No Deal Breakers (29 page)

She pulled away and looked down at her
husband and her heart swelled with love. She loved everything about
him, even his overly cautious worry was adorable to her.

"I am fine. Better than fine, it's a little
embarrassing, but I'm going to tell you anyway because I can see
you're still worried. I knew men liked sex, obviously, they
wouldn't pay for it otherwise. But, what I didn't realize until
tonight, with you is that women could enjoy it too. That was…I
don't have words, but it certainly wasn't like anything I've
experienced before." She bit her lip and could feel the blush
creeping up her neck.

"Seriously? It was good for you too?" He
looked absolutely giddy, it made her giggle.

"Seriously. It was amazing because you were
patient, gentle, worried about me, loving, considerate…well,
because you were you and because you love me. It was different
because we made love. It wasn't just you having sex with me, it was
us. Making love, together."

He smiled so wide she was worried his face
would split, and pulled her mouth back to his, and for the second
time in both of their lives, they made love.

"Happy anniversary! I can't believe it's been
a year today," Brian said, coming up behind Aria and wrapping his
arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck as she pulled his
favorite breakfast out of the oven.

"I know, it's been quite a year. Let's eat so
I can give you your present, I can hardly wait!" He wouldn't have
been surprised if she'd started jumping up and down and clapping,
whatever his present was she'd been giddy about it since she'd
gotten it about two weeks ago.

"That was delicious, sweetheart, now I know
you can barely contain yourself over my gift, but I want you to
open mine to you first, okay?" She nodded enthusiastically, and
stretched her arms out to receive it, he loved this change in her
the most. She was now a grateful gift receiver, which was quite a
change from a year ago.

"I know this isn't the traditional gift of
paper for the first anniversary, but I think it will mean a lot to
you either way," he said, handing over the nearly flat gift
box.

She eyed him quizzically before opening it,
and gasped as soon as she saw the first newspaper from Las Vegas,
it featured Jack McPherson in handcuffs with a list of his crimes,
everything from money laundering to drugs, and of course, illegal
prostitution.

"Seriously? How?"

"I called in a few favors, it took a few
months of surveillance, but they finally got him, and you didn't
have to step foot in a courtroom." She bolted out of her chair, and
before he could register what was happening she was in his lap,
peppering him with kisses.

"Wait a minute, there are three other gifts
in that box," she sighed and went back to her seat, taking out
another full paper and a smaller clipping, after reading them she
looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"A minor? Did we…"

"No, honey, I talked to Paul, she told him
and several other men that she was eighteen, that doesn't make it
okay, but I really believe he didn't know. He's still going to do
some jail time." Warren had been arrested for solicitation of sex
from a minor, and, as it wasn't the first time he was caught paying
for sex he was actually spending time in jail.

"I take it this was Paul's punishment?" She
asked, holding up the full paper.

"Yeah, he had to hand over the majority of
his companies to Gus and Kara, the rest were divided between Paul
and Jenny. He was mortified and the local media had a field day
with it." She was crying again, but he could tell they were happy
tears.

"I'm glad they were both able to be punished
without us having to be drug through the courts…is that
selfish?"

"No, sweetheart, not at all, you suffered
enough at the hands of these men. I'm glad they aren't getting away
with it. You have one more gift in there," she wiped her tears away
and gave him a sweet smile before pulling the locket from the
bottom of the box. He'd had it inscribed with their names on the
front, and "no deal breakers" on the back, it was something he said
to her regularly now.

"Thank you, these are the best gifts I've
ever received, thank you. I love you."

"I love you too." She jumped up and plopped a
plain white box in his lap that was usually meant for clothing.

Pulling out the first item, a t-shirt he
shook it out and stared in shock, he couldn't believe what she was
saying. The shirt said "World's Best Daddy" as if in a daze he sat
the shirt on the table and picked up what looked like a necklace
box and opened it. Nestled inside was a positive pregnancy test,
and behind that was a print out confirmation from the doctor's
office, he felt the tears roll down his cheeks.

"You…you're…I mean we're…" she laughed at him
and wiped at her own tears.

"Yep, I'm about six weeks along, we're going
to be parents." Brian stood so fast he knocked his chair over, and
swept his wife, the mother of his child, into his arms and swung
her around gently, kissing her passionately.

"You like your present," she stated more than
asked as she laughed.

"Best present ever, we're going to be
parents!" He could not believe how his life had changed in just one
year, but he wouldn't have it any other way. God was so good to
them.

*~*~*

"Where are you taking me?" Aria asked for the
tenth time since Brian had covered her eyes in the blindfold and
led her to the car.

"It's a surprise, but we're here." He jumped
out and a moment later she heard her door open, and he helped her
down, she felt gravel crunching under her feet, that could be just
about anywhere in their small town.

He led her into a warm building, with what
felt like thin carpet, were they in the church? It smelled like it,
the distinct mix of flowers and candle wax, with a bit of spice
that always seemed to linger there, but what would they be doing
there on a weeknight…with a blindfold?

Finally, they came to a stop and she felt
Brian's hands on the blindfold, lifting it off. Once it was removed
she saw that they were in fact in the church fellowship hall, with
what seemed to be the entire town plus Brian's family and even Paul
and his wife, Katie were there.

"Surprise!" They all yelled at the same
time.

"What's going on?" She asked Brian.

"This is the wedding reception you should
have gotten a year ago," he whispered into her ear.

As she had so many times before in the last
year she felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks. This was
home, this was family. This was what she'd given up on dreaming
about, and she was so glad that even though she gave up on Him, God
never gave up on her.

He had great plans for her, even her darkest
moments He was always with her.

"I love you," she whispered to Brian as they
made their way toward their waiting family.

Family
.

After all this time she finally had one to
call her own, and all because of an impulsive decision she once
called a mistake.

"I love you too," Brian squeezed her side and
directed her towards his parents, "think we should tell them or
wait?"

"Why wait?" she asked, and they shared the
news of the new chapter they were beginning, one she once thought
would never come.

The Beginning