Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 400

Abby

Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns.

“Where are we going?” I half whisper, half laugh as Karl tugs me along the winding garden paths.

He throws a cheeky wink over his shoulder. “Somewhere you’ve never been before,” he says.

We round a corner and come to a stop in front of the intricate hedge maze, the bushes meticulously trimmed into towering green walls. Twinkling lanterns line the entrance, casting a warm golden glow.

“But I’ve been here before,” I tease, smacking his arm. “Unless you’ve forgotten already.”

Karl smirks; it’s clear that he hasn’t forgotten the night that he proposed to me here, not all that long ago. And yet, something about the twinkle in his eyes makes me wonder what’s about to happen next.

“I found a secret place,” he says. “A place you definitely didn’t see before.”

“Is that so?” I ask.

Karl nods. “Shall we?” he asks, extending his arm out to me.

I bite my lip to stifle a giddy smile and take his hand. “We shall.”

Hand-in-hand, we begin our journey into the maze, our footsteps muffled on the pebbled pathways. I trail my fingers along the crisp hedges as we walk, breathing in the fresh earthy scent. Every turn reveals another stretch of towering shrubbery walls and cobblestone dividers.

“This had better be good,” I tease as we keep going. “No doubt people are wondering why the bride and groom suddenly disappeared from their own wedding.”

“We’re almost there,” Karl chuckles, taking an abrupt left. I laugh and hurry to keep up, my dress hiked up to allow quicker strides.

After seemingly endless twists and turns, we eventually come to a dead end. I furrow my brow as we come to a stop. “Is this it?” I ask, looking around. “A dead end?”

“That’s what I thought at first, too,” Karl says, crouching down in front of the hedge. “Until I found… this.” As he speaks, he pulls aside a heavy drapery of vines to reveal something new—not a dead end at all, but rather a small, wooden door nestled into the hedge.

A gasp escapes my lips. “What’s this?” I whisper.

Karl grins and opens the door, ushering me through. I gasp again when I see what’s on the other side: a small clearing with a trickling fountain, blooming flowers all around, and a bench swing hanging from a great oak tree. Twinkling fairy lights are strung overhead, casting everything in a magical sparkle.

“Oh, Karl…” I breathe in amazement. “It’s like a fairytale.”

His arms circle my waist from behind as he nuzzles against my neck. “I knew you’d love it.”

Giggling, I turn and loop my arms around his neck, meeting his lips in a tender kiss. We stay embraced like that for several long moments, getting lost in the intimacy and perfection of this secret garden sanctuary.

Eventually, I pull back just enough to gaze up into Karl’s warm amber-colored eyes. “Can you believe we’re finally married again?”

Karl chuckles. “Let’s make sure we get it right this time, so we don’t have to have a third wedding,” he teases.

I laugh and swat at his chest lightly. “Well I don’t plan on going through another divorce, so you’re stuck with me this time, even if you try to get rid of me again.”

We settle onto the bench, my head resting on Karl’s shoulder as we gaze up at the dazzling canopy of stars through the leaves of the tree. His thumb strokes over my knuckles in a soothing rhythm that’s in time with the gentle swinging of the bench.

“It’s hard to believe in a few months we’ll be having a baby too,” he murmurs.

I smile, placing my hand over my belly. After all these years of thinking it would never happen, it finally is. I can’t be mad at him anymore for giving me that serum; it clearly worked.

“Have you thought about any names?” I ask, looking up at him.

“I have,” Karl says. “But I’d like to know what you’re thinking first.”

“Well, if it’s a girl,” I say thoughtfully, “I’ve always liked the name Violet.”

A thoughtful smile tugs at Karl’s lips. “Violet… I like that. It’s pretty.”

“You think so?” My heart flutters a bit just at the thought. “And if it’s a boy?”

He hums for a moment, thinking. “What about… Nicholas?”

I test it out, whispering it under my breath. “Nicholas… I like that. It’s got a nice ring to it.”

Our eyes meet, and Karl presses another kiss against my lips. Without warning, tears prick at the backs of my eyes as I imagine holding our child in my arms in just a few short months. Honestly, it can’t come soon enough.

“You know,” I say softly, “part of me is really hoping for a little girl. Is that bad?”

Karl’s brow furrows slightly. “Bad? Why would that be bad?”

I shrug. “Obviously I would love our child no matter what,” I muse. “But… I don’t know. There’s just something about little girls.”

The corners of Karl’s eyes crinkle with amusement as my voice trails off wistfully. “You’re just trying to outnumber me,” he teases.

I can’t help but smirk. “Oh, please. Even if we had a son, he’d still be a little mama’ boy. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Karl chuckles and reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Neither would I.”

Eventually, we know we should return to the reception before our absence causes a stir. As we make our way back through the maze, our fingers laced together, I feel nothing but contentment and excitement for this new chapter of our lives.

Rounding the corner into the ballroom, the lively music and chatter of the reception washes over us once again. Our guests erupt into cheers and applause when they spot us, raising their glasses jovially.

“There you two are!” Daisy calls out with a wink. “We were wondering where the guests of honor went off to.”

Heat rises up to my cheeks, but Karl just grins proudly, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“Alright, alright, you two lovebirds!” John hollers teasingly. “Less canoodling, more cake!”

Laughing, Karl and I make our way over to the towering, elegantly decorated wedding cake on the dessert table. He offers his hand to help me up onto the dais, and I can't resist leaning in to steal a quick kiss, my fingers grazing his chiseled jaw.

Parting with matching smiles, we each take hold of the silver cake cutter. Together, we slice into the bottom tier of the pristine white layers… only for it to promptly smoosh and crumble, splattering frosting across both of our faces.

For a shocked moment, the entire ballroom is silent and still. But the tension is quickly broken by our own bursts of uncontrolled laughter. Clutching our sides, tears of joy streaming down our frosting-smeared cheeks, we collapse against each other in a joyful, messy embrace.

In that moment, surrounded by our loved ones and basking in the unmistakable feeling of everything being absolutely, positively, perfectly right—I’ve never been happier.