Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Not long, then there’s no escaping me
I’d never want to
I close my eyes for a moment, savoring this feeling, taking a second to remember the shy girl who crept into her boss’s office and took her chance.
I wonder what life would be like if I’d never done that if I’d never become Felix’s mystery girl.
I can’t think about it.
This – the baby and my husband-to-be and my friends and all the happiness – this is my life. Working on my career, quitting my office job to focus on my family and my fashion work, that’s my life.
Tomorrow can’t come soon enough XXXX
I send the message, pawing my cheeks, wishing he was here so he could pull me into his arms. I’m almost tempted to break the no-contact rule and sneak down the corridor and knock on his door….
But we wanted to do this properly.
Tomorrow night will be so much sweeter because we waited.
My phone pings.
Go to sleep, mystery girl. When you wake up tomorrow, it will be the happiest day of our lives xxxxx
ONE YEAR LATER
Felix
I sit with Isaac in my arms, watching the world pass by, a contented smile on my face. It’s a Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting in the park, waiting for my wife to finish her design work.
She decided to work in the city this morning, and then I drove in with the little one so we could head to lunch.
Since leaving the business, Fiona has started an online boutique store, slowly building up a fanbase with her custom pieces and her social media. It’s a perfect job, and she’s able to work around our little bundle of joy.
It filled me with fierce pride to watch my wife dedicate herself to our family and her work. She’s so impressive, rising from bed at night to scrawl down an idea as well as to feed Isaac.
Every time I look down at my son, I’m reminded of how deeply a person can love and how much they want to protect their loved ones.
He’s sleeping peacefully, bundled up in his blanket, his chest rising and falling.
“I wonder if you’d believe how we started,” I say.
He makes one of his cute sleeping noises. I’m always surprised by the effect they can have on me, capturing me with even more love than already grips me each second I’m with him or with my Fiona.
“Your mommy, little man… she’s got a wild side. You won’t believe this, but she crept into her boss’s office and stole my phone number from her computer screen. That’s right. So don’t you listen when she starts telling you how innocent she is, you hear?”
“Felix?”
I look up to find my mother standing on the path. She’s wearing running sneakers and a cap, her short hair spilling out from underneath it. She smiles when she sees it’s me, walking over, making cooing noises as she leans over Isaac and kisses him.
“I didn’t know you ran in this park,” I say.
Mom jogs on the spot, looking livelier every day. It seems she’s out of the worst of it now. Nothing is ever certain, and maybe there will be setbacks, but she’s the woman I remember from my childhood for the time being.
The female boxer. This resilient woman was able to raise a son by herself.
“I’m getting back into it,” she says. “What are you doing here?”
I tell her about waiting for Fiona. Mom’s smile never falters, even when there’s an air of mischief about it.
“You’re going to tell me you told me so,” I say.
She laughs, waving her hand. “What on earth gave you that idea?”
I grin. “It’s this look you get.”
“Well… I did tell you, didn’t I? Speak from the heart, tell her the truth, and you’ll see how much she loves you too.”
I chuckle. “I’m not sure you put in quite like that, Mom.”
She shrugs. “Anyway, I won’t cramp your style. I’m trying to beat my last time…not that that should be hard. Love you, Felix.”
“Love you, Mom. See you Tuesday for dinner.”
“Can’t wait.”
I watch as she jogs away, marveling at the basic fact of it. There was a time, not so long ago, when the very notion of my mother running anywhere felt like a fantasy.
My phone buzzes from my pocket. Being careful to hold Isaac steady, I reach inside and take it out, looking at the screen.
It’s from a contact saved Best Wife in the World from when Fiona got her hands on my phone. She did it as a joke, but I’ve kept it the same ever since because it’s the truth.
I’m heading out now. I hope I’m not keeping you waiting XXXX
I send a text back quickly, taking Mom’s advice, speaking directly from the heart.
You’re always worth the wait xxxxx
NINE YEARS LATER
Fiona
“Mommy, look, it’s a superhero cape.”
Isaac stands on the bed, his hands at his sides as the red fabric spills out behind him. I’ve got a bed in my design room because the children sometimes like to nap here as I work…and of course, it’s fun to play dress-up with Mommy’s fabrics and jump up and down.