The Promise of Love Read online

  He chuckled. “It smells terrific.”

  He handed me a box, and I looked down at it, confused. “What is it?”

  “It’s me telling you that I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose you, Katie, and I’ve been a fool lately.”

  “Matt, you know I love you. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I miss how things were.”

  “I know. I’ve just been upset with your involvement with Ben. I thought maybe you wanted him more than me, that you regretted marrying me. I’m worried that you’re going to leave me and go back to him. I realized though that it would be my own behavior that caused that. I haven’t been very nice to you lately.”

  Tears started to stream down my face. This is what I had been waiting to hear from him.

  “Oh Katie, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. This is all my fault. I’m the one that pushed you away, and I just hope that I can fix things now.”

  I looked back down at the box and opened it to find a diamond bracelet inside. He wrapped me in his arms and held me tight. We parted for a kiss, and I hoped that this would be a new beginning for us.

  “I also have some good news to share with you.”

  “Oh? And what’s that?” He smiled at me with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

  I took a deep breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”

  Shock marked his face. I almost laughed at the sight of it. He definitely didn’t expect that one. He started to laugh along with me. “Wow, you definitely did catch me by surprise with that one.”

  I hurriedly asked, “But it’s okay, right? You’re happy?”

  “Of course I am, sweetheart. I just didn’t expect it that’s all. This is wonderful news.”

  “I love you, Matt. Everything is going to work out just fine.”

  “I love you too, Katie.”

  He pulled me in for another hug, and I finally felt safe there again.

  17

  Chapter Seventeen

  Katie

  My pregnancy flew by, and it was a little more than I had bargained for. I did everything that I was supposed to do. I ate really well and continued to exercise, but pregnancy was not for the faint of heart. I carried around a little basketball-sized bump under my dress most times and felt blessed that I didn’t gain a lot of weight during my pregnancy. I had terrible morning sickness throughout, however, and I was looking forward to it being over with. I wanted to get back to feeling normal instead of feeling sick every single day. All I thought about these days was holding my baby in my arms. A smile came to my face every time I thought about it. I pictured rocking the baby to sleep and feeding the child. I couldn’t have been more excited about the prospect of being a mother. It was one of my biggest dreams, and it was finally coming true. I loved Matt will all my heart and we were going to have a blast raising our child together.

  Both our families came together and gave me the most incredible shower I could have ever dreamed of. It was more than I had bargained for, but living on the Upper East Side of New York was all about going big on everything. It was something I just had to get used to. We had the shower at the plaza, and it was as elegant as our wedding had been. I felt it was overboard considering it was just a baby shower, but that was just the way things were done, and I was still grateful to have people in my life that loved me that much. I was shocked to find a few hundred people waiting there to celebrate with me—I didn’t even know some of them. But they were all there and happy to help celebrate. The gifts had been lavish and much needed. I had barely bought anything myself because I had been so busy keeping the company running.

  The nursery was complete, but we hadn’t purchased anything to fill it yet. We would have more than we needed for our bundle of joy. With so many people there, I had found the event a little overwhelming, but it was something I got over quickly enough. I had expected a more private affair with just immediate friends and family, but Matt and my best friend had made sure it was nothing like that at all. So I had accepted it, and it turned out to be quite a night, though I was fairly exhausted with the whole thing afterward. It had been one hell of a party, but it was tiring being around all those people. I was pretty sure that our child would have enough clothing to get through to college. After the shower, I had looked through all the clothing, finding them so cute. I hung them lovingly in the closet and some put away in drawers. I was very grateful for everything I had been given, and it caused me an immense amount of excitement at the thought of what was next to come.

  I couldn’t wait to see our baby and get to use all the things that were given to us. Being around people at the shower made me realize just how excited I was to be a mother and see what that next step in our future was like. I knew that Matt would make a wonderful father, and I looked forward to experiencing that with him. He had changed a lot, and I knew that he really loved me. I was sure that we could get through anything if we just stuck together. That was what was most important.

  Since our talk, things had been going really well between Matt and me. I couldn’t ask for anything more. He was on his best behavior, and I felt the connection between us growing stronger, and that was all I ever wanted. Matt no longer brought up Ben, and I was grateful for that as well. I didn’t want to be punished for someone I had dated in the past. I never wanted to judge him about his past, and I didn’t think I should be judged based on anything that happened between Ben and me. It just wasn’t right.

  Everything was great now between Matt and me, and it made me feel like the trouble between us was a thing of the past. I was so grateful we had resolved our issues because I didn’t want to bring our child into the world if things between us weren’t good. I wanted that child to be loved as much as possible, not having to come into a home where the parents were constantly fighting. But I felt good about things, and that was all that mattered—I would be okay from then on out. I truly believed that we would be good now and being a family would be an easy step for us. It was all going to be all right—I chanted that often.

  The months that passed since that conversation had been nothing short of a whirlwind. We were both as busy as ever. There was so much planning to do to prepare for the baby, plus I still had to juggle the company I ran, and that was no easy task. There was so little time to prepare, and yet the baby was coming sooner rather than later. I hadn’t realized how busy I would be with the clothing line I had launched, and being pregnant didn’t allow for me to get much done. I had to delegate a lot to my team, but it was probably about time I did that anyway. It just seemed that the company was getting bigger and I didn’t have enough hours in the day to complete what I wanted. I liked being part of the whirlwind, and I knew I would miss that part once the baby came. I liked being very hands-on, but I knew I would have to take a step back from that and spend more time in my own studio. Things were just going to be a little crazy for a while. I thrived in that environment though, so I didn’t worry too much about it.

  I was thrilled that my line was being picked up by some celebrities—it helped immensely in fast-tracking my fashion line. Once a celebrity wore my items everyone wanted them. It was just that easy. Seeing it splashed all over the magazines was like seeing my dreams come true right before my eyes. I couldn’t have imagined how well things had been going, and I was grateful for it all—I wouldn’t have it any other way. The future looked bright for my line, and I knew I was going to continue to be successful and probably very wealthy because of it. Not that money ever meant much to me, but the success portion always did. I had wanted to be someone, and it looked like it was going to happen exactly the way I had always envisioned it. The more my line soared, the more I was being considered as a designer to be reckoned with. Finally, being able to call myself one of the elite designers was something to be proud of.

  I had a long way to go, but I believed I would go all the way to the top in no time. The most exciting part for me was when I decided to start up a couture line for children. I had decided on it as soon as I realized I was pregnant. I w
anted to be able to design clothing for my child and then send it out into the world. I had started putting things together while I was pregnant, and seeing the dress and suits I’d created gave me so much pride. I couldn’t imagine being happier than I was then. Everything was just the way that I wanted it. As soon as word got out that I was designing clothes for children, I had orders pouring in. We had to hire a whole new team just to handle the children’s couture line because we had trouble keeping up with the orders. That was all good news for me, of course. I was widely popular and my line was exclusive only to a few places. I was thinking of opening my own boutique to showcase the children’s line and then eventually spreading that chain all over the world. It was a dream of mine but one that would have to wait. I had my hands full already with the baby coming.

  Scrambling to keep up with orders was a thing of the past. We were all caught up now and able to handle anything that came our way. The designs were selling as soon as we launched, and I continued to sell out like crazy. I couldn’t wait to find out what I was having so I would know whether my child would be sporting my dresses or blazers. Celebrities wanted the first choice, and I had regular clients on waiting lists dying to get my clothing before it hit the stores.

  I had a new line available as well, but it would not be launched until I had my little bundle. Things were getting close, and I needed to focus on my pregnancy—too much stress was not good for the baby. Not that I had much to be stressed about. My marriage was back on track, and we had a little one on the way. We were just very busy people.

  I needed everything to be right for the new line, but what I needed right now was to focus on Matt and the baby. He was just as excited as I was to meet our little one. I couldn’t wait to see his face when the child was born. I knew deep down that he would make a wonderful father.

  I was due in a matter of days, and I was anxious to get things over with. It was time to start the new chapter in my life. I couldn’t wait to find out what I was having, and sometimes I thought that Matt was even more excited about finding out the sex of the baby than I was, if that was possible. Being pregnant was for the birds—I was over the back aches, weight gain, and vomiting. It was time to get out of this and get some baby love. I had been longing for a glass of wine for months, and soon enough I would be able to partake in a glass or two, which was exactly what I needed. The best part was that Matt and I were having plenty of sex these days to try to induce me. I was desperate to go into labor, and having sex was just a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been working no matter how many different positions and techniques we tried. Whenever I suggested we might need to be a bit rougher, Matt said he didn’t want to hurt me or the baby, so pregnant I remained.

  The next morning when I woke up, I rolled to the side of the bed feeling like a beached whale. I prayed that I would go into labor that day. I swung my legs over the bed and headed to the bathroom before my bladder burst. I peed so many times during the day no matter what I did to stop it. I went to the bathroom and started to brush my teeth. Matt had already gone off to work for the day, and all I could think about was going back to bed. I was exhausted and needed more rest. I considered going out to sit by our pool if it wasn’t too hot out. A cool swim would probably make me feel better.

  I started brushing my teeth, and suddenly I felt a pop and water pooled down at my feet. I put a hand between my legs and gasped. My water had broken, and suddenly I felt panicky. I had thought it would be more dramatic, like a flood, but it was more like a trickle down my leg. I didn’t know what to do; my mind went suddenly blank. I dropped the toothbrush and headed back into the bedroom to find my phone. I immediately called Matt and told him that I was in labor. He told me he would send a driver for me and meet me at the hospital as soon as he could. I grabbed my hospital bag and headed for the door to wait for the driver to arrive.

  18

  Chapter Eighteen

  Katie

  I was spent. I couldn’t remember a time that I had felt so exhausted. Labor had been quite an experience and one that no one could ever prepare you for. I had read the books and even watched the videos. Friends and family had told me what to expect, but despite all their advice and the research I had conducted myself, it was still nothing like I had ever imagined. It was worse, far worse. An exhausting labor that was the worst pain I had ever experienced. My labor itself wasn’t that long, but those five hours had been long enough—it had felt like an eternity of pain. The contractions had ripped through me without any mercy. I couldn’t imagine it being any worse, and yet it had gone on for hours on end. I had believed in a drug-free labor, and I had got my money’s worth. I had felt it was the best decision for me and the baby, but the downside was that I felt everything. It had truly been the longest five hours of my life. Thank god there had been a benefit to the whole thing in the end. I wondered though how people had five kids—I couldn’t imagine going through that so many times. It was almost barbaric.

  Thankfully I had a private suite, compliments of my loving husband. It was luxurious and felt like a home away from home. I loved the fact that I had my privacy in such a time. The suite I was staying in was just as big as my master bedroom in the colonial house we now owned. It had everything that I could possibly need to make myself comfortable. There was a flat-screen TV, though I had yet to use it. The suite resembled an actual bedroom to make guests feel right at home. I had packed my overnight bag with necessities from home, so I had everything that I needed.

  Matt had shown up to the hospital right on time and held my hand during the labor. When the baby had finally come out, it was a beautiful baby girl. I had been overjoyed, picturing the darling little thing wearing the precious dresses from my line. I would dote on the girl and make her feel like a true princess. Looking down into her little eyes for the first time had completed my life. I couldn’t imagine needing anything more in life now that I had my precious little girl. When I had reluctantly handed the child over to Matt, he had looked down at her in awe, a truly endearing sight. He had fallen in love at first sight with our daughter and had agreed to name her Bella. Little Bella was a true representation of our love for one another.

  We had a staff of nurses that came in frequently to help out and check on little Bella. It made things so much easier for me as I recovered. I wasn’t planning on breastfeeding because my schedule would not allow for it, and we would have a nanny at the house to help out anyway. I would need to get back into the office as soon as possible, and because of that, I would have to be flexible with feedings.

  I lay there in bed reading and waiting for Matt to arrive. I was famished and he promised to bring me in some food. I was still very sore from the labor, so I didn’t move around as much as I would have liked. I considered flipping on the TV but instead decided to read for a little while. Bella was in the nursery getting a checkup from the doctors, and I missed her already. She would need to have a bath when I came back to the room, and I wanted to be the one to do it.

  I loved being hands-on with Bella and knew that having a nanny would be difficult for me. I had a hard time delegating for my company; how much harder would it be to delegate to a nanny with my own child? It wasn’t going to be easy, but Matt insisted on having a nanny, as he’d grown up with one and felt it was essential, especially if I wanted to go back to work. There were times that I felt Matt would prefer if I stayed at home and didn’t work at all. I knew he was immensely proud of me for all my achievements, but he felt it was unnecessary for me to work because he was already wealthy. I didn’t care about money, of course. I just wanted to have something to call my own.

  I had worked hard to get the company to where it was, and I adored fashion. I knew I would go slowly insane if I were to be a stay-at-home mom. I wanted to be more than just a wife and mother. Running a fashion line defined me, and it was my own unique mark on the world. How could I want anything less than that? I could still be a mother and a wife with my company—the three fulfilled me more th
an anything ever could. It was what I wanted, and although I didn’t agree with having a nanny, I would accept the help if it meant that Matt would be okay with me having my own career as well. Maybe he was a little old-fashioned. I had never really thought of him in that way, but it was obvious he liked things a certain way. Since I didn’t really care one way or another, I just let things slide off my shoulders. It wasn’t enough to worry about after all.

  I had read about two chapters when Matt walked through the door holding Bella. I smiled knowing he must have gone to the nursery as soon as he entered the hospital. I loved seeing our sweet bundle in his arms; they looked so cute together. He came to the side of the bed and bent down so that I could see Bella. She was sleeping and her sweet face was rosy and just darling. I looked up at him. “Was the doctor finished with her? Everything’s okay?”

  “Yes, she’s as fit as can be. I managed to snatch her up before they could put her back to bed. So she’s ours for the time being.” He looked down at Bella. “My god, she’s as beautiful as you are, Katie.”

  “Can I hold her?” I held out my arms, and Matt placed her gently in them. I nuzzled into the neck of the little one and kissed the top of her head. She had that sweet baby scent to her, and I loved breathing it in. It was intoxicating and I loved my little one more than I could ever have imagined.

  “Yes, you are right, she’s very beautiful, but I can’t take all the credit for it.”

  “Well, maybe I had some help in it, but she looks just like you, my love.”

  Matt bent down and kissed me on the forehead as I nuzzled our daughter. Everything was just perfect—I couldn’t ask for a single thing more in my life.