“Travis—”
He stared into her eyes as if willing her to believe every word he said. “Suddenly, there was nothing I could do. Everything was taken out of my hands. You were hurt and I couldn’t help you. I could hardly breathe until I touched you. Couldn’t think until you opened your eyes and looked at me. Couldn’t live until I knew you were alive.”
A bubble of hope began to swell in Julie’s chest, warming her through, filling her with the kind of wonder a child found on Christmas morning.
“My own heart stopped, Julie,” he said, his words coming fast and furious in a deep whisper that shook her to her core because they were so obviously torn from his soul. He slapped one hand to his chest. “I felt it. The world stopped until you looked at me. Until I could wrap my arms around you and feel your warmth.”
Tears were flowing freely now and Julie didn’t even make an attempt to stop them.
He walked back to her, and when he was close enough, she could see what she’d long dreamed of seeing in his eyes.
Love. And she hardly dared to believe it.
“I love our baby, don’t get me wrong,” he said, making sure she understood exactly what he was saying. “And I’m more grateful than I can say that it’s healthy and safe.” He laid one hand atop hers, and together they cradled the child they’d made. “But without you, there’s nothing. I need you to know this, Julie. I need you to believe me on this. I love you. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone.”
“Oh, Travis…”
“I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.” He bent down, kissed her once, twice. Then he pulled his head back to look into her eyes again. “You’re everything to me, Julie. I don’t know when it happened, but somehow, during the last couple of months, you’ve become the center of my world. Without you, there’s nothing. Without you, I’m nothing.”
Smiling through her tears, Julie lifted one hand to cover his cheek. He turned his face into her hand and laid one kiss on the center of her palm. Julie’s heart melted and the last of her doubts slid away.
She had everything she’d ever wanted. More than she’d ever really hoped for. Her baby was safe and so was her heart. She looked into his dark brown eyes and saw their future, a bright and shining thing, stretching out in front of them. And she could hardly wait to get out of the hospital and start living it.
“I love you so much,” Travis said, capturing her hand and holding it in his. “Tell me you love me, too, or I’m going to go crazy. You have to love me, Julie.”
“I do. I do love you, Travis. So very much. I think I always have.”
“Thank God,” he said, smiling, bending to kiss her again, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. “And I’m going to personally see to it that you never change your mind.”