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She turned just as he got down on his knee

"What would that--"

Instantly her brows pinched, and her botto out the ring he’d bought earlier that week

"Make my life co out to her "Please?"

Bringing her hand over her quivering lip, she nodded Abel slipped the ring on her finger and stood, i her in his arms Life had never felt sweeter than at thatmore than to be your wife, Abel, but"

Abel pulled away slowly to look at her Everything had felt so perfect until that last word "But what?" he asked, searching her worried eyes

"It’s one thing for us to ether"

Her anxious eyes werehim anxious too But what, damn it?

"Marriage is a whole other challenge than just living together, a challenge I’ve already failed lanced away and took a breath "I don’t want you thinking we have to get nant"

"You can’t be serious" His brows caether, and he stared at her very intensely "First of all, you didn’t fail at anything That idiot ex-husband of yours failed to see what he had I knohat I have, and let e Maybe that’s what uy But I have every intention ofBaby" He softened up what he was sure was too hard of an expression because he wanted to make that anxiousness he still saw in her eyes disappear He wanted her to look as happy as she made him "I already feel like the luckiest onna be a greedy bastard because I want ave way to a s you to nant, Nell I’d wanted this before I even knew you were pregnant When you didn’t show up at ht at the tioal in my life, and I was now the champWhen I couldn’t find youWhen that doctor said there was a possibility youe Without you in my life, none of that matters I need you, baby I need you todown her beautiful face, she wrapped her arms around his neck "I need you too"

He wrapped his arhtly "My beautiful Nellie," he whispered against her ear "I love you so hter "I’m the luckiest woue

Two false alarh Nellie wasn’t about to mention her contractions this tiether A third trip to the eain, would be e e Abel would be worried about He was already so anxious, and oneher out the door immediately as he had the first two times

Nellie was anxious too But unlike Abel, she had more than one reason She hadn’t nancy There were no complications at all, and the baby was, as far as the doctors could tell, perfectly healthy But there was still a tiny piece of her heart that feared that ed so more than excited about this baby’s arrival, but it was hard to silence that fear completely

Not only did she not want to eency rooement party Nellie wanted Abel to be there for his brother Earlier that week, she’d been disappointed that perhaps he’d ht still be in the hospital She was glad now that Hector had siettingCharlee Hector’s as merely a formality because Charlee had o

Abel had ness to accept things that years ago she wouldn’t have been okay with He didn’t say it and Nellie didn’t tell hi in with Hector even before they wereNellie so quickly

Roni had explained her theory, which made sense to Nellie Like Roni had been when all the boys of 5th Street came into her life, Caro wasfamily than she was about old-fashioned traditions and beliefs

Nellie hadand a better part of the afternoon without letting on to anyone that she was experiencing the strongest contractions she’d had all week But they were still very erratic At one point, they’d stopped all together, so it’d been a good thing she hadn’t said anything

Now she sat at a table with Roni and Bianca as they watched Hector and Charlee welcouests The party was supposed to have been an intimate one, but Caro had invited a few inally planned