Chapter 20 - An Unwritten Tomorrow|
By mid-February, the early signs of a Southern spring began to touch the city of Knoxville. The snow melted from the brick sidewalks, and yellow crocuses began to push through the thawing earth in the courtyard of Whitmore Confections.
Hannah stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO’s office, looking out at the city below.
She wore a crisp tailored dress, her hair pinned back neatly. In the corner of the grand office sat a brand-new, high-end wooden playpen—installed by Ethan himself two weeks ago—where eleven-month-old Ellie was happily attempting to stand up on her own two feet, giggling as she wobbled against the padded rail.
Ethan walked up behind Hannah, setting a warm cup of coffee on the windowsill beside her.
"What are you thinking about?" Ethan asked softly, his shoulder lightly resting against hers.
"I was thinking about Christmas Eve," Hannah said, turning her head to look at him with a gentle smile. "About how terrified I was when that stroller wheel squeaked in the lobby. I thought my life was over."
"And now?" Ethan asked, his gaze drifting from her eyes down to her lips, his hand resting gently against the small of her back.
"Now... I feel like my life is finally starting," Hannah whispered honestly.
From the playpen behind them, Ellie let out a triumphant squeal. Both of them turned around just in time to see the baby let go of the playpen rail, take two unsteady, miraculous steps across the soft carpet toward them, and laugh as she tumbled safely into Ethan's open arms.
Ethan scooped the child up, lifting her high into the air as Ellie giggled uncontrollably. He looked over Ellie’s head at Hannah, his heart full, the heavy wall around his soul entirely gone.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box, and set it on the mahogany desk between them.
May you like
He didn't open it yet. He simply looked at Hannah—at the woman who had transformed his frozen world with her courage, her honesty, and her fierce, beautiful love—and offered her a quiet, unspoken question that hung gently in the warm spring air.
Hannah looked at the velvet box, then looked up into Ethan’s eyes, her breath catching in her throat as a teardrop rolled down her cheek—leaving the door to their future wide open in the sunlight.
