Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Aidan takes care of me in ways I never knew I craved, and instead of making me feel weak or silly for loving it, he makes me feel strong. I know I can do things on my own—I did for years after all—but I don’t have to anymore. Buying me pretty dresses or picking up a new flavor of ice cream every time we go grocery shopping makes him happy just as it does me. He’s a caretaker at heart, in his profession as well as in life.
Hopefully, soon, he’ll have someone else to take care of too. Butterflies tumble around my stomach when I think about it. My appointment to get my implant taken out is next week and…I don’t think I’m going to get a new one in.
After all, we have a home big enough for more love, and I’ve always wanted a family of my own. I’ve never really let myself linger on that want before, but Aidan has opened up a whole new world to me. Plus, he’ll be the best dad ever. The idea of him holding a mini version of us, a little boy who looks just like his daddy, is just too freaking cute.
I jump out of my thoughts as Janey calls over a sales assistant, asking her to find the heels in a size seven. I frown, furrowing my brows at her.
“You’re an eight,” I remind her, wondering if all this shopping has warped her brain. Janey’s smart as they come, but the girl loves retail therapy more than I do. She hasn’t stopped smiling all day, dragging me from shop to shop, insisting we can’t go home yet because we haven’t seen everything we need to see.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a great time with her, but I miss Aidan. It is my birthday after all, and I want to spend it with the person I love the most.
“But you’re not,” Janey says back, one brow raised at me like I’m the one who’s being stupid here.
Admittedly, it takes me a moment to catch on. “I don’t need them,” I insist.
“But you like them, right? You want them?” Janey confirms as the sales assistant returns with a shoe box.
I cave. “Yeah, they’re gorgeous.”
“Call it a birthday gift,” Janey says with a flourish, grabbing her bags and following the sales girl to the counter. My eyes bug out of my head when I see the price, but Janey just swipes her card and shoots me a look that I know means no arguing.
As we leave the shop, the new bag added to my pile, I smile at my friend. “Thank you, Janey. I do love them.”
“Good. Now, we’re making a pit stop at mine to get dressed.”
“What? Why?”
Her apartment is a street away from mine, and I don’t understand why we’re bothering to stop and get changed there instead of just going home. Correction, I don’t understand why we need to stop and get changed at all.
Before I can ask any more questions, though, Janey cuts in. “Just trust me, okay?”
Curious as much as I’m confused, I nod. I do trust her, so I bite my tongue and follow her to her apartment.
Half an hour later, we’re dressed in our new finds and nearly back at my apartment. Janey in a skin-tight navy blue dress that highlights her sleek body and patent tan heels on her feet. I’m in a sparkly mini-dress that matches my new heels, and I let Janey pin my hair up in a pretty, deliberately messy updo. I feel…good. All Aidan’s insistent compliments must be finally getting through because as I catch my reflection in the elevator while riding up to my floor, I smile at myself. Sparkling and smiling, I begin to believe Aidan’s right when he tells me I’m beautiful.
The elevator dings as it stops at my floor, and I fumble through my armfuls of bags to find my purse and grab my keys. We make our way to my door, heels clicking, and I quickly unlock and swing it open, propping it with my hip as we wrestle our bags inside.
“SURPRISE!”
The bags fall from my hands in a crash as I jump, my heart leaping into my throat. Oh my God! The shout comes from a group of people in my living room, people who definitely weren’t here when I left. Not just any people, I realize as I take in the scene, seeing my parents’ faces amongst my friends, noting a few of Aidan’s closest friends and family too.
Pink and gold streamers hang from the doorways, and two big balloons are floating against the back wall, two twos for my age. A banner reading Happy Birthday, Autumn! hang along the same wall, a table with snacks and drinks set out beneath it.
Aidan’s standing in front of the crowd, a huge grin on his handsome face. My heart is doing backflips in my chest. My eyes sting with happy tears, and my throat chokes up with amazement and gratitude. He’s thrown me a surprise party.