Surprise Delivery(105)

But that left her adrift for a couple of days, not knowing what to do. After things with Henry, she was hesitant to take me up on the offer I’d proposed a little while back. She was afraid that she’d be playing into Henry’s stereotype or fulfilling his prophecy, or whatever.

It took me a couple of days to wear her down and assure her that everything Henry said was bullshit and the product of an insecure, elitist, snobby as hell little man. She finally relented and accepted the position as my office assistant, with the eventual transition to the clinic I’m opening on the horizon. It’s something she’s excited about – and something I’m excited for her about. I know she’ll work her ass off and be amazing.

Despite some rough patches, everything seems to be falling into place. All of the dots are being connected and I, for one, couldn’t possibly be any happier with the state of things. Alexis, Aurora, and I are building our little family together. She insists on keeping her apartment for now, but with Sabrina talking about moving in with Dom, it’s only a matter of time before I can move my little family into my condo. We’ve even started talking about buying a house – something with a yard for a dog and plenty of room for Aurora to run around in.

It’s amazing that I’ve gone from confirmed bachelor to family man in the span of only a few months. But Alexis has stormed into my life and turned everything on its head. And the really strange thing is, I like it. I like it a lot.

“Penny for your thoughts,” she says.

I give her a small smile. “Just thinking about how much life has changed over these last few months.”

“I hope they’re happy thoughts.”

I reach across the table and take her hand, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “They’re very happy thoughts.”

She laughs. “Even with all of the crazed wannabe boyfriends and psycho brothers that have gotten in the way?”

“Given that I’m getting the most amazing woman in the world and the most beautiful daughter I could have ever hoped for, yeah, I’d say so,” I reply. “I’m definitely coming out a winner in this deal.”

Her smile is warm and genuine – and something I can get used to seeing for the rest of my life. Tonight isn’t just about giving us an adult night out. I have an agenda. And even though I’m relatively certain how this is going to go, I still find a ripple of nerves running through me. I guess it’s to be expected.

It’s a beautiful evening out, and we’re sitting on a rooftop bistro that overlooks Manhattan. The atmosphere is lively, and the buzz of conversation fills the air around us. It’s a hip, trendy little spot and although I usually tend to avoid the hip, trendy spots, there’s something about this place that seemed all too perfect to me.

“This place is great,” she says.

I nod. “Yeah, it’s not too bad,” I say. “A friend suggested it, so I thought we’d give it a shot.”

She cocks her head and looks at me, an inscrutable expression on her face. “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah, of course. I’m good.”

“You just seem a little – stiff.”

I shrug. “Been a few things on my mind lately.”

She gives me a small smile and squeezes my hand. She’s probably thinking that I’m talking about things with my brother weighing on me, so I’m content to let her think that. It’s not the reason. I’ve made my peace with it – at least, as best as I can, anyway.

But, that’s not why I’m on edge tonight.

We make it through our meal, happily chatting away, talking about the trivial, mundane things couples sometimes talk about. We also talk about deeper things, like plans for our life moving forward. There is no doubt that I want to spend the rest of my life with Alexis. I think I’ve known that since the night we met at the gala in what feels like another lifetime.

And I’m relatively certain she feels the same way. At least, I’m hoping she does. If she doesn’t, I’m about to pull the most epic face plant the world – and internet – have ever seen.

After the waitress clears our dishes away, we decline dessert. We’re content to simply finish our wine underneath the full, bright, shining moon above. The way Alexis looks into my eyes never fails to move me, and when she smiles, it sets my very soul on fire. No, she’s not perfect, but in ten thousand different ways, she’s perfect for me.

She opens her mouth to speak as a man steps up beside the table. He’s a younger man with slicked back dark hair and an olive-colored complexion – and he’s carrying a violin. With a smile and a bow to Alexis, he begins to play. The opening strings are sweet yet carry a sound of longing and desire. Alexis looks back at me, a wide smile on her face.

A moment later, a blonde woman steps up beside the violin-playing man at the table and the two begin to harmonize. And then the song switches from something classical in nature to what I know is one of Alexis’ favorite songs. Though arranged differently for the violin, when the woman starts to sing, it’s unmistakably Elvis’ ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love.’

Alexis looks back at me, smiling like a child on Christmas morning. “This is one of my favorite songs ever,” she whisper screams.

Yeah, I know. When I was setting all this up, I snooped through her playlist and saw that it was the most played song she owned.