Page 76 of When the Sun Rises

“Yeah. I understand the sentiment, and it means a lot to me thatyou’d be willing to even consider having his name attached to our child, but I don’t want Raleigh to be something you constantly feel like you need to make space for. I’ve made peace with his death, and I want our future to be for us. He doesn’t have a place there, as sad as it is.”

Jackson's blond hair ruffled around his head as another breeze rolled by, and he looked so beautiful I couldn’t help but leaning in to press a kiss against his lips. He hummed into it, his hand coming up to run over the stubble along my cheeks from when I hadn’t had time to shave this morning.

“I want her to have your dark hair.” He whispered against my lips. “And your eyes.”

“Funny, I was just hoping she’d have your dimple and sunny attitude.”

Our hands laced together between us as we turned back to head into the barn, all the while continuing to talk about the possibilities of what our daughter could look like. We’d chosen not to know who the father was when we’d received the news, but we’d agreed we’d probably be able to tell the older our daughter got.

Three years ago, none of this would have even been possible for me to picture. A husband who loved me despite the scars and trauma I held from losing the first big love of my life. A little girl on the way who I’d be raising to care and love for the horses and land we lived on just as I’d been. A future that held so many uncertainties, but one that didn’t scare me anymore because I knew the man beside me would be there with me every step of the way.

Not for the first time, I sent a small thank you out into the void—to whomever put Jackson Arness in my path. He’d been everything I needed to help me finally realize my grief was consuming me, and been there to help walk me through how to tie my own safety line. It’d been a hard journey, that was for damn sure, but every day since I was so thankful I’d done it. And now, I couldn’t wait to see where life took me.

THE END