'There you'll stand, next to me

All at once, the rest is history

Your eyes are wider than distance

This life is sweeter than fiction.'

*ALTHEA'S POV*

October 10, 2028.

Pull in the air... Push out the tensions...

I will my chest to move steadily as my eyes travel between the vivid swirls of green, coral, fuchsia, and mauve of the flowers in my hand to the faded stones appearing through the rusted metal bars before me, and I try to remember why I am here.

It is the first time no one is there to drag me past the tall gate. Though a special tug inside my core is driving my movements as I wrap my fingers around the handle, and the familiar grating resonates in the cold morning quietness, its echo not as deafening as in my memories, since it soon fades with the crunches of the first fallen leaves under my heels. As if a testimony that everything changes eventually, even in this still place.

With each step, I can take in all these changes: the new stones, the wilting flowers, the old stones, the fresh flowers... along the aisles, but also all the seasons that have passed in my life since the last time I've been here.

I'd been ready to get married, and my husband had wanted proper blessings. Well, it's the excuse he'd come up with to bring me here, knowing I'd been considering the idea for some time. But it's obvious we've had these blessings already.

After all, we wouldn't be where we are today without them.

Christopher and Lori Vesper.

The names on the familiar darkened marble soon come into view, along with the picture of them on their wedding day that I've had embedded three years ago as a thank-you gift for leading me to happiness and love, even if in some steep and sinuous ways.

The panorama at the top of the hill has been worth it, all the colors of the rainbow, of life... and I know there are many more to see as I place the bouquet of fresh flowers on the grave, and after one last glance at their smiling faces, I walk back to my taxi with my arms tight around my trench coat.

I've forgotten how chilly Fall can get without the Californian sun.

However, it's not only the warm breeze I'm missing, and when my plane finally lands on the Los Angeles ground, I am so eager to get back home that sweat barely gets to form under my clothes before I breathe in the AC of the Lotus Bay PT Clinic.

To think the first time I've stepped here, I've been suffocating in the asepticized air between the pale walls, and I've almost run away.

What would have happened if I'd had?

I don't want to imagine it as my chest fills with hints of clean lime and the feeling of a second home, and I walk further along the now-colorful walls we've painted with the kids here, my ribcage and my smile expanding with each design I pass by... a rainbow... a princess... a frog... a Batman... a Mr. Robot... a peach... a basketball... and many more. It shouldn't go so well together, but it does, thanks to Gracie, who is growing into a talented artist at a prestigious art school in Rhode Island.

Of course, she isn't a patient at the clinic anymore, like many kids—or adults—who, thanks to the incredible team here, are now walking, rolling, running, or shooting toward their dreams.

They haven't been lying on their website, which I'd visited before volunteering, when they've described it as a 'big supportive family', and like one, even if you leave, you always find your way back, whether it's once a year, or in my case, at least twice a week between the story times and the drawing lessons I offer.

I don't even know why I'm getting so nostalgic and contemplative out of the blue, or maybe I do... It's the same reason why my heart is competing with the uneven thuds of basketballs when I reach the latest wing of the clinic, and I try to shake away whatever peak of hormones is tingling behind my eyes, arrange my messy bob, and adjust my teal coat before someone can—

"Mrs. Rohan, hi!"

I've barely taken two steps into the large gymnasium when someone welcomes me, and I lift my head to find Chase, the blond-haired young man already pushing his wheelchair towards me and abandoning whatever exercise he's been doing, to his coach's great annoyance.

"Chase? Where has he disappeared again?!" An annoyed grumble resonates from the center of the court, which we can't see from the entrance aisle with the high bleachers on the side.

The room has been designated and constructed by Rohan Build'Inc, so let's say it's quite tremendous with shiny wood floor, steel gray walls, wide and accessible bleachers, and reminders of the multicolored disability logo everywhere.

Yet it takes no time for a familiar tall figure in gray sweats to show up by our side, and even less for the sharp green daggers that have been ready for Chase to land into big interrogation marks on me.

"Peachy?!"

Well, actually, it's not the only thing that lands on me as Asher quickly joins me in three steps, his lips swooping on mine in a soft kiss, which stays decent enough since we're not alone, yet lingering enough to let me feel through fiery tingles how much he's missed me, and also because we're not alone, and the possessiveness drips off his lips in more ways than one when he pulls away, his glare finding Chase beside us.

"What are you still doing here? Go back to your drills."

"I've already finished. I'm fast and always efficient." Chase throws me a flirty wink, the unwavering confidence in his blue eyes reminding me of someone, unless it's the dimples on his boyish cheeks, almost the same as the ones twitching at the corners of Asher's twisted smile and on his rising chin when he replies,

"Great, then you can do another round of sidelines, along with all your teammates."

Asher preaching teamwork. If someone had told me 12 years ago...

He's become a true coach, although his preferred instrument isn't a whistle but his walking stick, which he raises in a grand gesture toward the rest of the team who has gathered around to greet me.

"Come on! Move your asses!"

"Ash." I sigh, placing my hand on his tense jaw to make him look down at me. "Don't you think you're a little too... harsh? They were just being polite."

Well, except for Chase, and while I find his little crush on me flattering and mostly funny, Asher takes it like a serious offense, which seems to spur Chase even more as the boy goes back to the court with another wink, and at this point, the ticks of Asher's jaw tickle my palm more than his light one-day stubble.

"Being polite won't make them win. I think I know my job." He tilts his head between the trophies and medals displayed in the long glass compartment on the opposite wall and the court where the players are now all rolling their wheelchairs back and forth between the sidelines because even if they might tease him sometimes, they know very well how lucky they were to have a paralympic medalist train them for free.

Paralympic gold medalist, more exactly.

I've never doubted it since the first wheelchair basketball game I've challenged him to play. Nevertheless, watching it come true a little bit more than a month ago, my heart has reached a new level of pride, and he has too.

But it is one of the reasons why I love him so much: his cocked eyebrow highlighting the tiny specks of golden smugness in his jade eyes, his victorious smile, the flex of his muscles as his left arm tightens around my waist, and underneath all of this, the overwhelming love and care already rises to the surface with the crease on his forehead.

"Speaking of job, why aren't you in Boston at your meeting? Was there a problem?"

"No, don't worry. Linda offered to handle it." She's definitely the best COO I could have wished for. "Because I was a little sick last night, and we've already talked a lot with the distributors at the trade fair, so today is more about formalities and signing the contracts."

And if everything goes right, Mr. Robot & Super Peachy will soon be sold in a famous European store chain, bringing inclusive clothes to more kids over the world.

However, I don't get to add this last part when Asher exclaims,

"Sick? Why didn't you tell me? I could've at least picked you up at the airport and taken you to a doctor. Did you even see a doctor?"

"No, no, I'm..." Both my tongue and my stomach twist in front of his worried frown, the attentive gaze under knowing me too well for a 'fine' to ease it. "I'm better. It's nothing serious, and I promise I'll go to the doctor tomorrow to make sure everything is good. Is that okay with you?"

I will take his low 'hmm' as a yes, even though he still looks ready to drag me to the ER at the first sign of sickness or lie, and as his piercing eyes scan my face, I can't be anything but honest.

"The truth is... I just wanted to be with you on this special day."

"'Kay, that's a good argument." He finally surrenders, a smile already pulling at his lips as he tugs me closer. "But you could've told me because now, it's too late to bring the surprise I've organized for tomorrow forward."

Mamma Mia... What has he planned this time?

Every anniversary, he outdoes himself. Last year, he's privatized a whole funfair for us two, and the tingles of adrenaline remaining in my insides with the memories quickly turn into tickles of curiosity in front of the enigmatic twinkle in his eyes.

It isn't the only thing fluttering inside my stomach though, when I reply, "It's okay. I have a surprise for both of us under my coat."

"For both of us, you say?" he drawls, his raspy voice turning lower and darker, like his jade gaze as it slides down my body, trying to guess what's under my trench coat, or maybe just burn it down. "It has to be something really special to celebrate this wild ride of 12 years..."

"It is." I match his impish smile, as for once, I might surpass him in terms of surprise and thrill, the adrenaline already surging in my veins in a fierce mix of nervousness and excitement. "Come on, open it."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

I don't think I can wait any longer. My heart has been ticking the seconds since last night, and I'm ready to burst at any moment.

In fact, I'm so eager and focused on my movements as I grab his left hand and put it around one end of the belt holding my coat closed that I don't realize his attention has drifted farther than my coat: to my exposed legs in sheer black tights and high-heels boots.

Well, at least until his eyes grow big enough for me to catch a glimpse of his wandering thoughts.

"Baby, you know I'm not a sharer, so I'd rather wait for later when we're alone."

"Asher, it's not what you think." I roll my lips together, trying not to spill the truth or a loud laugh in front of his alarmed face as he tries to remove his fingers from my belt without untying it.

He's made a lot of progress on his left side, particularly his hand, yet his movements are still jerky, even more when he experiences strong emotions, and I'm putting him through quite a few with my hand pushing him to open the coat.

"I'm not naked under, don't worry. I'm wearing... Well, just open it. Trust me."

"No way." He squints at me, and at this point, I don't know how his sharp gaze hasn't pierced the truth yet, especially when a dangerous game of pull and tug starts between our hands.

He tries to pull away with light tugs, and I try to pull him to tug the belt open.

"Just a peek, please, baby."

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

Until what's been meant to happen happens: the knot gives way between our opposite forces, and I finally pull the sides of my trench coat open, exposing my outfit, which he barely gives a glance at as his hands are already reaching to tug the belt closed again.

He can be so stubborn sometimes, almost as much as he is dirty-minded. Then again, I can't really blame him for the latter because the long jacket is hiding my short skirt, making it look like I have almost nothing under, which has been the case the last time I've shown up with this coat.

It has been his prize for winning at the Paralympics: me wearing nothing but his medal because I'm 'his most precious trophy'.

I still can't believe he's convinced me to do it and even less that it might be one of the reasons why I'm now covered with this white tee-shirt, this fact processing through Asher's brain after a few seconds.

I can almost see the light bulbs switching on one by one to form the two words written on my shirt as his eyebrows furrow and then jump up his forehead.

"Wait, does it say Hello..." He carefully opens the coat again, his fingers trembling with gentleness as if handling a bomb ready to explode, and none of us is breathing as he traces this one word. "Daddy?"

Like a trigger, his whisper cracks in the air between us and sets the resounding bang inside my chest, the first of many.

"Does it mean you're... pregnant?"

"Yes, what else could it me—No, don't answer that," I quickly add before an innuendo can form in his glistening eyes, though I don't think anything can blur the pure emotions flashing through the pale shades as they flicker between the letters on my belly and my own watering gaze.

"So you're gonna be a mommy?" he asks slowly, carefully again, and as I nod, overwhelmed, I realize that if the explosion is already happening inside my ribcage, his is still brewing, and I better prepare for the volcano Asher.

"And I'm gonna be a daddy?"

I move my head yes again, taking one last bracing breath as a grin progressively breaks through on both sides of his rosy lips, and then...

"We're gonna have a baby? We're gonna have a baby!" He finally erupts with joy, his rumbling voice resonating against the walls of the wide gymnasium and surely catching everyone's attention.

Yet I can't see anything with the fervent mix of relief, realization, and excited tingles washing over me, literally as he takes me in his arms, sweeping me off my feet.

"A mini you and me! That's the best gift ever!"

Of course, like any eruption, it's messy and unstable as he loses balance and we tumble on the floor. But as always, he makes sure to cushion the fall for me—well, me and the baby, now—while I check on him the best I can in his tightening hug.

"I'm not okay. I'm fucking amazing! We're gonna have a baby!" he laughs, not making any move to get up from the wooden floor, even when he glances at the rest of the team, all frozen in their spots, unsure whether to stop and help us or continue with the drills. "Practice's over. I'm taking you all to the bar! We're gonna have a baby!"

"Asher, they're not legally allowed to drink." I try to scold him, my serious tone failing under the loud cheers and also the deafening thuds inside my chest at my next words. "As a future daddy, you can't do that."

"Right." He quickly nods, keeping his grin as wide, surely the widest and most symmetrical grin I've ever seen him wear in the last five years. "I'll bring the booze here."

I can't even attempt to protest this time as the team gets louder, and my heart too with Asher's promise in my ear.

"Don't worry, I have nine months to learn to be responsible and change a diaper with one hand."

"I'm not worried. I know you're gonna be the best dad."

I might have worried and doubted about a lot of things since I've seen my positive pregnancy test, but never him.

Together, we can go through anything, and he's already dispelling any shadow that could haunt the back of my mind when his clear gaze finds mine.

"And don't tell my mother, but you're gonna be the best mom ever."

If someone had told me 12 years ago that the cocky jock who's offered to give me a tour on my first day at Lotus Bay would whisper and seal these words with his irresistible lopsided smile on my euphoric one, I would have never believed it.

He has promised me a wild ride, though, and it is beyond anything I could have ever imagined as his lips take mine into one of his famous adrenaline-packed kisses.

THE END

Our babies are having a baby!! 😭 Can you believe it?! I'm sharing tissues if you need! 🤧🤧🤧

There are so many emotions bursting through my chest right now, and I can't even process it. But one thing I know is how grateful I am for all of you, my little readers, my little Peaches! 🧡🧡🧡🧡

The love and support you've shown and keep showing on this story is incredible. I know we're far from the billions of reads, but each little notification I got right after posting, each comment and message full of belief, love, passionate emotions about my characters 😉, and sometimes impatience to know when is the next update (thank you again for your patience 💕), but also each silent reader (yes, I know you're there, and you don't have to be shy with me 😘) is beyond anything I could have imagined.

So thank you from the bottom of my little writer heart 🥹🥹🥰💕.

This story is so special to me. I hope I brought you a little joy, a little hope, and maybe the message that a disease, a disability, or even your past doesn't define you.

Personally, what I've learned through this story is that it's okay to be excessive. I mean Asher is so excessive, and he's one of my male characters who has the most success (after Alex Carter, of course 😏).

So I'm gonna continue to be excessive and shower you with love, words, and sometimes cliffhangers. Like right now, with this note, and trust me, you'll want to read until the end 😉 because like every time, when a story ends, another begins...

Or in this case, Santa's daughter & Krampus' son will continue. ✨

If you haven't read it yet, it's your sign to pick it up. Beware though, you might end up on the naughty list because this story is erotica.

As for the ones who've already read it and wanted more, even if not during the Holidays, it's the perfect time to re-read it because I have some exciting surprises coming for Balthazar and Marie-Noël. 🤭🤫

But it's not the only story I hope to bring you in 2025. I have a few ideas already, and I'll need your help choosing which one I'll write first. 👀

So mark your calendars, next week, on December 21, I'll make a little poll in my Insta stories for you to help me decide what trope I'll explore next. Always romance, of course (I'm a lover of love 😍) but maybe a little bit darker.

I hope you'll follow me here, on my socials, and mostly, on my writing journey, and I hope to see you in my other books!

And as always, I love you, my little Peaches!!! Stay awesome!!! 🥰🥰😘😘🧡🧡✨✨✨

PS: Don't hesitate to leave a comment to tell me what you think of the whole story, and share this book if you liked it! It would mean the world to me! 😘