through the lower floor of the house. I hold on to Michael’s hand and try to temper my emotions which have climaxed with excitement and growing dismay.
“You like it?”
“I do,” I say, subdued.
“What’s wrong?”
“I love it,” I say with a shrug. “It’s perfect. It’d be great if this place were for sale.” I try to hide my feelings of disappointment behind a weak smile.
“You would move?”
“In a heartbeat. Look how private it is and the view and the waterfront. The house is beyond…” My voice trails off.
“Old,” Michael muses.
“No! It’s lived in and treasured,” I say to him with a hesitant laugh. I start to climb the stairs, holding on to the banister with my good hand. “Hey, there are more bedrooms than I thought,” I call out, racing ahead of him now. With a quick survey, I’ve counted six bedrooms. At the end of the hall, we stand in the middle of the master bedroom.
“It’s a little small,” Michael says with a touch of deprecation as we step inside.
“Hmmm…I love it.” I touch the white lace duvet. “Whoever decorated the place kept things simple and understated. They have great taste.” I smile over at him as we look around. “It has its own charm. The master bath is fabulous, too. Wow, it’s like the house is…” My voice trails off and I look up at him, overcome with shyness all at once.
“What Ellie?” Michael looks at me with a bemused smile.
“It’s like it’s already…ours,” I say wistfully.
Michael takes a deep breath; then grins over at me. “It is.”
“What?” I ask in a faraway voice.
“I bought this place two months ago.”
“How is that even possible? We weren’t even speaking two months ago?” I ask in irritation.
“Well, that was only a matter of time. I had three months to get my act together and win you back.”
“It was never you, Michael. It was me, ” I say with sadness.
“No. It’s never been just you, Ellie. It’s always should have been you and me. Once I allowed myself to believe in that, I was intent on buying this house for you…for our family. I just didn’t know the significance of six bedrooms at the time.” He pulls me to him and brushes my stomach with his hand and gets this thoughtful look. “Ellen Kay, will you marry me?”
How could I have not known that this would be what he would ask of me? I’m still in shock that I’m pregnant and haven’t ventured further into where that might lead us. I look up at him now in true surprise. This was not what I’d been expecting because I thought we were in agreement about not rushing into anything. I tell him this now.
“Michael…” A rush of words form in my head, but nothing comes out.
“I know it’s crazy. I know that we should wait, but, Ellie, you’re pregnant with my child. I want to marry you and it’s honorable and everything, but, that’s not why I want to marry you.”
“Well, why then?”
“Because I want a life with you and I want that life to start right now — this very minute. So, Ellen Kay, will you marry me?” His blue eyes do not leave my face and he stares into mine, openly conveying his wishes.
“Yes,” I say without thinking. Michael Shaw seems to be connected to me at a soul level. Why would I even wonder if this the right thing to do?
“I thought you might say yes,” he says with a mischievous grin.
“What?” Now, I feel this panic invade me as if I’ve been trapped in some way.
“I told the kids that you would probably say yes.”
“You told the kids?” I’m having second and third thoughts, now. “Exactly, what did you tell them?”
“I told them that we love each other and that we wanted to be a family and that I wanted to make it official.”
“You do know that Nick and Elaina are not exactly brother and sister. Just how are you going to address those little details in the grand scheme of this house?”
“Well,” he says with a wicked smile. “It’s a smaller house, not quite on the
“You like it?”
“I do,” I say, subdued.
“What’s wrong?”
“I love it,” I say with a shrug. “It’s perfect. It’d be great if this place were for sale.” I try to hide my feelings of disappointment behind a weak smile.
“You would move?”
“In a heartbeat. Look how private it is and the view and the waterfront. The house is beyond…” My voice trails off.
“Old,” Michael muses.
“No! It’s lived in and treasured,” I say to him with a hesitant laugh. I start to climb the stairs, holding on to the banister with my good hand. “Hey, there are more bedrooms than I thought,” I call out, racing ahead of him now. With a quick survey, I’ve counted six bedrooms. At the end of the hall, we stand in the middle of the master bedroom.
“It’s a little small,” Michael says with a touch of deprecation as we step inside.
“Hmmm…I love it.” I touch the white lace duvet. “Whoever decorated the place kept things simple and understated. They have great taste.” I smile over at him as we look around. “It has its own charm. The master bath is fabulous, too. Wow, it’s like the house is…” My voice trails off and I look up at him, overcome with shyness all at once.
“What Ellie?” Michael looks at me with a bemused smile.
“It’s like it’s already…ours,” I say wistfully.
Michael takes a deep breath; then grins over at me. “It is.”
“What?” I ask in a faraway voice.
“I bought this place two months ago.”
“How is that even possible? We weren’t even speaking two months ago?” I ask in irritation.
“Well, that was only a matter of time. I had three months to get my act together and win you back.”
“It was never you, Michael. It was me, ” I say with sadness.
“No. It’s never been just you, Ellie. It’s always should have been you and me. Once I allowed myself to believe in that, I was intent on buying this house for you…for our family. I just didn’t know the significance of six bedrooms at the time.” He pulls me to him and brushes my stomach with his hand and gets this thoughtful look. “Ellen Kay, will you marry me?”
How could I have not known that this would be what he would ask of me? I’m still in shock that I’m pregnant and haven’t ventured further into where that might lead us. I look up at him now in true surprise. This was not what I’d been expecting because I thought we were in agreement about not rushing into anything. I tell him this now.
“Michael…” A rush of words form in my head, but nothing comes out.
“I know it’s crazy. I know that we should wait, but, Ellie, you’re pregnant with my child. I want to marry you and it’s honorable and everything, but, that’s not why I want to marry you.”
“Well, why then?”
“Because I want a life with you and I want that life to start right now — this very minute. So, Ellen Kay, will you marry me?” His blue eyes do not leave my face and he stares into mine, openly conveying his wishes.
“Yes,” I say without thinking. Michael Shaw seems to be connected to me at a soul level. Why would I even wonder if this the right thing to do?
“I thought you might say yes,” he says with a mischievous grin.
“What?” Now, I feel this panic invade me as if I’ve been trapped in some way.
“I told the kids that you would probably say yes.”
“You told the kids?” I’m having second and third thoughts, now. “Exactly, what did you tell them?”
“I told them that we love each other and that we wanted to be a family and that I wanted to make it official.”
“You do know that Nick and Elaina are not exactly brother and sister. Just how are you going to address those little details in the grand scheme of this house?”
“Well,” he says with a wicked smile. “It’s a smaller house, not quite on the
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