“Wow. That kid can really saw some trees,” I said with a grin.
“Like his mom.”
“Thanks, jerk,” I said, giggling.
“Hailey, with everything that has happened to us and everything that has challenged our love, we have still managed to come out on top. Between your past with my brother and the shit with my mother—”
“Bryan, the baby,” I said.
“Sorry,” he said, snickering. “And all the stuff with my mother, we always found a way to manage. To make it work. To come out on the other end stronger and better than ever.”
“I don’t feel stronger right now,” I said.
“You gave birth and had major surgery three days ago, and you’re somehow standing on your own two feet. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”
I smiled as I felt him press his lips against mine.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t astound me. That I don’t wake up, roll over, and lie there in awe of your face. You have given me the three greatest gifts in life I could’ve ever asked for,” he said.
“And what are those?” I asked.
“Your love, yourself, and our son,” he said.
I felt tears springing to my eyes as his hand wrapped around my head.
“We needed a fresh start, but we also needed to remember our past and where we came from so we can always remember going forward how strong we are during the times when we need to cling to one another the most. I wanted to give you this not just as a wedding gift, but as a new mother gift. I wanted to give you a place you could call home, a place that wasn’t tainted with any sour memories of our past but illuminated with the happiness of our future.”
“Oh, Bryan,” I said. “What in the world have you done?”
“Something that I hope you’ll like,” he said.
Then, the blindfold dropped from my vision.
I felt Bryan slip his hand into mine as my vision corrected. The blurriness of my tears subsided, and the picture in front of me slowly emerged. I was standing on a winding driveway that sat back in a forest of trees I didn’t know existed in San Diego. Birds were chirping, and the sun was shining. The smell of grass and nature filled my nostrils, and in front of me was the most beautiful home I had ever seen.
“Oh my gosh,” I said with a gasp.
“Welcome home,” Bryan said.
“When in the world did you build this?” I asked.
“Over the past four months. I had the company help me out,” he said. “And don’t worry, it’s furnished inside, complete with Little Johnny’s nursery, but not so furnished as to erase your touch.”
I was in awe of the home standing in front of me.
The massive home in front of me was a pale peach color. The wraparound porch and the shutters were white, lending a brightness to the home that made me smile. I slowly walked up to the porch as Bryan followed behind me, taking in the comfortable rocking chairs that looked out over the sprawling acres of land that were fenced in.
“How much of this land do we—?”
“Everything within the boundary of the fence is ours,” Bryan said.
I walked up the steps, my neck craned as I looked around. I held onto Bryan for stabilization, but I was anxious to get inside. I threw the front door open and was greeted with the most wonderful smell. Cinnamon and cardamom filled my nostrils, but it was the expanse of the home I enjoyed the most.
“This place is massive, Bryan.”
“Do you like it?” he asked.
I walked into the foyer and looked down at the cherry mahogany hardwood floors.
“Holy shit,” I said.
“Hailey, the baby,” Bryan said mockingly.
“Shut up.”
“I love you too,” he said.
Bryan followed me as I walked around the house. There was a massive kitchen that sat against the back of the house, with french double doors that led out to the porch. There was patio furniture, a fire pit, comfortable seating, and umbrellas to shade us from the sun. I ran my hand along the furniture, plush and velvety as my eyes scanned the walls. They were painted this beautiful grayish-blue color.
It reminded me of the color of blue lace.
“Want to see the upstairs?” Bryan asked.
He held out his hand for me, and I took it. The two of us ventured up the stairs with Bryan clinging tightly to Johnny’s car seat. The carpet that lined the staircase was plush underneath my toes, and I was thankful it was there.
“Johnny’s going to need all that cushion when he starts trying to climb these things,” I said.
“I’m glad you like it because that was my thought exactly,” he said.
We got to the top of the steps, and that was when Bryan took the lead. He led me to the right before we hit the first door. He threw it open and showed me the sprawling bathroom, but it was decorated in the colors of Johnny’s nursery.
“This is our little boy’s bathroom. I figured he would want one to himself once he got older,” Bryan said.
“The nursery. Wait, my painting on the nursery wall,” I said.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered,” he said.
“Bryan. How could you transplant walls into this house?” I asked.
“Trust me, okay?”
He led me out of the bathroom and down the hallway a little farther. There was a door at the end of it, which I assumed was Johnny’s room. But when Bryan threw open the door, I saw what he meant.
And my eyes settled on the most beautiful furniture I’d ever seen.
I walked into the room as my eyes scanned the walls. He had somehow taken my wall paintings and transposed them onto wallpaper. It covered the walls of Johnny’s nursery as the wooden furniture glistened in the sunlight pouring through the windows of his room. It was beautiful. A blond cedar wood that was sanded down, polished, and filled the room with a fresh, decadent scent.
“Oh, Bryan,” I said.
“Would you believe me if I told you this wasn’t the best part?” he asked.
“Not a chance,” I said.
“Come on. I’ve got one more surprise for you,” he said.
Looking at him as if he was insane, I took his outstretched hand. He led me back down the hallway, then took a sharp right, and started me down another one. He was headed for a door at the end of that hallway as well, and I figured he was taking us to see our bedroom. I worried about how far away we were from Little Johnny’s room, but I tried to keep my nerves under control. This house was gorgeous, and I could only imagine the time and effort and thought he put into the architectural design of this house.
But when he threw open the door to the room, tears poured down my cheeks.
“Oh. My. Gosh,” I said.
“Welcome to your new art studio,” Bryan said.
“And there’s a balcony?” I asked.
“Your own private view. It’s the best view the house has to offer. You can step out onto it, sit down, and see over the tops of the trees and into the outskirts of San Diego,” he said.
I walked into the room and headed straight for the doors. I threw them open, allowing the fresh air to barrel into the room. Shelving lined the walls. Shelving that held paints of all different shapes and sizes. Tubes of all sorts of colors with all sorts of mattes and glosses and contrasts. Mixing boards and multiple adjustable easels so paintings could dry while I worked on other ones. There was a desk with a comfortable chair for me to sit at and sketch. There was a brand-new laptop with a small speaker system hooked up and sitting on the corner of the desk.
“I figured this spot could double as a workspace if you needed to work on the weekends,” Bryan said. “That laptop is hooked up to your system at work. You can log in from here and access all the information you have on that computer there. As well as the security cameras.”
“Security cameras?” I asked.
“That’s one of the things I’m making Drew do. After he’s done patching up the place, he’s putting in two security cameras you can monitor from here. One above the doorway and one perched in the corner that covers most of the gallery space,” he said.
I was speechless.
Just speechless.
I turned toward Bryan as tears leaked down my face. He walked toward me, wrapping his arm around my waist just as Little Johnny began to stir. He pulled me to his lips as his tongue pushed through, kissing me with a passion that took my breath away. My hands flew to his hair and gripped him tightly. I could feel the heat of him rising up the backs of my legs. He held me closer than I could ever remember, and soon, his lips were drifting down my neck.
“I don’t think my body’s quite ready for this,” I said.
Bryan smirked into my shoulder as he pulled away. And not a moment too soon because Little Johnny started crying.
“I think someone’s hungry,” I said.
“Well, why don’t you break-in your chair out on your balcony?” Bryan asked. “You could wrap Johnny up in a blanket and have your privacy while enjoying the view.”
I shook my head in astonishment before I leaned up to his lips and kissed him again.
“Plus, it’ll give you that alone time. Anna and my parents are picking up the last of the boxes from our old home and bringing them here. So there will be some commotion. But you’ll be protected from it back here,” he said.
“I just have one question,” I said.