this place as much as we did.
“Tracii invited us for dinner.” I held her hand and looked at her pensively, unsure how she’d respond but hoping she’d be happy.
“You’re going to take me home to change, right?” Her eyes opened wide, complete fear etched in her features.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “You look perfect,” I said with a kiss to her forehead.
“I’ve been sitting outside for two hours!” she exclaimed, and looked down at her outfit.
I shook my head at her, stood up, and called Ayla over as we began to pack things up to leave.
Bree’s nervousness was evident the entire drive to Tracii’s. It was as if she were meeting my parents, which hadn’t happened yet. She knew how close my sister and I were, but Tracii was also protective of me, so waiting to introduce her to Bree was key to them getting along. I knew Tracii would love Bree as much as I did; it was just about ensuring the timing was right.