My body is awakened from its slumber when I feel Rian kissing all over my neck and the sensitive skin behind my ear. I smile to myself, and when I finally open my eyes I see the gorgeous ring shining.

My smile spreads from ear to ear as I continue to stare at the amazing diamond on my finger, and all of yesterday continues to replay itself over and over again in my head. It was almost like we were in a movie with the large and romantic soliloquies that would make the teenage girls swoon uncontrollably.

I'm going to be Rian Peterson's wife.

He's going to be my husband.

The fact that I'm going to be a mother and a wife very soon paralyzes me with a good kind of shock. When he got down on his knee, I automatically knew that I would say yes, but the temporary disbelief was what delayed my reply.

I'm giddy as I already begin to imagine what our wedding will look like and who will show up to it. I can already see myself walking down the aisle, and staring Rian in the eyes. Every girl has always fantasized about how their life would be after high school, and I'm extremely lucky to think about what will be my life.

Xiu is going off to one of the best colleges in New York to pursue her dreams.

Savannah recently got a new apartment and is going to start fresh.

And I'm going to be a mother to a little boy or girl, and the wife of the man who genuinely loves me for who I am.

I couldn't have asked for anything else.

I slowly sit up, holding onto my stomach as my back is resting against the headboard. Rian intently gazes at me before caressing my stomach.

"What made you propose to me?" I suddenly blurt out, and Rian looks appalled.

"Why wouldn't I? Wait, you're not having any doubts about this, are you?" Rian asks, and I instantly shake my head.

Why would I doubt you?

"No, not at all! It's just—, I want to know what made you decide to propose." I curiously ask, and he does a sigh of relief.

"I love you, Alexandrianna. I proposed because no other woman has made me feel this way or love this hard. It's ineffable to describe what you do to me, and I wanted it to be even more official that you're mine, and only mine." Rian explains, and my chest feels warm as his smile continues to grow.

"A year ago, I never would've imagined that this would be my future. Engaged, a mom to be. But now that I have it, I wouldn't want anything else."

Rian wraps his hand around the nape of my neck, pulling me down to kiss him. He lazily kisses me, and he lets out a low moan against my lips. We go in for another kiss, but we just smirk at each other for a while.

"You know that I love you, right?" Rian asks, and my smirk turns into a wide smile.

The memories of New Years Eve flash in my head, and when I kiss him again it's like I can hear our voices echoing.

"You know that I love you, right?"

"Of course, Rian. I love you, too."

"I won't hurt you, I promise. You have my word."

Rian really meant that when he said it, and I meant everything I said. That's the thing that I probably craved the most, because after Austin, I smartened up and realized that the feelings and trust and honesty should all be reciprocated, not one-sided.

That's what messed me up so much after he ended the relationship.

I was so afraid that once again I'd be the only one who would be committed and giving my all. Relationships require effort from both people, not just one, otherwise it isn't really a relationship at all.

I wish that my younger self knew that and wasn't so naïve, because I would've saved myself a bunch of time and my emotions wouldn't have been all over the place.

That's one of the many reasons why I love Rian. He isn't afraid to love me and be honest and trustworthy.

"I love you, too. You mean so much to me, and you've really made me realize a lot of things. Not only have you healed me, but you've matured me, too." I say, and he smiles.

Rian stands up, and I smirk as I get a nice view of his butt before he slips on his red boxer briefs. I reach over, giving him a quick smack on the butt, and he jumps before turning around so that I can't do it again.

"Hey!" Rian exclaims, and his cheeks are almost the color of his underwear.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't control myself." I purr, and I give him a wink.

Rian's bright smile spreads across his face, his teeth are perfectly white and straight. He runs his fingers through his hair, and my cheeks warm up as I watch him. His jaw looks sharper than normal, which isn't the only observation as I continue to stare at his face, and his lips look fuller.

"Me either." He replies, and my breathing shakes as he does that signature smolder.

Rian stares at me like a wolf surveying its prey. Hungry and esuriently, like he's itching to have me before I can get away.

I move the blanket from my body, standing up so that I can walk over to him. My long hair flows as I sashay to where he is, and he bites his lip once we're face to face.

My eyes carefully inspect him, and he really is like a wolf that's desperate for food. All control is draining itself from his body, and he's ready to pounce and claim the prey as his.

Come and get me if you want me so bad.

Rian grabs me by the waist, turning me around and pinning me against the wall. His large hands rest on my back as we kiss. My body instinctively reacts to the touch of his hand, my back arching and my skin heats up. He moans into my mouth, causing me to smile before I capture his lip between my teeth.

I feel a slight jolt in my stomach, and I stop kissing him when I feel it again. The muscles deep in my stomach twitch, and I smile to myself.

The baby's kicking.

I grab Rian's hand, and I place it on my stomach, waiting for the baby to kick again. Once the familiar feeling comes back, Rian's jaw drops and he begins to smile at me.

"The baby's kicking!" He exclaims, and we both begin to laugh joyfully.

I feel it again, and I gasp before laughing again. It becomes even more real that we're going to be parents, and I know that the next few months are going to fly by and it's going to be time for us to welcome this baby into the world.

"It's kicking!" I squeal excitedly, and Rian kisses me again.

The twinkle in his eyes makes them look even brighter than normal. Rian's effervescence makes me even more happy, and my cheeks begin to hurt because I'm smiling so much.

I definitely couldn't ask for anything else.

After holding his hand there for a few more seconds, he removes it and kisses me again. Rian goes downstairs, and I follow him. I stand beside him and turn on the stove as he takes out the pan to fry the eggs in.

"You want me to make the eggs?" I ask while looking in the fridge for the fruit.

"No, I got it babe."

Instead of grabbing the fruit, I take out a package of sausage and begin to chop it up.

"Baby, just relax. I got it." Rian insists, and I roll my eyes.

"Baby, I'm pregnant not disabled. I'm pretty sure I can cook." I jokingly say, and he gives me puppy dog eyes.

"Please, just relax. For me?" Rian begs, and I smile before kissing his cheek.

"Only because you asked so politely." I softly say into his ear, and he smiles.

I walk over to the couch, sitting next to Bruno. My phone vibrates, and I see Vanessa's name on my screen.

Vanessa: Good morning!

Alex: Good morning Vanessa!

Vanessa: How was the anniversary? Did Rian have anything planned?

Alex: We went to the beach for a picnic, and then had a romantic walk along the shore while watching the sunset! Your brother is a true romantic.

Vanessa: Aww, I'm swooning! So happy for you guys. Did anything else happen?

I take a quick picture of my ring, and I send it to her. I start giggling once I see her reply.

Vanessa: NO WAY!! HE ASKED?!

Alex: I'm going to be your sister in law!

Vanessa: Congratulations!

Alex: But don't tell your mom! When I come to visit I'll tell her.

Vanessa: My lips are sealed.

Rian soon brings over the food, and I put my phone down and we begin to eat in silence. I can feel his eyes on my face as I continue to scarf down the breakfast.

"I'm going to start buying the baby stuff once we find out the gender in a couple of weeks." Rian announces, and I smile.

"And I'll start thinking of suggestions for our wedding." I smirk, and he grins.

"It's going to be pretty hectic for the next few months." Rian sighs, and I nod my head in agreement.

"I know, but we can do this together."

"I know we can." Rian whispers, and he kisses my forehead.

"I know that when we tell your mom she's going to go crazy." I giggle.

"I know right? But hey, she needs some more good news." Rian says, and I can tell that he's thinking about his father.

"Have you spoke with her recently?" I ask, and he nods.

"Whenever it's my lunch break at the hospital, I'll call her. I check in with her more frequently now, and for obvious reasons." Rian sighs, and I lean my head on his shoulder.

"I'll check up on her soon for you, okay? I'll go see her."

"Thank you, Alex. I love you." Rian says softly, and I give him a small smile.

"I love you, too."

We kiss again, briefly, but it's still enough to remove the heavy atmosphere. Our lips still carry the taste of our delicious breakfast, and when we break away we just smile.

Gosh, that smile.

"Okay, let's stop talking about negatives. It's the day after you proposed, and we have both a wedding and a baby to prepare for." I say, and Rian nods.

"You're right! We'll start buying the basics like the crib and stuff soon."

"How do we start planning for this wedding?" I ask, and he bites his lip.

"We'll brainstorm together. I notice that when we do that, we come up with some pretty amazing things."

"Okay."

Rian and I spend the entire day looking at ideas for the reception and the cake. Already, I'm becoming a bit stressed even though we don't have an exact date for the wedding.

"Okay, let's start with something a bit smaller than that. Let's just try to figure out what colors we're going to have our bridesmaids and groomsmen wear." Rian suggests, and I nod.

"Ugh, no. Let's just do this some other time. I'm already stressed."

Hormones!

"Okay, baby. I've got to get ready for work." Rian announces.

"Alright."

Once he leaves, I do nothing but look up tons of dresses. I'm finding it hard to pick just one, and I narrow it down to three different dresses. The place where all of these are is only about twenty minutes from where Rian and I live. I decide to make an appointment with them so that I can come in and try them all on.

As I begin to think, I'm realizing that we're probably going to have the wedding after our child is born. There's no way I'll be able to fit in any of the dresses I picked out, and I wouldn't feel my best. With these hormones flying all over the place and my morning sickness, I wouldn't be enjoying the wedding at all.

Once we settle down with the baby, the wedding will happen. I just want to make this right so that Rian and I both will enjoy it without any worries.

I just want what's best for us.

~~~

A few days later, I went on my own to Sacramento to visit Rian's mother. Rian is extremely busy with work, so I decided to go by myself. Emmanuelle opens the door, and her eyes widen when she sees me.

"Honey, it's so nice to see you!" Emmanuelle exclaims.

I'm so glad that she's my mother in law.

I bend down so that I can wrap my arms around her for a warm embrace. I smile when she grabs onto my stomach, and her cheeks redden.

"Oh, my goodness. My beautiful grandchild is growing so much!" Emmanuelle happily says, and I smile.

"Yeah, a couple of days ago he or she started kicking." I inform her, and she gasps.

"Oh, my. I remember when I felt my children kick, I was so happy." Emmanuelle replies, and her smile lights up her face.

It's good to see that that she's doing well. I hated seeing her so vulnerable and hurt after the death of her husband. Seeing Emmanuelle healing herself and getting herself back on track is great because none of us would want to see her become more and more depressed.

Especially Rian. I know that it would destroy him if his mother felt like she couldn't continue, or if her crippling depression still weighed her down.

"Come, honey. Let's talk." Emmanuelle says, grabbing my hand and leading me through the halls.

Emmanuelle leads me into a large looking library, and the bookshelves cover the entire walls and not one space on the shelf is empty. Large drapes hang on the window, creating the ambience of luxury like the rest of the house. There's a large oak table with an iMac, and two chairs are by it.

"Have a seat." Emmanuelle says, and I'm surprised at how stern she sounds.

"I feel like I'm at the principals office after getting in trouble at school." I jokingly say, and she briefly chuckles before reverting to seriousness.

"I'm sure you know about the business Daniel had started many years ago."

"Peterson Manufacturing." I say, and she nods.

"Well, I told myself that once Daniel died, I would take over his business."

"Aren't you still in the real estate business?" I ask, and she sighs.

"My heart's just not in it anymore. I've done it for so long, and I want to keep my husbands business running. I'm taking complete control, and I know that's going to be difficult to do on my own." Emmanuelle adds, and my eyes widen.

"Are you asking me to—"

"Be my partner in this? Yes, I am."

I've never seen Emmanuelle take charge like this, and I like it.

"Mrs. Peterson, I'm flattered but this is a huge undertaking!" I exclaim.

"I'm not saying that you have to say yes right now. I'll give you a few days to consider."

"What about Brendan? In one of the letters that Mr. Peterson wrote, he said that Brendan wants to start his own business. This would be a great start for him!" I ask.

"Don't you two butt heads every now and then? I'm surprised that you seem to care about something for his future." She says sarcastically, and I raise my eyebrows.

"Well, we did. But ever since Mr. Peterson passed, he's kind of softened up and been more kind to me. Brendan apologized, and I can't be petty to him when he's actually decided to be a bit more courteous."

"Well, Brendan and I have talked about this. He obviously wouldn't turn the offer down, so he's one of my partners in this." Emmanuelle explains.

"What about Vanessa?" I ask, and Emmanuelle shrugs.

"She loved her father, but found what he did to be extremely boring. Vanessa's in school to become a veterinarian. I need someone who'll be interested and committed to this." She explains.

"And that's me?" I ask, even though I already know what she's going to say.

"You're a very intellectual young woman, Alexandrianna. You'd be a huge help for this business."

A baby, a wedding, and now possibly being the partner in a huge business? This month has just been opening all sorts of doors for me. Trying to pursue modeling has been difficult, and I don't want to travel all over the place because that means I won't be able to see Rian or our child for long periods of time.

I was willing to do it before I met him, but now I just want to spend every moment with him. As creepy as that is, it's true. Being separated from him would definitely be the most difficult thing I've had to do ever since we started this relationship. Especially now that I'm expecting this baby, I wouldn't want them to grow up without their mother around.

Maybe this is my plan B career that I never thought about until now.

"I—, I just need some time to think. This is a big responsibility, and with planning for the baby and the wedding—" I ramble, but stop myself a bit too late after the words leave my mouth.

"What wedding?" Emmanuelle asks.

I hold out my left hand, and she gasps before taking my hand and getting a closer look at my ring. Emmanuelle walks from around the desk, hugging me tightly.

"Welcome to the family." She says, and I can tell she's about to cry.

"Thank you. I'm really glad to have you as my mother-in-law." I say, smiling as we continue to hug.

"I knew he would propose to you someday, I was just waiting for it. When did it happen?" She asks, and she gawks at my ring again.

"Our anniversary, which was a few days ago."

"Man, the time really does fly! I remember meeting you at the party." She says, and I smile at the memory.

I remember how shy I was around them, and how flattered I was when they constantly complimented me. I also remember trying to seduce Rian in front of everyone he talked to, and that was a huge success.

The way that Daniel and Emmanuelle looked at me like I was some innocent girl, but they couldn't have been more wrong. I don't even think they knew Rian was getting turned on while I was busy tempting him.

Man, I'll never forget that night.

It was hot and steamy and everything I could ever want. Rian still has that power to make every part of my body belong to him as he kisses me everywhere and makes my body shake and quiver underneath his.

I erase the dirty thoughts from my mind when I begin to think about the wedding and how I want Emmanuelle to be with us every step of the way.

"Mrs. Peterson? I have a question for you." I say, and she smiles.

"And I have an answer."

"Would you like to help Rian and I with the wedding? We started looking at things online, and we realized that we're going to need some help."

"Of course! I was actually about to ask if I could help." Emmanuelle says, and I smile.

"Rian also wanted to check on you. He's been busy with work lately, so that's another reason why I came." I admit.

"I'm fine." She replies a bit too quickly, and I shake my head.

"Something tells me otherwise."

Emmanuelle gives me a somewhat forlorn look before replacing with an obviously forced smile.

"I just found out that my son is getting married and expecting a baby! Why wouldn't I be okay?" She exclaims.

Maybe because your husband isn't here to experience it with you.

Emmanuelle gasps before covering her mouth to suppress a sob.

Shit, did I just say that out loud?

"Yes, you did." Emmanuelle says weakly, and I furrow my eyebrows before I walk over and hug her.

Man, it's almost like I'm Savannah. Blurting out everything that I'm thinking without any control whatsoever. Word vomit.

I hug her gently, rubbing her back so that she stops crying. I didn't mean to make her cry, but I couldn't sugar coat my answer to her. When she pulls away, she just nods.

"You are right. Daniel would've been a grandfather, and he would've been a father-in-law. But now that'll never happen." Emmanuelle sighs, wiping away a tear.

"We'll continue to remember him. Our child will hear the many stories about Daniel, and know that their grandfather was an amazing man. Just like my father was." I state, and I bite my lip.