“No need to get upset, sweetheart. He’s probably just mistaken.” Elijah took his wife by the arm, his son by the hand, and led them out. Ethan got a sharp reprimand for losing high-end clients. For a long time afterward, he couldn’t shake the encounter.
Olivia had dumped him years ago. His career had stalled. He still lived with his parents. His weekends revolved around cheap beer and sports on TV. That was his life. And now, seeing Maggie happy, beautiful, and loved, he felt sick with regret. The son who might have been his called another man “Dad” and loved him for it.
And what did Ethan have to show for his choices? Not much. No line of eager brides was forming for a middling office worker with no house of his own. Maggie had been the one person who loved him sincerely, for who he was. If he could have taken it all back, he would have. But by then it was far too late.
The Mitford family had a wonderful trip and came home sun-kissed and happy. A month later, life surprised them again. Maggie learned she was pregnant with their second child. Elijah was overjoyed, kissing her and lifting her off the floor in celebration. And Maggie thought to herself:
“If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d pick up a beaten stranger on the side of the road, marry him, and have a second baby with him, I would’ve laughed. And yet here I am—the happiest woman in the world. Life has a funny way of dealing the cards.” As for Lena, Maggie didn’t forget her. She introduced her to Elijah’s business partner, Adam, and her instincts proved right.
There was an immediate spark, then a whirlwind romance, and before long Lena was staring at two pink lines herself. Soon the Mitfords were toasting their best friends at their wedding and wishing them a long, happy life together. The two expectant mothers shopped for baby things, went to doctor’s appointments, and looked forward to meeting their little ones. Both couples spent weekends outdoors, grilling burgers, tossing a volleyball around, and simply enjoying the life they had built.
Living in love and peace is worth more than all the money in the world, because real affection is what makes a person truly rich. People say that all the time, but not everyone gets to learn it firsthand. The people in this story did.
