Page 48 of The Air I Breathe

"Not in public, ever." I'm quick to answer. "When that happens, it's going to be just the two of us. I don't want that to be something that everyone else is involved in. We've got to have something for ourselves."

"Okay, good." He sighs. "I have an announcement to make."

CeCe leans over him. "We have an announcement to make."

"Congratulations!" I whisper to them so that our parents, who are driving, don't hear. "You don't have to worry about me upstaging."

"It wasn't about that," Bret is quick to say. "I hope you know..."

"I do. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm excited as fuck for y'all. No better people than the two of you."

I glance out the window thinking about when this might be me and Willa. I know it probably won't be for a couple of years at least, but I'm excited about the direction our lives will be taking. As we pull into the underground parking garage, I prepare myself for the next few hours, and pray like hell I don't lose my nerve.

Conner laughs as Willa threatens to take me off his fantasy football team if he doesn't leave her alone.

"I wouldn't fuck with her, man. She usually means what she says," I warn him.

"Oh, I know." He slings his arm around her neck. "But she's also a lot of bark and not much bite."

She smacks him on the head. "You're about to feel my bite if you don't get out of here so I can finish following these instructions and hope I have cookies when I'm done."

He scrambles out of the room, and I turn to take her in my arms. "It's okay that you can't cook well. You're good at so many other things," I whisper, dropping my eyebrows in a suggestive gaze.

"I know." She sighs. "But I promised my mom I'd try and make something. No one is going to eat these." She rolls her eyes and whines like I've never heard her do before.

"I'll eat them and love it."

She laughs, throwing her head back. "You're really a glutton for punishment, Blake. You can't be this perfect."

"Not perfect at all. Just perfect for you."

Presents have been opened, and we're sitting down to dinner. I even choked down one of those cookies with a smile on my face. Food is piled high. Those of us who can are drinking, and all of us are laughing as there are numerous conversations going on around the table.

In the middle of it, I realize that this is what I've always wanted. I might not have been able to put it into words or actions, but this is it. The woman I love at my side and her family, my family, all turned into ours.

Bret stands, clearing his throat. "I wanted to take a minute to share some news with you all before we share it with the world at large." CeCe stands next to him, and Jovi giggles as she watches her parents.

"We're pregnant!" CeCe blurts out, much the way she did when she told us about Jovi.

Everyone cheers, including Jovi, although I don't think she understands much of what's going on. As I glance around the table, I hope that with any luck this is what holidays will look like from now on.

Chapter Forty-Two

Willa

It's been a long but great day, being with family, and realizing that I can have some normalcy even when I've been in one of the most crazy years of my life. I've washed my face, taken my shower, shampooed and conditioned my hair…It's one of those nights.

Blake is sitting on the bed with his back against the headboard, messing around on his phone. I come in, towel-drying my hair. When he glances up, I give him a soft smile. "Today was one of the best days. Thank you so much for helping me have it."

He grins back. "It was one of the best days for me too. Thank you for the gift."

"You're welcome. It's supposed to be super cold in January, and I want you to be warm.” I explain as I push my hair back behind my ears. "All the dancers said they were the best for super-cold runs and things of that nature. I hope it helps in your future games." I mention the super high-tech cold-weather garments I got for him to wear under his uniform.

I'd felt stupid asking people what I should get my boyfriend for Christmas. He has everything he could ever think of to buy himself, and I wanted to get something thoughtful.

"I've wanted something like it for a long time, but I just haven't been able to get to it. That you would ask people about what would be helpful for me means more than you know. No one else has ever done that. You're one of the most special people in the world to me." he says softly, patting the bed next to him.

I walk over to where he keeps some of his clothes while he's here and put on one of his shirts.