“Yes!” A dozen childish voices shouting in unison made her laugh and she felt lighter in her soul than she had since walking out of Simon’s life.
Opening the book, Tula began to read and for the next half hour gave her young audience her complete attention. When the story of the Lonely Bunny and a white kitten ended, children applauded and parents picked up copies of her books.
Tula smiled to herself as she signed her books and spent a minute or two with each of the children, giving them Lonely Bunny stickers to fix to their shirts. She was enjoying herself even while a corner of her mind worried over going to see Simon.
Through the noise and confusion, Tula felt someone watching her. Her skin prickled and her heartbeat quickened in reaction even before she looked up—directly into Simon’s dark brown eyes. Instead of one of his sharply cut business suits, he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt with the Lonely Bunny logo. He held Nathan in his arms and she noticed that the baby wore a matching T-shirt.
Tula laughed and held her breath, afraid to read too much into this surprising visit. Maybe he had simply come to give her the chance to say goodbye to Nathan. Maybe the emotions she read in Simon’s eyes were only regret and fondness. And maybe she would make herself nuts if she didn’t find out.
She stood up slowly, never taking her gaze from his. Her heart doing somersaults in her chest, Tula tried to speak, but her mouth was dry. When Nathan reached out pudgy arms to her, she took him, grateful to feel his warm, solid weight as he snuggled in with a happy sigh.
Simon shrugged and said, “I, uh, saw the sign out front advertising that you would be here today.”
“And you came,” she whispered, running one hand up and down the baby’s back.
“Of course I came,” Simon said, gaze locked with hers, silently telling her everything she had ever wanted to hear. It was all there for her to read. He wasn’t hiding anything anymore. So neither would she.
“I was going to come and see you after the signing.”
He smiled and moved closer. “You were?”
“I had something to tell you,” she said.
He must have seen what he needed to see written on her face because he spoke quickly. “Let me go first. I have so much I want to say to you, Tula.”
She laughed a little and glanced around at the kids and their parents, all of them watching with interest. “Now?”
He looked at their audience, then shrugged them off as inconsequential. “Right here, right now.”
To her amazement, he went down on one knee in front of her and looked up into her eyes. “Simon…”
“Me first,” he said with a smile and shake of his head. “Tula, I can’t live without you. I tried and I just can’t do it. You’re the air I breathe. You’re the heart of me. You’re everything I need and can’t do without.”
Someone in the audience sighed but neither of them paid any attention.
“Oh, Simon—” Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away because she didn’t want to miss a moment of this.
He took her hand and slowly stood up to face her. “I love you. I should have told you that first. But I’ll make up for that by saying it often. I love you. I love you.”
Tula laughed a little, then harder when Nathan gurgled and laughed along with her. “I love you, too,” she told Simon, her heart feeling as though it could pop out of her chest and fly around the room. “That’s what I was coming to tell you. I love you, Simon.”
“Marry me,” he said quickly as if half-afraid she would change her mind. “Marry me. Be my wife and Nathan’s mother. Be with me so neither of us ever has to be like your Lonely Bunny again.”
“Yes, Simon,” Tula said, moving into the circle of his arms. “Oh, yes.”
As he stood in the bookstore, with his entire world held close to him, Simon listened to the cheers from the watching crowd. Staring down into Tula’s blue eyes, he bent to kiss her and knew that like the Velveteen Rabbit she had told him about, it hurt to become real.
But it was worth it.
Epilogue
A year and a half later, Simon urged, “Push, Tula! Don’t stop now, you’re almost there!”
“You push for awhile, okay?” she asked, letting her head drop to the pillow. “I’m taking a break.”
“Hey,” the doctor called out from the foot of the bed, “nobody gets a coffee break yet!”
Simon laughed, planted a hard, fast kiss on Tula’s forehead and said, “As soon as this is over, we’re both taking a break. And, I swear, we’ll never do this again.”
“Oh, yes, we will,” she told him with a sudden gasp. “I want at least six kids.”
“You’re killin’ me,” Simon said with a groan. He added, “Come on, honey, one more push.”
Tula grinned up at him despite the pain he could see shining in her eyes. “Nag, nag, nag…” Then her features stiffened and she took a breath. “Here it comes again.”
Simon had never been so terrified and so excited at once in his life. His gorgeous wife was the bravest, strongest, most miraculous human being in the world. He was humbled by her and so damn grateful to have her in his life.
“You’re a warrior, Tula. You can do this. I’m right here, honey, just get it done.” And please do it fast, he added in a silent prayer.
Mick had warned him that labor was hard on a husband. But Simon had had no idea what it would be like to stand beside the woman he loved and watch her suffer. But typically Tula, she had insisted on going through with this naturally.
Silently, Simon promised that if they ever did this again, God help him, he was going to demand that she take drugs. Or he would.
“Here we go,” Doctor Liz Haney called out in encouragement. “Just a little more, Tula!”
She bore down, gritted her teeth and took Simon’s hand in a crushing grip that he swore later had pulverized his bones. But then a thin, wailing cry split the air. Tula laughed, delighted, and Simon took his first relieved breath in what felt like months.
“It’s a boy!” Doctor Liz reached out and laid the red-faced, squalling, beautiful child across Tula’s chest.
“He’s amazing,” Simon said, “just like his mother.”
“Hello, little Gavin,” Tula said with a tired sigh as she stroked her newborn son’s back. “We’ve been waiting for you. Your big brother is going to be so excited to meet you.”