Love

TANNER*

We all opted to retreat to mine and Kaysen's home after church. Ethan and his wife were there and had provided a fantastic feast for all of us and had made mini homemade pizzas for all of the children. Ethan and his wife started working here two weeks ago after I had gone back to work, and they have both been an enormous help to Kaysen and me.

"Blaze, I won't be in the office tomorrow. I know Mondays are hectic; I'll stop by the office and work from home tomorrow night to make up my work. Kaysen and I have something important to take care of tomorrow, and we can't put it off," I said after I had pulled Blaze into my office.

"Kaysen is pregnant, isn't she? You guys have been acting weird for quite some time now. One time was when we had the housewarming party, and you wouldn't let her lift anything and kept on insisting for her to sit down and chill out," Blaze said as we walked and sat down in some chairs I have in my office.

"I can't confirm or deny that information right now," I said, and Blaze nodded his head.

"Well, ok then, I'm alright with you being out of the office tomorrow if you can get caught up on all of your paperwork. How are things going with you and Kaysen?" Blaze asked.

"Mind-blowingly fantastic. I'm going to ask Kaysen to marry me tomorrow," I said and smiled widely.

"I never thought a woman would ever grab your heart, Tanner; I'm happy for you. When you know you know, I've seen the way you both look at each other, and it's easy to see how much you and Kaysen love each other. Take care of her, man, and if you ever feel yourself slipping, you come to me, and I'll talk you down. You and Kaysen both deserve love and happiness," Blaze said.

"Not this time; I love Kaysen with all of my being. I can't be away from her longer than a day's work worth," I said as Blaze, and I got up and made our way to the door.

"That's what happens when you meet your soulmate. A magnet brings you together, and then you can't seem to part from them," Blaze said as he patted me on the back.

"Every time Kaysen and I make love; it's like it's the first time. I can't get enough of her; each time is better than the last," I said.

"Take it from someone who has been married for three years; that feeling never changes. Your love continues to grow stronger with each passing day. Sometimes your heart feels like it's going to burst. You and Kaysen will get into arguments now and then, and that's fine because make-up sex is phenomenal," Blaze said, and I opened the door, and we made our way back to the living room where all the kids were running around and screaming.

"Alright, kids, it's past nap time, let's let Kaysen and Tanner get some rest," Blaze yelled over all of the kids, and they all stopped in their tracks. Vega and Lyra looked relieved that Blaze and I had returned. Jace had been the one that was trying to get them all to calm down on his own. It was a hilarious sight for sure.

***

I took Cora to school and drove to the clinic first before going to the house to pick up Kaysen. I had gone and picked up Kaysen's ring two weeks ago after I had gotten off from work and had been waiting for the perfect time to propose to Kaysen.

I knew that today we would be seeing our babies again, and I felt there would be no better time than then. After talking to a couple of nurses, everything was set up perfectly.

***

When our babies showed up on the screen and Dr. Ryan announced that we could now tell people, my heart rate skyrocketed.

Dr. Ryan handed me the ultrasound images, and I knew now was a perfect time. I watched Dr. Ryan walk out of the room. I glanced back at the door to ensure the nurse was there with my phone. I smiled at Kaysen and retrieved the ring from my pocket. Kaysen looked at me with a questioning look on her face which was adorable.

"Kaysen, I love you with every beat of my heart. You have saved me in every way possible. Would you make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife," I said as I placed the ring on her finger.

"Tanner, my goodness, what took you so long! Yes, of course, I'll marry you," Kaysen cried excitedly, and I bent down to kiss her.

The nurse at the door made room for the other nurse I had talked to, that walked into the room with a dozen roses I had asked her to bring into Kaysen.

"You have thought of everything; this is all so perfect. Thank you, Tanner," Kaysen said as I took the roses from the nurse and handed them to Kaysen. Kaysen barrier her nose into the roses and got a blissful look on her face.

"Anything for the love of my life, I love you, baby," I said as I kissed her.

I looked over and saw that two nurses had become four as they all watched in the doorway.

"Thank you for taping that for me; I'm sorry to have kept you from your job so long," I said, and Carol brought my phone over to me.

"I have never seen anything so romantic in my life; congratulations, you two," Carol said as she handed me my phone.

***

Kaysen enjoyed the luxurious steak lunch I took her to after leaving the clinic. We ate in blissful silence as we listened to the soft coffee house music that played in the background. Kaysen glanced at her ring from time to time and then grinned widely at me each time. It was the most fantastic feeling knowing that soon she would be my wife.

After we left the restaurant, Kaysen and I went for a stroll in the park and then snacked on the cheese and crackers I had packed up earlier that morning before taking Cora to school.

"Thank you so much for this beautiful day, Tanner; I love you so much," Kaysen said as she placed her lips to mine.

"I love you more than words can say, baby," I said as we made our way back to the car.

"It's time to pick Cora up from school; I think it's time we tell her that she is going to be a big sister, don't you think. She will be excited to know that we will be getting married as well, don't you think?" Kaysen said as she sat in the car.

"Will you allow me to adopt Cora after we have married?" I asked Kaysen as I started the car.

Kaysen's eyes grew wide, and she didn't give me a reply, so I changed the subject; that will have to be a discussion for another time.

"Yes, I think now is the perfect time to tell Cora," I said, and we drove in silence to pick up Cora from school.

"I'm sorry, Tanner, you are perfect with Cora. Just give me a little time to think. I think someday, yes, I will let you adopt Cora. I need a little bit of time; I hope that doesn't upset you," Kaysen said once we had arrived at the school.

Just because Kaysen will think about me adopting Cora makes me so happy. I wish I could have met Kaysen sooner not to have missed the first two years of Cora's life.

"I understand, baby, know that I think of Cora as my own. No matter what happens, I will treat her as such. As far as I'm concerned, Cora is my daughter," I said as I retreated from the car and walked over to get Kaysen.

"That means so much to me, Tanner. I know that Cora thinks of you as her father," Kaysen said as she kissed me.

Writer's Note

Hello everyone! Feel free to👍and comment at any time❤️ Lots of love Sapphirian J.