into my life and nothing was the same. It was better-so much better. I miss you desperately. You and the girls. I need to see you smile every day. All of you. I need to hear your voices, your laughter. You cannot take my daughters from me and you cannot take yourself.”
She ached for him. Giving in seemed the only option. But how could she?
“I won’t live in a loveless marriage,” she told him, fighting tears, fighting the need to surrender. “I deserve more.”
“Yes, you do. I was wrong to suggest such a thing before. You deserve to be loved, to be worshiped. To be the best part of your husband’s life.”
He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, then turned her wrists and kissed her palms.
“Let me be that man,” he said quietly. “Let me show you all the ways I love you. Let me prove myself again and again, then, when you are sure, continue to test me.” He stared into her eyes. “I will not fail, my heart. I will never fail. Because I love you. Only you. I did not think it was possible, yet here I stand. Humbled. Needing. In love. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? To give me another chance?”
“Say yes.”
The words were whispered from behind her. She sensed all three of the girls standing there, willing her to give As’ad the second chance he asked for.
“Yes,” she whispered, then threw herself into his arms.
He caught her and pulled her close, saying her name over and over, then kissed her and held her as if he would never let her go.
He felt so right, next to her, she thought, nearly bursting with happiness. Then there were more arms and he pulled back only to let the girls into their circle of love.
He picked up Pepper and put his arm around Nadine. Kayleen pulled Dana against her and they held on to each other…a family at last.
“I’m so happy,” Kayleen told him.
“As am I. Perhaps not as quick a learner as you would like.”
“You figured it out.”
“Only because you had the strength to leave me. You will always do the right thing, won’t you?”
“I’ll try.”
He kissed her again, then frowned. “Why do you cry?”
“I’m not.”
She touched her cheek and felt wetness. But it was cold, not warm and wasn’t a tear.
Pepper shrieked. “It’s snowing. As’ad, you brought the snow machine to the desert!”
“I did not. There is no way to power it out here.”
Kayleen looked up. Snow fell from a clear sky. Perfect snow. Miracle snow. Christmas snow.
He set Pepper on the ground. She joined her sisters and the other children, running around, trying to catch snowflakes in their hands and on their tongues. As’ad pulled Kayleen close.
“You must promise to never leave me again,” he said. “I would not survive it.”
“As you will never leave me.”
He laughed. “Where else would I want to be? I have you.”
“For always,” she told him.
“Yes,” he promised. “For always.”
Love burned hot and bright in his eyes. Love that filled the empty space inside of her and told her she had finally,
SUSAN MALLERY
