Fated Plans

Epilogue

"Max baby, where are you?"

Andrea's voiced echoed throughout the house, she heard no response. Sighing loudly, she rounded to the short hallway and ended up in her living room. It was empty except for the one man who sat comfortably on the couch, looking her up and down before a smirk formed on his lips.

"Don't say anything," Andrea warned before he could open his mouth. She called Max again before sighing. "I'm going to be the worst mom there is," she grumbled, dragging her feet towards the couch.

"Nah, I think I'm going to be the worst parent between us because I just let Max play outside."

Andrea paused. Callum might have been casually saying what he just uttered but she could see the shadow on his eyes. Not caring that her carefully ironed dress was going to get creases, she went to him. Max could play outside right now. Depositing herself on his lap, she entwined her hands at his nape.

"Don't say that. You are going to be the best father ever," she told him, willing with her eyes for him to believe her; because no matter what, she was going to be confident with him. "What happened with your father was not your fault."

How could it be Callum's fault? He was still inside Fulvia's womb when Callixto decided he wasn't ready yet to be a father and so he abandoned his responsibilities. It was devastating for Callum that he grew up not seeing much of his father but to know that he wasn't wanted from the very beginning was a punch in the gut for the man. That's why Callum didn't tell her what was happening to his father during those times he was gone. How Andrea wished she could have been by his side when he learned it and eased out his pain. But all those were from the past, they had their present now.

Callum looked at her then closed his eyes momentarily before his hand snaked around her waist and he pulled her tightly against his body. "Do you think I could have been a good father to our baby?"

"Yeah," Andrea breathed out. She was sure of that. "But he's our angel now."

"Yup," Callum murmured as he now peppered kisses on her exposed shoulder. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Atleast now, Callum wasn't beating himself up with what happened with their baby. The accident was regrettable but maybe, it wasn't their time yet to be the parents.

"I should maybe finish getting ready," Andrea exhaled breathlessly seeing as Callum's hands were on her thighs, getting higher any second. "We're late already."

Callum nodded but didn't let her go yet until after he got a good smooching out of her. Getting out of his embrace, she smoothed down her dress once she was on her feet. She quickly went back to the bedroom but paused by the door when she remembered something.

"Honey, would you mind getting Max inside the house? That dog tends to listen to you and please, please ask where he put my other shoe. I need it!"

He heard Callum laughing before she went completely inside the room and made a beeline to the bathroom. She had yet to finish putting her make-up. They were meeting their friends for dinner to celebrate. Andrea's face glowed as she watched her reflection in the mirror. She looked happy and content. And she was.

Glancing at her left hand, a ring sparkled on her finger - it was a simple diamond three-stone white gold ring made in Italy. She didn't dare asked Callum how much it was or what happened to that first ring that she returned to him. He just told her that since they were starting over again, a new ring was in order.

Andrea smiled, remembering the day he proposed.

It was a week after their conversation on the beach.

He went home one night and deposited a Pembroke Welsh Corgi on her lap while she was reading a book. She shrieked in surprise and then cooed in excitement after.

Then there, hanging by the collar of Max was her engagement ring.

Callum just smirked at her when she froze seeing it. No kneeling down, no "Will you marry me?" He just sat down besides her, untied the ribbon holding the ring and slipped it on her finger while she was trying to recover from her astonishment.

"Let's get married. We only need a Lab but maybe after we find a house with a garden. I was told that corgi can be very energetic. So what do you say?"

Andrea just gaped at him. Her wits just abandoned her. And before she could do anything, he swooped in for a kiss and the dog wiggled out of her lap, jumping to the floor.

"Is there anything I need to say right now? As far as I can tell, you already put the ring on my finger."

"You're right. I was just actually going to slip it on your finger when we were at the beach but you told me you wanted a corgi so I just had to find one before popping the question."

"You are really that sure that I am going to marry you?" Andrea wanted to point out that he didn't even pop out the question...just like when he first slid in a ring on her finger before.

"Why? Are you going to marry someone else?" And Callum actually looked unsure with himself at the moment as his brows rutted up, staring at her, eyes opened like a saucer before they narrowed in determination. "I'm not going to let you marry another man. I love you and you love me. End of story."

And Andrea laughed at his expression. How could she get mad at him when he's adorable getting worked up? "Uh-huh. Just be thankful that I do really love you enough to marry you," she tutted at him. "And that I like the dog," she told him even when the said dog was now chewing the end of her fuzzy slipper while looking at her with those puppy eyes.

She scooped up the corgi and Andrea swore she fell in love with the creature.

Swiping in her favourite coral lipstick that matched her outfit, Andrea adorned her one-shoulder dress with that motherhood knot necklace she bought from that store in Malibu. Going to her closet to find matching heels, she glanced at that large framed picture above her bed.

She grinned to herself.

It was a gift from Callum. The first picture he got of her. That one he boldly took when she was staring at that Bethesda fountain the night she contemplated on getting an artificial insemination. Goodness, they really came a long way from that night. They surpassed storm of hardships along their way.

Now, they're engaged and had set to marry with only three months to prepare a wedding in Italy.

Callum was worth all her sufferings.

Andrea Macie Quinn's future was still unwritten but one thing was for sure...Callum Drew Reifsnyder was going to be in it.

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