When Troy goes to prison for life hopefully, I will finally be able to rest easy knowing that Carly and Matthew are able to do the same with their murderer behind bars. And Troy will rot away in prison never experiencing the joys of falling in love with someone who actually loves him back, start a family or have simple things like clean air or a warm home ever again.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it through the day.”

Clay’s statement drags me from my thoughts and the fear I hear in his voice hurts me. “You can come have lunch with me.” I move and straddle his waist.

“That’ll be good since my ass will probably be sitting in the parking lot all day anyway.”

“It’s going to be okay.” I cup his jaw and it clenches. “I’m going to work and when you have your next trip, you’ll go on it and we’ll start planning our wedding, then at some point after we’re married, we’ll start talking about having babies.” I lean down to kiss him. “We have a whole bunch of stuff to do and none of it will get done if we live our lives worried about something that might never happen.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I whisper back, knowing that those three little words that used to feel so huge, don’t even encompass the way I feel about him. He’s everything I ever wanted and I’m so happy that fate shoved him in my path.

Epilogue

Clay

5 years later

WITH THE THUNDER of voices filling the loft I stand at the edge of the island in the kitchen watching Willow, her sisters, and her mom fuss over the turkey I just pulled out of the oven for them. My wife looks stunning always, but these last few months have changed her in little ways that take my breath away. The bump and the extra curves she’s carrying now make her look like a goddess come to life and in just a couple of days we should be welcoming our son into the world. And although I’m excited to meet our boy I know I’ll miss her being pregnant.

“Oh no,” she gasps, and my muscles bunch when I see pain slide across her features.

“Oh no what, Mouse?” I move to where she’s standing now holding her belly.

“Nothing, it’s just a contraction.”

“What?” My muscles clench and my stomach drops.

“It’s normal, they’ve been happening all day.” She pats my chest.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Honey, what do you mean they have been happening all day?” her mom asks, now looking concerned.

“I’ve been having them all day,” she gasps and grabs her lower back.

“Now what?” I bark.

“It’s just another one, I’m fine.”

“It might have been a while since I had a baby but that’s not normal, honey.”

“What’s not normal?” Nico asks, getting off the couch in the living room where he’s been watching the football game with my brothers and his sons as the kids play in the back entertainment space.