All I Ask(94)

I call Mr. Sterling as we get close to the town limits.

“I’d like to thank you first and foremost. You have no idea how honored I am that you chose me.”

He clears his throat. “But?”

“But I can’t come there. I have something here, in Virginia, that’s more precious to me than anything. You see, I painted those pieces because I never felt like I was on land. I felt as though I were drifting out to sea, looking for the shoreline and the person who sat on that beach. Well, after a very long time, I finally found him.”

“You’re a romantic, Ms. Berkeley.”

“I guess I am,” I say with a small laugh.

“I understand. I’ve been married to my wife for thirty-seven years. I hope you find your happiness.”

“Thank you,” I say before hanging up.

The car turns down Sycamore Street and my heart is racing. The cabdriver turns left, and Derek’s outside, walking to his car.

“Stop here!” I yell and the driver hits his brakes.

I don’t wait for the vehicle to stop. I throw the door open and I’m running toward him.

“Derek!” I call his name.

His eyes widen as he sees me rushing toward him. “Teagan?”

The tears that fall now aren’t sad. They’re tears of relief and happiness. My happiness. I keep moving, crashing into him, and his arms wrap around me.

We stumble a little, but he keeps us upright, just like he’s always done. He steadies me when I waver.

“What are you doing here? What about your flight? What about the job?”

“I’m not going. You’re what matters to me. You, the girls, this house, I can paint from here. I can paint anywhere, but you’re here and you are where I’m meant to be.”

He brings his lips to mine, holding tightly and kissing me with his whole heart.

I watch his blue eyes fill with love and contentment.

“I love you,” I tell him.

“I love you.”

My thumb brushes his cheek and I rest my forehead to his. “Tell me something real.” I utter the words that are his and mine alone.

Derek lifts his head, his eyes trained on mine. “I’m really going to marry you.”

“Is that you asking me?” I ask with a huge grin.

“No, I already know the answer, it’s just what’s going to happen.”

“Well, I like a man with confidence.”

Derek chuckles. “I’m glad. Now, let’s go inside so I can show you how much confidence I have.”





Epilogue





Teagan




One year later



“I’m so nervous I could pee,” I say to my husband as we’re waiting in the back room.

Derek kisses my temple. “You’re going to do great.”

“Easy for you to say.”

He’s not the one who will be judged today in front of hundreds of people. I had to paint an extra ten paintings for this opening. Mr. Sterling believes we’ll sell all twenty-five that are being showcased.

“It is easy because I know how talented you are. I know how hard you worked to give this gallery what they wanted, even if it meant you were in that studio while I was getting rid of the dolls, which seemed to multiply.”

There wasn’t a choice in the matter. Mr. Sterling is also a romantic and offered to still showcase my paintings, but allow me to do it remotely. Of course that came after three other galleries were posting that they were interested as well, but I felt after leaving him in the lurch, it was the least I owed him.

Plus, he came with the best offer.

Derek and I agreed to spend our family honeymoon in Palm Beach and took the very nice check the gallery offered for rights to my next ten paintings.

I smile at the man I love more than anything. “You and I both benefited from my hard work, otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to hire the contractor to put on the addition.”

While that house was perfect, it was a bedroom and bathroom short. The girls are getting along, but asking them to share a bedroom was going to put an end to all the progress they’d made. We used my first check to put an extension on the house, giving us another two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

It was the best decision we ever made, other than putting the ugliest couch in history as the centerpiece for my art room. Each day I’m inspired to not create anything that horrible, but then I remember how loved it is, like the people in my life.

“Yes, and I never thought we’d survive the construction.”

It took freaking forever to be done, but the last three months have been bliss. “But we did, and now the four of us are living under one roof.”

“Now we need to build them separate houses so they stop bickering…”

I laugh and nod. He’s not wrong, but they get along so much better, now that they’re in high school.

“Well,” I say as I wrap my arms around his middle. “I would like that for other reasons.”

Derek grins. “And what might that be, wife?”

“I think you know.”

“I could use a little help to be sure.”

“Could you?”

He brings his lips close. “I could.”