“How long have you known?” I said, taken aback.

“The following morning. I knew something was different...it took me a week or so to pin point exactly what.”

“I'm....”

“With child,” Bex said. “Expecting. Bun in the oven. Knocked up.”

“Hey,” Jared said, disapproving of Bex's last choice of words.

“Pregnant,” Claire said, her eyes bright.

Kim sighed. “You totally ruined my Spring Break. Just saying.”

I took internal stock of my body, waiting to feel different, but it never happened. “No. I mean...I don't feel pregnant.”

Kim raised her hands, letting them fall with a slap on her thighs. “Seriously. How are we going to travel to Jerusalem with Preggo over here?”

“She'll go,” Jared said, letting a small smile pass over his lips.

The nurse knocked on the window, gesturing to the gurney she was wheeling down the hall. It was Ryan. She whispered into his ear, and he lifted his hand, giving us the thumbs-up.

Claire stood to follow, pausing at the door way. “We'll all go.”

“Looks like we'll be waiting until Ryan is better before we're going on our trip,” Jared said, pulling my hand to his lips. “We could tend to a few things while he heals.”

“What's that?” I asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“There's a pretty little chapel on an island I'd like to take you to.”

I couldn't help but smile. “I guess we'd better.”

“What are you doing Saturday?” he asked.

“Homework,” I said flatly. “Mountains of homework.”

Jared frowned. “Sunday?”

I mirrored his expression. “I guess you're busy tonight?”

Jared's brows shot up. “You want to go tonight?”

I nodded.

He shook his head enthusiastically. “We can go tonight if you want. We can go now.”

“I'm ready,” I said.

Jared grabbed each side of my face, pressing his warm, wonderful lips to mine. “How is is possible that I just went from almost losing everything I've ever loved, to getting everything I've ever wanted...all in the same night?”

“Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked, kissing him again.

Epilogue

Epilogue

“One bathing suit, one white dress, and a few undergarments. That's what I've packed for my wedding getaway,” I said, watching as Jared effortlessly clicked closed the buckle of my seat belt.

“That's all you need, Sweetheart,” he smiled, checking the buckle one last time.

The stewardess went through her routine, and then the pilot came over the speaker, informing us of our place in line for takeoff and the current weather in Nicaragua.

“Should be a pleasant flight, Mr. and the soon-to-be Mrs. Ryel,” the pilot said.

Jared's grin stretched the width of his face. “I might have paid him extra to say that.”

“I figured as much,” I teased. I looked out the window to the dreary Providence weather. In just a few hours, I would be lying on my favorite Caribbean beach with my husband. It didn't seem real.