Chapter 19 Happily ever after
Arielle woke up happy.
Since it was a beautiful beginning of the day, she decided not to worry about the future and enjoy what she had while she had it.
She did not mind that they were tangled naked. She did not dare to disturb the perfect harmony. She did not move.
She slowly untangled her hands and caressed his face that she had longed to see every day for the last three years.
Thomas had the best sleep in three years. He felt soft caresses on his face, and with the gentle touch, he could feel her love for him.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw Arielle looking at him with love and happiness in her eyes.
He smiled unconsciously, happiness blooming on both their faces.
They kept looking at each other and caressing each other’s faces, trying to etch every fine line in their memory.
Their perfect moment was interrupted when Arielle’s phone chimed in.
Thomas turned around to see the brightened screen of her phone. His fantasy broke immediately.
Arielle felt him stiffen and looked over. It only took her half a second to realize what had caused Thomas’s reaction.
Her wallpaper was the first photo she had with her son in the hospital shortly after delivery. The picture made it clear that she had just given birth to the child she was holding.
She moved and hopped on top of Thomas as she grabbed her phone.
She read the message and laughed.
“Adrian’s with me. I am taking him to the children’s park. You can have fun. After three years of celibacy, you deserve it!
I told him you were at an important meeting and will be busy until tonight.
I covered his eyes. He did not see his parents groping each other on an open beach. Ah! Imagine the trauma it would have caused!
Take care! Use Protection!”
Thomas was dumbfounded at her reaction.
He knew her long enough to understand that she would not cheat on her husband. Nor would she marry someone if she still had lingering feelings for him.
And she even pressed her naked body on him even after she knew he had found out about her baby.
Something did not add up there.
Thomas’s gut feeling told him that what he had seen at the beach was not like it had looked.
Moreover, it was clear that she had given birth. Given her reaction, it could only mean one thing.
Arielle watched Thomas’s dazed expression and could see the wheels turning in his head.
She patiently waited for him to realize things. As expected, he did not disappoint.
Thomas’s whole body trembled as he looked at her, eyes wide open as realization set in.
“Do you want to reply?” Arielle asked him and showed him the text she had just received.
“I…We…I!” Thomas could only shutter. He did not know how to process such big news.
He was a father!
He had a baby!
A son. More than 2! Their son was more than two years old.
A tear trickled down his eye as the realization set in.
Thomas could not make sense of his emotions.
How could he love a human being so much without even meeting him, just because he was his flesh and blood?
Their baby was the living, breathing proof that something special existed between him and Arielle.
Arielle did not interrupt and let the reality sink in as her own eyes teared up.
After a long time, she slowly wiped his eyes and kissed him tenderly on his face.
Thomas came out of his trance and kissed her hard.
Arielle pushed him away and said, “Brush your teeth. Both of our mouths stink!”
Thomas was speechless. How could she ruin a perfect moment like that?
But he recalled she had never let him kiss her or do anything without freshening up first. They had, after all, lived together for almost four months.
He walked naked to the washroom and closed the door, making her laugh at his childishness.
She slipped into a simple gown and went to the guest bathroom to freshen up.
She took a spare toothbrush and knocked on her bathroom. Thomas had, thankfully, put on her robe.
They brushed together, and Thomas carried her bridal style to the bed again.
“I saw you a week ago,” Thomas said as he pressed her beneath him.
She had wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
“What?” She was stunned.
Thomas kissed her softly and added, “Before I could walk up to you, I saw a man and child approach you. He called you, ‘mommy!’. I thought you were married with a child, so I ran away.”
Arielle did not know what to say.
Thomas caressed her cheek with his thumb as he added, “But I still stayed back to ensure you were happy before leaving. I could not find you, so I waited by the same place where I had seen you.”
Arielle kissed him hard and bit his lips.
“Three years ago, I suspected I was pregnant a few days before the event. I was not sure, and I was scared. After the event, I finally mustered up the courage to buy a pregnancy test kit and asked you to meet me.” She explained slowly.
“I watched as you banged on the steering wheel and turned around. Although reluctant, your priority lay elsewhere, so I left without taking the pregnancy test.”
She kissed his furrowed brows and soothed him.
“I went back to my hometown. My parents told me to marry an aged man who would invest in our family business and transfer all my shares to my cousin. Even though I had bought them from the market on my own.”
“I left and took the pregnancy test in my apartment. It was positive, and I knew I could not raise my child, our child, in a toxic environment like my family. So, I did a few things and made arrangements for my parents before removing myself from the Ward family tree and leaving for good.”
“Only my best friend, Arabella, and my other two friends – the gay couple you saw at the PGI event – Joe and Rick knew where I came.”
“Rick helped hide my trail, so my family could not find me, not that they cared, but they probably would want to milk some more benefits. Joe moved here three months after I did when Rick got transferred to a different unit which required him to travel a lot and participate in closed operations on and off for five years.”
“Arabella and her daughter Belle visit from time to time and spend their entire vacation here.”
“Joe practically took care of my entire pregnancy and childbirth. He was practically the father figure for Adrian.”Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
She kissed him gently and added, “I named our son Adrian. I always show Adrian your picture and tell him that you worked far away and cannot come. You will be back as soon as you can.”
Thomas felt a lump in his throat.
“Thank you! I love you so much.” Thomas said huskily.
“Are you here for good?” Arielle asked.
“Yes! Like you, I have fulfilled all my responsibilities towards my family and left them in good hands. I can focus on my life and happiness now. That is you. And our son! Let’s get married. I want our happily-ever-after.” He said, kissing her tenderly.
“Alright! But can we choose a different surname for ourselves? I don’t want to be a Payne. No offense to your family,” Arielle asked with a pout.
“Okay!” Thomas replied without hesitation.
“I love you! I missed you for three years.” Arielle snugged in his arms.
“Me too!” Thomas said as they started groping each other again.
“You are insatiable!”
Arielle complained when he continued to entice her even after she begged him to stop.
“I have had a dry spell for three years!” Thomas grunted as he pushed inside her and grunted in satisfaction.
She moaned loudly but complained, “This is the last time! I can’t take it anymore.” Her words came in broken pants.
Thomas did not reply as he had no plans of stopping.
His son was out for the day. Thomas meant to keep himself busy until he was back.
He did not want their first meeting to be in a public place. So, he resisted his urge to run to him.
What better way to keep his mind off things than making love to the love of his life?