"What?" I whispered, sensing the importance of the words he was about to say.
He tipped my face up to his. "We're married, and there will be times when we disagree or fight, or even question the other. There will be times when loving you brings up every fear inside me. But my vow is this: no matter what happens, I will never leave the room until we've worked through it." His eyes moved over my face, his expression gentle and vulnerable. "And by that, I mean I won't draw away inside myself either. I'll stay present until we've solved the issue between us, no matter how long it takes. I don't want you ever to worry I'll push you away again. I vow that to you with my whole heart."
I felt a deep ache of tenderness as I nodded up at him. "I vow the same."
He smiled gently. "And sometimes we'll meet halfway, but other times, I'll come to you. And I'll try my very best to put my pride aside so I know when I need to be the one to do that."
"Me too," I whispered, tears flooding my eyes. He leaned forward and kissed my eyelids, causing the tears to flow down my cheeks. He kissed my tears away and then pulled me closer against him, nuzzling his face into my hair.
And these vows, made in private whispers in the dim light of the moon streaming through our bedroom window, felt sacred and real, for these vows were based on truth and love.
EPILOGUE
Eight Years Later
Grayson
"What exactly are you doing, little sprite?" I asked, staring down at the seven-year-old girl crawling through the grass. Her head popped up, cascades of auburn hair falling down her back, deep brown eyes blinking up at me.
"I'm pretending to be a caterpillar," she answered.
"Ah," I said, holding back the smile that tugged at my lips. "Yesterday you were a daisy, and today you're a caterpillar."
She came up on her knees, putting her hands on her small hips. "Grandpa Walter says you can't truly understand someone else unless you see the world through their eyes."
"Does he now?" That sounded just like Walter, the man who had taught me everything I knew about being a good father. "Well, I don't know if he was referring to daisies and caterpillars."
"But they're my favorite!" she insisted. "I want to understand them most of all!"
I chuckled. "And what have you discovered so far?"
"Well, daisies look up at the sky all day and watch it change. They must think the world is a very pretty place. Caterpillars just look at the ground." She frowned. "Caterpillars must be very disappointed with the world."
I laughed, picking her up in my arms and smiling into her serious little face. "You know what I see? A pretty little girl with a very compassionate heart. Now, where's your little sister? I have something to tell the both of you."
"She's playing dress-up in the cottage. Daddy, did you put another baby inside Mommy?"
My eyes widened and I paused. "How did you know that?"
"You had that same look on your face when you told me you'd put Celia in mommy's tummy."
"What look is that exactly?"
She scratched her arm, her expression contemplative. "I don't know. Kind of like how Sugie looks when she catches a stick."
I laughed out loud, picturing the mostly proud, but slightly shocked look on Sugie's face when she accomplished something she found brilliant. "Well, you're right. And, guess what? It's another sister."
"Another sister?" Her face broke out in a grin, showcasing her missing tooth, and the endearing dimple she'd inherited from her mother. "That's a lot of girls, Daddy."
I grinned. "Yup." Happiness flowed through my heart. It didn't seem that life could hold any more joy than it did right now, and yet somehow, every day it grew just a little bit more. All because of a girl who once bravely walked into my office and proposed marriage. All because I'd finally had the courage to surrender to my sweet little witch and in return, she'd given me a houseful of spirited girls who climbed trees, pretended to be caterpillars, sassed me back on occasion, put me in my place very regularly, reminded me often I was definitely not the ruler in my own home, and generally drove me to distraction.
I set Isabelle down and we entered the small cottage where, once upon a time, a very beautiful witch had lived, and found four-year-old Celia outfitted as a princess, sipping tea at the miniature table in the front room. Several years ago, we'd had the cottage cleaned, updated, and turned into a playhouse for our girls.
"We're going to have another sister!" Belle shouted.
Celia's plastic cup stopped halfway to her mouth and her eyes grew wide. "Another sister," she said, jumping to her feet. She wobbled toward me on plastic heels and threw herself into my arms as I bent to catch her. "Thank you, Daddy. I wished for a little sister."
I smiled into her beautiful heart-shaped face, her green eyes bright with happiness and the slight bit of mischief they always held. "It's my job you know, to make all your wishes come true."
Her expression turned thoughtful as she twirled a lock of her dark hair. "Can I have a pony then?"
I used my index finger to bop her on her nose. "And," I qualified, "not to spoil you rotten."
"Hmm," she grumped, but I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. She was already plotting a way to get that pony.
I laughed and the three of us went up to the main house where Charlotte was in the kitchen. I took a deep inhale, the air fragrant with a sweet, lemony scent.