He maneuvered it for a moment until, on the screen, came the small image of her baby.

The doctor turned on the volume and she heard the rapid heartbeat. Tears streamed from her eyes. This was the most precious and wonderful moment in her life.

“The baby looks good. We don’t usually look this early, but sometimes moms can bat their eyes just right.”

“You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you.”

She let the tears continue to stream down her face. The doctor took measurements and made different angle pictures that were then filed digitally. At the end, he printed a picture which showed the baby’s outline. Though it wasn’t much more than a bubble it was hers and Chris’s bubble. This was the most beautiful baby Victoria had ever seen.

“Here you go. A keepsake.” He handed her the picture. “Do you have any questions?”

“When will I stop being sick?”

He patted her shoulder. “You should see that subside very soon. You’re almost through your first trimester. Just take it easy.”

She nodded and gazed back down at the picture in her hand as the doctor left the room. “Hello, baby.” She ran her fingers over the image. “I love you so much.”

~*~

Christian had taken the day off. The baseball field would manage one day without him. He had things to do.

Comments had been made by Tori the night before insinuating that she planned to get back home from running errands by about four. He planned to be in the house by three.

Knowing the kids would be at Sonia’s, he decided to start his day there.

Sonia’s expression when she opened the door wasn’t necessarily one of excitement.

“Chris, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to the kids.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “Tori isn’t here. I don’t know…”

He stepped up until he was right inside the screen door she held open. “I love her, Sonia. I’m not going to hurt her again. I want to marry her. I bought her a ring. Now I want to tell the kids about it. I want to make sure they are okay with it.”

Her eyes went moist and he knew he’d pulled the right strings. “It has been a long year hating you. You were always good for her.”

“I was wrong to do what I did.”

“You were hurting.”

“Yeah, well it clouded my better judgment. I’m not going to let that happen again.”

Sonia chewed on her lip. “You’re sure you’re okay with the kids and everything going on in her life?”

Christian played what she was saying over in his head. She didn’t actually say anything about the baby, so he wouldn’t either. “I’m ready for anything.”

Sonia stepped back and let him into the house.

When the kids saw him they ran to him, their arms open and then wrapped around him.

“Can I talk to you two?”

They each took one of his hands and they walked out to the living room. Christian sat the kids on the couch and knelt down in front of them.

“I want to ask you two a question. First of all, I want to tell you that your daddy was my very best friend. And when you were born, he asked me to take care of you. And I want to do that. I also want you to know I love your Aunt Tori.”

Sam look unenthused, but there was a giant smile on Ali’s mouth.

“I want to ask her to marry me and then we would all be a family—forever.”

Ali clapped her hands together and Sam watched. Then he clapped his hands together.

“I want to know if you two would be okay with that?”

“Yes!” they both answered.

“And would it be okay if someday we had a baby or two? Would you be okay if more babies lived in our house?”

“Can I hold them?” Ali said enthusiastically.

“Of course. Someday, okay?”

She nodded.

“Okay. Now I want to show you something.” He pulled the ring from his pocket and showed it to them. “I want to give this to Aunt Tori. Do you think she’ll like it?”

“Yes. I like it! She will like it. Can I have one?”

He laughed and he could hear Sonia, just beyond the wall, laugh too.

“You want a ring? I’ll buy you a ring. What about you, Sam? What do you want?”

“Baseball!”

Oh, this one was a kid after his own heart.

“Okay then.” He pulled them into his arms and kissed each of them on the cheek. “You two stay with Sonia this evening and I’ll give her the ring and see if she’ll marry me.”

As he left the house he wondered if he should have taken them with him. He still wasn’t sure Tori was going to want to spend her life with him. He had a lot of making up to do for the year he’d let her take on the world alone.

Chapter Twenty-One

Christian arrived before she had. There were flowers on the table. Two champagne glasses next to the flowers and a bottle of sparkling cider, ready for celebration. Next to the glasses he’d displayed the ring.

If they made it to dinner then he would call in a favor at the restaurant a buddy owned.

It was nearing four o’clock. He looked at his watch nearly every minute, but she hadn’t walked in the door yet and he was growing more nervous by the moment.

He was taken by surprise when the doorbell rang. He walked through the house and pulled open the door.

Scott stood on the front porch with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He was dressed in a fancy suit and his expensive sunglasses begged to be broken into a million pieces.

“Oh, hi,” he said as if he were surprised to find Christian standing in the doorway. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. I wanted to talk to Victoria.”

Christian bit down hard. “Tori isn’t here. Why would you want to talk to her? I think the statutes of limitations on the apology you owe her has passed.” He would have kept his tone kinder, but he couldn’t find it in him to do so.

“I beg your pardon? What about you? What about the way you left her to deal with everything she had to deal with? You think she’s got a better situation with you?”

Christian moved toward the man who had him by at least three inches in height and a solid build. But he’d push him into the street if he had to.

“Scott!” Victoria’s voice came from the steps behind Scott. “What are you doing here?”