Epilogue – Now I'm covered in you

"Hello?"

"Up here!" Abigail called.

She laid her hairbrush down on the bathroom counter, where Henry's array of products nearly outnumbered her own. His reflection soon joined hers, an arm curling around her waist and a kiss laid to her temple.

"How was the meeting?"

"Oh, really good, I think!" she said. "The investment is almost a certainty, but mostly it was just so wonderful to see Alice again."

"That's good! And completely unsurprising given how much you prepared that pitch." The pride in his voice was matched by the brightness in his eyes in the mirror. It could still catch her off-guard sometimes, the way he looked at her.

"And how was your day?"

"I was worried about getting away in time," he said, letting her go so he could make his way to the bedroom. "I think I've answered about twelve million questions for that boy and somehow he keeps coming up with more."

Abigail laughed as she manipulated an earring. "He just wants to learn."

"Even I don't find oil that interesting. I'll have to ask Elizabeth some time how he didn't drive her up a wall while he was in school. Or maybe he did!" he added after a pause.

The rustle of his clothes behind her made her smile into the mirror. Years removed from when they'd first met, the thought of spending the evening next to Henry Gowen could still send the same youthful blush across her cheeks.

She finished up her final touches and walked down the hall to poke her head into Cody's bedroom.

"Almost ready?"

"Why do I still need a babysitter when Robert has a job?"

Abigail sighed, pushing the door open to lean against the frame. "You're still younger than Robert, but Christopher is not a babysitter, he's your brother. He wants to spend time with you."

"And it just so happens to be on your and Henry's date night?"

She threw her hands up in an exaggerated gesture. "What can I tell you?" Ignoring his defeated scowl, she pointed to the corner. "Do you plan on unpacking that last box anytime soon?"

"I can't, that's Becky's!"

"So?"

"So it might have embarrassing girl stuff in it!"

"Oh, the horror!" she feigned, closing the door behind her with a smile.

"I'm going downstairs," she told Henry back in the bathroom. "Your pills are in the kitchen."

"Oh, don't leave those out," Henry fussed.

"He knows you need them."

"Well, if he knows then he doesn't need to see," Henry grumbled. "He still barely trusts me. It's a good thing he likes you and Cody, otherwise I don't know that he'd be sticking around."

Abigail wrapped comforting arms around him while he frowned and pushed his hair in different directions. "Give it time. And for what it's worth, I still like you."

"I should hope so!"

"Mm-hmm, Ithink you're incredible. And handsome. And deeply irresistible," she said, punctuating each adjective with a kiss to his shoulder, his stubble, his eyebrow. "And I think you should go take your pills if you don't want them out when he gets here," she added with a playful tug at the vexing tuft of hair.

Miraculously, all three of them had managed their way downstairs by the time Christopher knocked on the door.

"Hello, sweetheart," Abigail greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Dad," Christopher shook his father's hand, both men still stiff in their demeanor. Not using Henry's first name was as far as they had gotten, but she had faith they would make it into hugging territory at some point.

Leaving the two boys behind, she and Henry finally made their way out into the quickly darkening night. Henry walked around and opened the passenger side door, beaming at her when he revealed the small handful of daisies waiting for her on the seat.

"How do you always manage…" she said, shaking her head.

She climbed in clutching the daisies, and waited for him to come in next to her. As soon as he did, she shuffled over to kiss him, breathing in the earthy scent that she now woke up to on her pillow.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Mm." He nodded gently and brushed the hair from her eyes. "I'd buy a whole field of them for you."

"This'll do. For now," she teased.

"Well, offer stands," he grinned. "I love you."

"I love you back," she said, kissing him again. "So," she leaned back into her seat, "where should we go?"

Taking her hand from across the car, he pressed his lips to the gold band on her finger.

"Lady's choice."