I want to thank readers for their encouraging words, but I especially want to thank my friend, NoraFares for her help and proofreading skills. If you want to read great writing, catch her stories.
This is the last chapter of the story. Readers are free to read in any way they choose, but the story will make more sense if you read chapter one first and follow the sequence.
The story is a romance. There's some sexual content, but not a lot of sex here. If that's what you're looking for you may choose to pass on by. All characters are over 18, except Brie who does not have sex in this story.
I hope you enjoy it. Please rate and/or provide feedback as you feel led.
©BarryJames1952 - August 2019
*****
Tuesday morning, Dani arrived at the park a few moments after Brie and Doug. Doug always found beauty in the park. He loved watching the seasons bring new and different colors to the scenery. The wildflowers were in their full glory right now. It almost overwhelmed him when he was surrounded by the marvelous elegance and perfection of God's creation. But all that natural beauty seemed to pale in comparison to the vision walking towards him. The beauty of this amazing woman, one of God's greatest creations, gave him a sense of heaven here on earth.
Without a word, Dani rushed into his arms for a loving morning kiss.
Doug needed to gather his breath. "That's my new favorite way to start a day."
"Good morning, Baby," she greeted with a warm smile.
"Hi, Bright Eyes. I missed you."
"Just my eyes?" she giggled.
"I missed all of you, but those eyes..." He finished his sentence with a kiss.
Doug enjoyed the best morning walk of his life. He walked surrounded by the beauty of nature as he held the hand of an amazing woman and had his best canine friend walking at his side. He's always called Brie his best friend, but Dani was quickly forcing him to redefine his ranking to include a species qualifier. Brie was exceptionally frisky and welcomed the new dynamic.
They talked about the scenery around them. Their conversation turned towards the things awaiting them in their jobs that day. They set the stage for a wonderful evening together. They decided the best dinner would be take-out Chinese at Doug's place so cooking wouldn't interrupt their quality time. Eventually, they parted with warm kisses that increased their desire for the evening to come quickly.
After an uneventful and seemingly long day, Dani drove to Doug's place and picked up dinner on the way. Kung Pao Chicken and Triple Delight along with Crab Rangoon and Potstickers were on the menu. Having a casual dinner with Brie at Dani's feet seemed so natural. Doug felt as if this would be the welcomed new normal.
After dinner, they sat on the couch and talked about life goals and core issues. The past Sunday their chats focused mainly on the past and their families—and making out, of course. Now it would be time to talk about the present and envision the future. A subject they both wanted to address arose quickly.
"Doug, did you and Carla want children?"
"I did. Carla said she did too, and several years ago told me she went off the pill. But I found out later she never actually stopped."
"How many kids did you want to have?"
"Minimum two, but six or seven would have been fine with me too. I'm an only child since my mom had complications when I was born and couldn't have more after me. But I would love a big family. I'm afraid at thirty-two, I'm halfway through the typical child years and may not get the chance. What about you?"
"My husband and I always dreamed of at least four or five, but we learned he was sterile—most likely from a fever he had as a teenager. We were preparing to adopt just before his accident."
"So, as things are today, hypothetically, if you were married and ready to start a family—what would you want?"
"Any candidates for a husband in mind?"
He laughed. "We're in the hypothetical world right now and I don't want to scare you away."
"I don't scare easily." She chuckled. "But I'm thirty-four now, so realistically I could maybe have two or three without bunching them too close together. I wouldn't mind adopting or having foster kids so I could have five or six. But three of my own would be perfect."
They talked about a lot of things that night, but independently they were both thinking of family, children, and a future. Neither one of them were ready to say it, but they both dwelled on the possibility of building a life together.
*****
The following weeks were filled with great times of connecting and bonding. Dani and Doug walked together every morning and had dinner together almost every night. They spent many hours singing and playing the piano together. And, of course, Brie was the center of attention. Doug was convinced Brie favored Dani, but in reality, Brie seemed to have a sense of fair play. If Doug threw a ball to fetch, she brought it back to Dani. If Dani threw it, Brie took it back to Doug. She split time snuggling Doug and Dani, almost managing to focus her attention 50/50. Brie knew. She knew this was the new family. Maybe her silly humans would realize it soon.
Dani and Doug made the several-hour trip on a Saturday to see Dani's family in Baltimore. They've known each other for seven weeks, and have only been dating for three, so Doug was a little nervous, but they made him feel at home. Her dad, Scott Wells, was intently protective of his little girl as were Dani's two younger brothers. But Doug won them over quickly. Dani watched Doug interact with her family and it warmed her heart to see them relate so well.
Dani told her family about the musical skit she and Doug performed. The family coerced them to reenact it for them, and without too much arm-twisting, they complied. Dani's parents and brothers laughed hysterically at their performance. Theresa gave Doug a knowing look he didn't miss—she liked him and seemed to approve of her daughter's choice of him. Scott beamed with pride in his daughter and warmed up even more to Doug.
Doug couldn't help staring at Dani's mom. He hadn't heard the term "handsome woman" very often, but it seemed to fit Theresa. Dani looked a lot like her. Theresa carried her age well and she still had the shape of a thirty-year-old. But there was a beautiful dignity about her that was enthralling. Doug quickly liked Dani's family and felt they would be the kind of in-laws he would cherish, assuming things went the way he was hoping.
They returned from Baltimore and the next day had their usual Sunday together. Then pesky Monday forced its way back into the weekly routine.
*****
Zane and Carla took off for Vegas two weeks ago to get married. Today was Zane's first day back. As soon as Doug arrived in his office, Zane walked in looking only a little better than a zombie.
"Hi, Zane. How did the wedding go?"
"The wedding went fine, but the honeymoon—not so much."
"That doesn't sound good. What happened?"
"A week after the wedding, we were in the casino. I was playing Texas Hold'em, and Carla hit the slots. I saw her talking to some guy for quite a while and eventually went over to claim my bride. She told me he was just some nice old lonely guy and we went to our room to continue—well—you know."
"Yeah. I get it."
"I knew something was different. She was preoccupied with something but she said everything was fine. Same thing the next night. I noticed her talking with the same guy, but only for a few minutes. I brushed it off. Then I saw her having some laughs with several girls and thought little of it. I was happy she wasn't talking to that, or some other guy. When we went to bed that night, she mentioned the girls she met and that they wanted to get together the next night. I figured, sure, have a blast. She was too tired that night to mess around, but since we'd been pretty active..."
Doug interrupted not wanting those details. "I get the picture. What happened the next day?"
