Scared of love

Epilogue

~ Two years later ~

"Poppy, honey, I'm home!" I shout throughout the new house we moved in to recently as I chuck my keys on the side and pull my blazer off, which a student got paint on.

There's no answer from Poppy and Kano hasn't come to the door to great me like he does every day. "Kano?" I shout again as I look in all the rooms downstairs.

Where are they? Something must be wrong. I run up the stairs and look in our bedroom. She's not there. I look in the spare room. No sign. I push open the bath room door to find her sat on the edge of the bath with her head in her hands.

Kano's head in resting on her lap. He didn't great me because he refuses to leave Poppy when she's upset.

"Baby, what's wrong? Has something happened? I ask as I crouch down in front of her, pushing her hair back as it hides her face. She takes her head out of her hands and looks at me.

"I'm pregnant." She chokes out and I can't help the smile that breaks out on my face. I'm going to be a Daddy.

"Why are you sad about that?" I ask her and she then smiles too.

"You're not upset?" She asks, the smile on her face getting bigger and bigger.

"No!" I stand up and wrap pull her with me, wrapping her in my arms. "I'm ecstatic!" I stroke a hand over hair and kiss her forehead.

"Really?" She asks me. Looking up at me, she holds on to my waist.

"Yes, baby girl." I snake my hands down to her stomach and rub my hands over it gently. "You're going to be a wonderful mum." I tell her.

"That means a lot Keiran, thank you." She stands on her tip toes and kisses my lips. I hold her against me tightly.

~Four years later~

I stroke Sophie's blonde hair away from her face and kiss the top of her head as I tuck her in to her comfy bed. "Good night, Princess." I tell her.

"Good night, Daddy." She tells me, her sweet little voice cracks slightly as she's tired.

Poppy gave birth to our beautiful baby girl nearly four years ago and she brings so much happiness in to our lives. Sophie is the spitting image of Poppy. Gorgeous blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

Poppy always tells me that when Sophie was born, that was the first time that my smile reached my eyes. Sophie meant a fresh start for us both.

I sit down on the end of her bed as I wait for her to fall asleep. When Poppy enters the room, I look up and smile at her. Poppy comes over to Sophie and kisses her forehead to.

"Dinner's nearly ready, old man." Poppy whisper laughs as she kisses my forehead. We joke about that a lot now. I'm thirty years old next month and she's twenty four this month.

"Okay, darling." I smile at her as I watch her walk out of the room. I swear I love her more and more every day even though I don't think it's possible to love someone more than I love Poppy, and of course, Sophie.

As soon as Poppy has left the room, Kano enters. He's an old boy now. He pads over to Sophie's bed. Kano sleeps next to Sophie every night to protect her. I move up so he can jump on. He slides in between Sophie and the wall, resting his head on the pillow. The two are nearly as close as him and Poppy.

Sophie slides over, curling up in his thick fur. My daughter is perfect in every single way. My family is. Tonight I am going to ask Poppy to marry me. After checking Sophie is asleep, I stand up quietly and exit her room, fiddling with the velvet black box in my pocket.

Poppy is putting the dinner out on the table. I pour us both a glass of wine and place them at our seats. I pull out Poppy's chair for her then sit at my own place.

"Thank you, darlin'." I tell her as I begin to eat my perfectly cooked carbonara.

After we have both finished eating, Poppy leans back in her chair and smiles. "Without tooting my own horn, that was good." She let's her head flop back and closes her eyes. This is my cue.

I slip out of my chair and on to one knee in front of her. I pull the velvet box out of my pocket and open it, revealing the beautiful diamond engagement ring.

Poppy brings her head back up and her eyes land on me and the box I'm holding. A smile has already formed on her face.

"Poppy, my darling girl, We have been on a rollercoaster ride. There have been ups and downs. Beautiful moments and times we'd rather forget. But I am and will be eternally grateful that I have been able to call you mine for the past six years. I hope that I can spend the rest of my life with you. Poppy Marie Mendez, will you marry me?" My throat is now dry from nerves, and I think I rambled a little.

Poppy has tears in her eyes and I smile on her face that would hurt your cheeks. She stands up and wraps her arms around my neck tightly. "Yes!" She shouts in my ear and I pull back so I can decorate her delicate hand with the ring that means she's mine forever.