Katherine was confused as she looked at him. He’d won. She was giving herself over to him, so why was he still talking? She couldn’t seem to grasp his words.

Her heart nearly burst when he dropped to his knee’s on the gently blowing grass. His eyes filled as he looked in her eyes.

“I’ve done a lot wrong where you’re concerned, Katherine. Before you, there’s never been a woman I wanted to be with night and day. Never before have I thought of one person so often, I can’t think of anyone or anything else. Yes, I want you in my bed, and by my side, but not for a cheap affair. I’d never dishonor you that way. I want you as my equal partner. I want to give you everything your heart desires. I want to watch your stomach grow round with my children. I want to hold you when we’re seventy-five and do nothing more than watch a sunset together off the balcony of our home that I’m building for you. Please make me complete, Katherine. Please be my wife,” he said as a tear fell.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an exquisite diamond ring, his fingers trembling slightly as he knelt before her, baring his soul.

Katherine dropped down next to him, her legs no longer able to support her, her arms needing to be around him.

She reached up and slowly wiped the tear from his cheek, awed that such a strong man was willing to make himself so vulnerable in front of her. How wrong she’d been. How many years she’d wasted. How many pointless tears she’d cried. She leaned forward and kissed him. A kiss filled with all the love she had for her larger than life man.

“Yes.”

She didn’t need to say any more than that simple word. She’d decided to give him anything he wanted, and she was so grateful he wanted it all.

Joseph’s smile lit up his face. He slipped the ring on her finger, a perfect fit, and then his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him. Neither of them said anything as she rested her head against his chest.

After minutes, or maybe hours, passed, he finally pulled back. He kissed her once more, then stood, pulling her up next to him as he wrapped his arm around her.

“Come. Let me show you your palace.”

Joseph took her hand and led her to the house. He stepped through an unfinished doorway and walked inside as she looked around in wonder.

“I can see it all, Katherine. I can see the finished house. It will be beautiful. I can already picture our children running through these halls,” he said with excitement. His enthusiasm quickly drawing her in.

“Thank you, Joseph,” she whispered in awe.

“No, it’s you I need to thank. I’ve been lost for a long time, but you’ve changed me. You made me realize I didn’t need to settle. I can have it all. Because of you, George and I spoke, really spoke for the first time in years. I knew I couldn’t waste any more time on misunderstandings. I knew I couldn’t hold onto the past. He felt the same way. It’s all because of you. You wouldn’t allow me to be half a man anymore.”

“Oh, Joseph, I don’t understand how I did it, but I’m so glad,” she said, fresh tears springing to her eyes.

“He loves you almost as much as I do,” he said with a chuckle. You did it by refusing to accept anything less than what you deserve. You did it by being yourself.

“I just wanted your love. I’m so sorry I fought so hard- wasted all this time,” she said.

“We won’t waste even a moment more. I’ll give you any wedding you want, but please marry me quickly. I don’t want to spend even one more night without you,” he begged.

“Yes, Joseph, yes. I don’t need anything fancy. I just need you,” she said, meaning her words.

“My Katherine, you’d better get used to fancy, because I need to spoil you. You’re my queen.”

Joseph pulled her tightly against him in the unfinished space of their home and he spent the rest of the night with her safely cradled in his arms as he whispered his love in her ear.

“Joseph and I were both such fools for a very long time. Now, you should realize why we’ve wanted you to find your own true loves,” George said as Katherine finished speaking.

“Wow,” Jessica said, her voice filled with awe.

“I can’t believe how much you two went through,” Amy said as she dabbed her eye and sniffled.

“You had a huge wedding, though. I’ve poured over those pictures. Your dress is right out of a Cinderella story,” Emily said with confusion.

“You all know Joseph. He may have said he wanted a quick wedding, and believe me, he did, but that man wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. We married in two weeks’ time, and it was a fairy tale, with the perfect dress, location, and decorations. It was the most romantic day of my life. Looking back, I’m truly glad he made it special. Back then, I only wanted him, and everything else was just a bonus. The best part of the day was the kiss he gave me after they pronounced us man and wife. It was in that moment that I knew we’d be together forever. He’s never stopped telling me how much he loves me,” Katherine said as she wiped away another tear.

“And I never will,” Joseph whispered.

The room went silent as all eyes turned to the bed where Joseph lay, his eyes cracked open, gazing at his wife.

“Joseph?”

“I love you, Katherine, today, tomorrow and always.” His voice was hoarse, but his words were clear.

“You’re awake!” she cried, joy and relief evident in her expression.

Kinsey jumped up, immediately calling for the doctor, then getting to work, checking his vitals, moving around the bed, looking in his eyes.

Joseph batted her away as he weakly lifted his hand to press his fingers against Katherine’s face. She lay in his arms, smiling as gentle sobs racked her body.

“I’ve missed you so much, Joseph. Please, please don’t ever leave me again. I need you,” she begged.

Such and intimate moment, Kinsey thought as she dreamily sighed and stepped back. Their love so obvious, it brightened the room. Everyone was awed as they watched the two of them reunite, their love stronger than ever before.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

The rest of the day was a flurry of activity as the doctor rushed over and did a complete work-up on Joseph. He’d said from the beginning he could wake anytime, but he looked surprised to see him not only awake, but so alert.

Joseph had trouble speaking, his throat sore from non-use, but as the day wore on, he was picking up strength. Because of the physical therapists, who’d been working his muscles daily, he wouldn’t be wheelchair bound when he climbed from the bed.

The doctor warned him not to exert himself too much, though. It would take a while before he was climbing up and down stairs and running around. Joseph didn’t care. He only cared that he was awake. He and Katherine couldn’t take their eyes or hands off each other.

“Congratulations, brother. I’m so happy for you,” Joseph said with a smile.

“Thank you, Joseph. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We’d like to have a small ceremony here, where we met for the first time,” George told him.

“I think that’s perfect. Now, are you sure about the small ceremony…”

“Joseph Anderson, don’t you try and railroad me like you do your kids. I’m an old man, who’s lived a full life. I want a simple ceremony with my beautiful bride. She wants the same,” George said.

“Can you get me drink?” Joseph asked in a weak voice.

“Don’t you think that sick card will work on me either, Joseph. I’m not changing my mind. A small ceremony, do you hear me?” George said with a smile.

“Fine, I get it,” Joseph grumbled, his voice stronger.

“That’s what I thought,” George said, chuckling.

Once Esther joined them, the three planned a simple ceremony that had Joseph grumbling here and there, but he didn’t fight them too much.

George was thrilled that in two weeks, Esther would be his wife. He needed nothing more than that.

Chapter Twenty

Kinsey gazed at the pregnancy test, looking back and forth from it to the box it had come in, then re-reading the instructions. She looked at the two other tests next to it, as well. All of them with the same answer. Her eyes spilled over as the results were irrefutable in front of her.

She needed Cassie.

Cassie would tell her it was okay. Tell her she wasn’t alone. She’d be there for her no matter what. Kinsey didn’t know what she wanted any more. She was certainly surprised by her reaction.

She laid her head on the table and cried, then laughed, then cried some more. Maybe she was losing her mind. It sure felt like it.

After a half hour she picked up the phone.

“Can you meet me?”

“Where?”

Cassie didn’t need an explanation. The emotion in Kinsey’s voice was all it took for her to drop whatever she was doing and agree to meet. Kinsey named a park about halfway between them, then put on her coat and walked out the door. She wiped her tears as she climbed behind the wheel of her car and went on autopilot as she drove across town.

She arrived first and sat down on a bench, the tests once again clutched in her hand.

Cassie joined her a few minutes later, sitting down without saying a word. Kinsey handed her the three tests, and Cassie looked at them, then at Kinsey’s face with worried eyes.

“How are you feeling? Are we happy? Upset? Relieved? What should I be doing right now, because I can’t tell,” Cassie finally said.

“I’m… confused. I thought… I thought this is what I wanted, but as I took test after test, I found myself… sad,” Kinsey said as a few tears fell.

“I understand, Kinsey. You’ve thought for a couple months that a baby could be growing inside you. Your child. Now that you know you’re not pregnant, it’s like losing that child you’ve come to expect. It’s devastating,” Cassie reassured her.

“But… I’m not married. I have no reason to be upset. I should be jumping up and down with joy. I know after I have time to think about it, I’ll realize that. I just… I don’t even know,” Kinsey said with confusion.

“Everything happens for a reason. Maybe this happened so you’d know how you really feel. Maybe you don’t want to be as independent as you’ve been telling yourself. Have you thought about the fact that it wasn’t just your baby you were learning to care about – but also Austin’s.”

“There is no baby, Cass,” Kinsey said, as if she needed to say it again.

“What’s going on with you and Austin?”

“I don’t know. We had a small fight the night of my attack, then he stayed the night with me. But in the morning he was gone. He walked away and hasn’t been back,” Kinsey said in a choked sob, pain seeping inside her. She should call, but she had too much pride. She figured she’d told him no one too many times, and he’d decided to listen.

“Oh my gosh, you’re in love with him, aren’t you,” Cassie gasped.