“Oh?”
“I want to hyphenate. I want to make us the Maxwell-Hirano’s. I don’t have as much respect for the Hirano name as I once did.”
“I’d love that.”
“When you get married for real can I marry you guys?” Virgo asked. “I got ordained for this photo-shoot a few years ago.”
We broke apart, but I kept my arms wrapped around one of his. “Of course, Virgo.”
“But since Michael is proposing when we get home, maybe we should do a double wedding instead?” Virgo said, looking thoughtful.
“What!” Michael yelped, his face turning the darkest shade of crimson I’d ever seen. “How can you know that?”
“Congratulations,” Taylor rumbled next to me.
“Thanks.” Virgo smiled, threw a piece sign, and roped her arms around Michael who was still sputtering.
“What an exciting day!” Mrs. Tupp cried and then sighed.
The rest of the party went by with a fair amount of drinking and storytelling. Taylor and I opened up the milk puzzle and occasionally someone would try to fit a piece together. By the end of the party, with the help of everyone, we got half of the border finished.
As the night went on, slowly people had to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Tupp left first, making sure to grab their casserole dishes on the way out. Then Carol, Lincoln, and my aunt headed back to their home and her hotel. They promised to come back in the morning for a brunch we had planned to help everyone get to know each other better. Virgo and Michael left last, practically running out the door. Virgo saying, she wanted to get home to get proposed to already while Michael hid his embarrassed face in his hands as they left.
I shut the door after they ran out and leaned back against it.
Taylor walked over to me and put his hands on my waist. I welcomed the warm touch.
“Mr. Maxwell-Hirano,” I said slyly.
“Yes?” He asked, his voice deep.
“I can’t wait for our second wedding,” I said, putting my hands over his shoulder.
“Neither can I,” he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips.
He tasted like spiced wine as he nipped at my lips in the way that drove me crazy.
He broke away and said, “I’ve got a beach house in Capri. I want to take you there for our honeymoon.”
“Where’s that?” I asked.
“It’s an island by Italy,” he said. “It’s beautiful. You’ll love it.”
“As long as you’re there, you can take me anywhere.” I pulled him in for another kiss. This time I could feel an energy move between us. “I love you, Taylor Maxwell-Hirano.”
He smiled, a full smile, at his new full name. “I love you, Lydia Maxwell-Hirano.”
“Now,” I said a little breathlessly. I felt the heat building, I couldn’t wait any longer. “Are you ready for the rest of your present?”
“Did you make me this suit just to take it off of me?” He asked, kissing at my neck making me giggle.
“You see through me so easily,” I said, sighing with pleasure.
He scooped me up in his arms and carried me up to our room. We had a very merry Christmas.
Next Christmas we would be joined by another one. I couldn’t wait to share the rest of my life with them. With Taylor. With my family.
Epilogue: Lydia
“Did you get the photos I sent?” I asked over the phone, lowering my sunglasses slightly to watch Taylor, standing at the edge of the water. It would make a good photo too.
“You two look like you’re having fun,” My aunt said over the line.
“We are. It’s beautiful out here,” I said.
“If you’re not using the house next month, I’ll gladly take my vacation there,” Aunt Renee said and laughed.
“It feels like a dream every day,” I said watching Taylor stretch in the setting sun over the waves, turning them slightly orange.
“How are you feeling?”
I instinctively reached down to my stomach. I definitely looked pregnant. That didn’t stop me from wearing a bright red bikini to the beach. I no longer had morning sickness and was instead feeling the little one kick more and more. We hadn’t learned the gender of the baby, preferring the surprise. We had some strong contenders for the name already either way. Virgo was thrilled that the baby was due in September. She hinted that the baby was going to be a Virgo too. I thanked her for the suggestion but politely declined naming it after its star sign.
“I’m feeling good. Taylor felt the baby kick yesterday,” I said.
“I can’t wait to see you again, Lydia.” My aunt said warmly. She was going to be moving back to Chicago soon, finally retiring and getting to spend time with her grandchild. Our relationship was closer than ever before.
“Love you, Aunt Renee,” I said softly.
“Love you Lydia.”
After I hung up, Taylor walked back over to me. He had gotten pretty tan during the week we had been here. While we cuddled, I was obsessed with running my hands over his golden muscles. I stayed out of the ocean mostly, but he had gone in several times, so his skin smelled and tasted pleasantly like saltwater.
“Are you ready to head back?” He asked, shielding his eyes with his hand.
“Can we watch the sunset?” I asked.
He smiled and settled down beside me on my beach blanket under the umbrella. He laced his fingers with mine as the sun dipped below the waves. The sky melted from blue to orange to pink to purple. It gave me some ideas for some designs I’d been working on. We had watched the sunset every night since we got here, but I never got bored of it. It was beautiful, and it was better with him next to me. Taylor was a solid presence at my side and every day I appreciated how lucky I was.
Once the sun had finally disappeared behind the horizon, and the stars started to appear, hundreds of thousands with how little light there was, we headed back to his beach
