In This Life
Page 54
Nash’s smile lit up his face. “That’s fantastic, Kat.”
I bit my lip. “You don’t think I’m a fool for abandoning my accounting career?”
“No. I think you’re following your dreams.”
Nash had been supportive ever since I brought up the idea of enrolling in Hawk Valley College to finally finish my philosophy degree. When I was a kid I would have balked in horror at the concept of attending the tiny liberal arts college right here in my hometown. Frankly, I would have balked at the idea that I’d end up in Hawk Valley at all. It was funny how things turned out. Life was full of surprises.
Just like how once upon a time Nash Ryan had been an object of my fantasies. Unattainable. A dream.
I held out my left hand so that the sunlight caught the diamond on my fourth finger. “I think I have followed my dreams, Nash Ryan.”
He picked up my hand and kissed it. “We still need to set a date.”
“Any date will do. I’d marry you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow it is.”
“Actually,” I said, “I was thinking about Valentine’s Day. It’ll be too cold for an outdoor ceremony but I was thinking maybe we could have it here at the inn. We were planning on a small wedding anyway and I noticed they have a good sized party room.”
Nash liked the idea. “I’ll make it happen. Before you change your mind.”
I rolled my eyes. “As if that’s a possibility.” I nudged him. “You’re stuck with me now. We’re a family.”
Nash stared into my eyes and I felt the electricity crackle between us.
Then Colin face planted into the flowers and Emma shrieked. Nash was up like a shot.
“I got him,” he said and ran over to rescue Colin from the flowers.
Nash picked him up and Colin’s face was red and crumpled, as if he was still deciding whether or not this event was worth a few tears. Nash brushed some flower petals out of his hair and spun him around. Colin forgot his tears and let out a scream of laughter.
“Me too!” Emma begged, holding her arms up. “Spin me too!”
Nash picked her up in his other arm and spun them both around and around while the children howled with delight.
“Mommy,” my daughter called to me, laughing. “Take a picture. Don’t you see us?”
“We’re a family.”
Families are beautiful. They are always intricate and unique. They are created in different ways by different events for different reasons. Yet all are cemented together with one precious and irreplaceable thing.
Love.
And there’s nothing more valuable.
Not in this life.
“I see you,” I called back and lifted my phone to capture the priceless image.
THE EN
I bit my lip. “You don’t think I’m a fool for abandoning my accounting career?”
“No. I think you’re following your dreams.”
Nash had been supportive ever since I brought up the idea of enrolling in Hawk Valley College to finally finish my philosophy degree. When I was a kid I would have balked in horror at the concept of attending the tiny liberal arts college right here in my hometown. Frankly, I would have balked at the idea that I’d end up in Hawk Valley at all. It was funny how things turned out. Life was full of surprises.
Just like how once upon a time Nash Ryan had been an object of my fantasies. Unattainable. A dream.
I held out my left hand so that the sunlight caught the diamond on my fourth finger. “I think I have followed my dreams, Nash Ryan.”
He picked up my hand and kissed it. “We still need to set a date.”
“Any date will do. I’d marry you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow it is.”
“Actually,” I said, “I was thinking about Valentine’s Day. It’ll be too cold for an outdoor ceremony but I was thinking maybe we could have it here at the inn. We were planning on a small wedding anyway and I noticed they have a good sized party room.”
Nash liked the idea. “I’ll make it happen. Before you change your mind.”
I rolled my eyes. “As if that’s a possibility.” I nudged him. “You’re stuck with me now. We’re a family.”
Nash stared into my eyes and I felt the electricity crackle between us.
Then Colin face planted into the flowers and Emma shrieked. Nash was up like a shot.
“I got him,” he said and ran over to rescue Colin from the flowers.
Nash picked him up and Colin’s face was red and crumpled, as if he was still deciding whether or not this event was worth a few tears. Nash brushed some flower petals out of his hair and spun him around. Colin forgot his tears and let out a scream of laughter.
“Me too!” Emma begged, holding her arms up. “Spin me too!”
Nash picked her up in his other arm and spun them both around and around while the children howled with delight.
“Mommy,” my daughter called to me, laughing. “Take a picture. Don’t you see us?”
“We’re a family.”
Families are beautiful. They are always intricate and unique. They are created in different ways by different events for different reasons. Yet all are cemented together with one precious and irreplaceable thing.
Love.
And there’s nothing more valuable.
Not in this life.
“I see you,” I called back and lifted my phone to capture the priceless image.
THE EN
