Chapter 38 Two Years Later Dorian had his arm around me as we strolled through the mansion. My throat felt tight with emotion. "I can't believe this is the last time we'll ever see the inside of this place." We'd come out to Orion Coast for the weekend, and tonight was our last night. The new owners had bought the house furnished and would be moving in next week. "It's time. Don't you think?" Dorian said. "Our life is in Ohio now. As much as I wanted to hold on to this place, it deserves new blood that can appreciate it and give it the care it deserves." "I agree. It just makes me sad for you to have to say goodbye to it." He stopped walking. "Why? I'm happier than I've ever been back home with you." "It's weird to hear you describe Ohio as home." "Well, it is my home now. Home is where you and Rosie are. For the first time in my life, I actually feel settled. I never felt settled here, as much as the nostalgia sometimes gets to me." "Speaking of settled, is everything all set with Benjamin?" "Yup. He's on board to move to Ohio." Dorian smiled. "I also have a bit of a surprise for you." "What?" "I've been waiting to tell you... I know you've been worried about Patsy being out of a job with the sale of the mansion. Well, the new owners are taking her on as their housekeeper." My mouth dropped open. "No way." "Yep. They asked if I could recommend someone, so it was the perfect solution." "You're right. That is the best surprise. I'd been feeling so guilty." Dorian led me out back to the patio. "What are we going to do for our last night in the mansion?" I asked. "Well, I was thinking we could watch a movie in the theater for old times' sake. Maybe I could burn some dinner, too, or we could get takeout." "I'll choose the latter, thanks." "Okay." He rubbed my back. "I miss Rosie." "Already?" "Yeah," he said. "I wish we would've brought her. Casey said it was okay. Not sure why you nixed the idea." "Because it's only a weekend. And I wanted to fully focus on giving this place a proper goodbye." "You're right." Dorian pouted. "But she'd love the pool." "Well, we're gonna put one in our new place, right?" Dorian and I were finally moving out of the house I'd shared with Casey to a new home we planned to make our own. I couldn't have been more excited for the year ahead. Later that evening, when we went down to watch a movie in the theater, I was met with the most unexpected sight. Sure, it was the theater I'd remembered. But hanging on the walls, replacing the old movie posters, were each and every one of the monkey portraits I'd painted back when I was in college. "Oh my God." I covered my mouth. "What's happening? Where did you get these?" Dorian beamed proudly. "I bought them." "But how? They were all over. Different owners. How did you find them all?" "I contacted the school and gave them a hefty donation to track down the owners for me. Then I made each one an offer they couldn't refuse." "But why?" He smiled as if the answer was obvious. "I wanted them for myself. They're special to me because they remind me of the night we met and the magic of that time in our lives." I shook my head incredulously. "How long have you had them?" "I started the search back when I was in Greece and slowly began accumulating them." I'd never hit it big as an artist, but that particular monkey exhibit had done really well, each painting selling for a decent amount. Back then, the school had split the profits with the artist when a piece was sold. I was sure, though, that Dorian had paid way more than the original prices. "This had to have cost a fortune." He shrugged. Of course. Sometimes I forgot who I was talking to. That's how normalized Dorian had become in the past couple of years. I tucked them away in storage until I had them all and could figure out the perfect space for them." "Wow." I started to cry. "Looking at them all in one room makes me miss how I used to feel when creating them." "Well, good. Because they're coming with us to the new house in Ohio. Maybe you can get your mojo back once we finish your art room." Excitement raced through me. "I hope so." I finally felt like I could breathe. Any remaining guilt over ending things with Casey had dissipated once he began dating a woman he really seemed to love about six months ago. He and Caitlin were getting serious, and by some miracle, Casey and Dorian had become friends. We'd even had Casey and Caitlin over for dinner a couple of times. I knew fostering a true friendship with Casey was the best gift I could give my daughter. Rosie was now fully aware that Dorian was not only my friend but someone I loved. After he moved in with us six months ago, I had a talk with her and made that clear. I didn't want to have to hide my love from her. Dorian and I'd spent too much time living apart to have to continue to hide. Thankfully, Rosie had grown to love him, too. This evening, Dorian and I decided to watch-what else?-Pulp Fiction on the theater screen. When the movie ended and the credits rolled, Dorian dropped to one knee. I covered my mouth in surprise. "Rosebud, I couldn't think of a better place to do this-at the end of the movie that first bonded us in the room where I first knew I was falling for you..." "Oh my God." Now it made sense. The monkey paintings displayed. His insistence on watching Pulp Fiction. "You are the love of my life," he said. "I feel like everything we've been through was so you and I could have this life together with Rosie. I consider her my daughter, too. You know that. And I'm so lucky to have you both." He opened a small box, displaying the most beautiful diamond I'd ever laid eyes on: a sparkling round stone on a pave band. "Presenting this to you is long overdue. But I want to show you the receipt for this ring." He reached into his pocket and handed it to me. "If you look at the date, you'll see that it was actually purchased a couple of weeks before we broke up seven years ago-before I realized what was happening with my father's death investigation. I'd planned to ask you to marry me even then. I lost several years with you, yet my love has only gotten stronger. Back then, I thought I couldn't love you more. I now realize that my love for you knows no bounds. Seeing the amazing mother you've become has only made me love you more." He paused, his eyes glistening. "And the fact that our son is inside of you right now is the greatest gift I've ever been given. To know my family name won't end with me is something I never imagined." I was three months pregnant, and we'd taken a special blood test that predicts gender early. We were having a little boy. Dorian and I were beside ourselves with excitement, but we hadn't told anyone until we could tell Rosie first when we got back to Ohio. He took the ring out. "I know I've done everything in a whacky order. Friend-zoned you. Fell in love with you. Broke up with you. Practically came back from the dead. Stole you away again. Got you pregnant before we had a chance to get married. I'm hoping you won't use all that against me now-because I really need you to say yes. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" "Yes!" I wrapped my arms around him as I burst into tears. We embraced for a long time before Dorian took me over to one of the paintings on the wall. It was the last monkey I'd created. "Can I ask...when exactly did you do this one?" He smirked. "Because it wasn't part of the original twelve." My cheeks tingled. I'd hoped you'd love it. "I painted it for you before things went south and was going to give it to you on your birthday," I explained. "But then we broke up, and I just let the school sell it." "It's my favorite." He grinned. "I'm so glad to hear that." The painting depicted a monkey in the same wool coat Dorian had worn the night I met him. He wore a confident smile and had the most perfect mane of black hair, along with blue eyes the color of oxidized steel. It was aptly titled, The Gorillionaire. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...