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aidan grunted .
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`` do n't tell em that story .
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she already blames me enough for noah 's stubbornness . ''
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megan smiled .
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`` let 's hope that this next baby has emma 's temperament . ''
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`` like she is n't stubborn , '' aidan countered .
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`` much less than you are , '' megan replied .
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pursing his lips , he appeared to be surveying her words .
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`` you might have a point , '' he said , with a grin .
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after everyone finished eating , the adults lounged around the table talking and laughing while the kids went into the living room .
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both mason and noah wanted to go with the bigger kids .
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`` will you keep an eye on them ? ''
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megan asked percy .
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`` sure , '' he replied .
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`` i owe you , perce , '' aidan said , as percy took the boys by the hand .
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as he sat with his arm draped over the back of megan 's chair , pesh enjoyed listening to the lively conversation around him .
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occasionally one of aidan 's sisters would ask him a question or his opinion .
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he had always been naturally quiet , and when he got in the midst of such a lively bunch , he tended to be even quieter .
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he realized if he was going to truly fit in , he was going to have to speak up more .
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their conversation was interrupted by a shriek that came from the living room followed by a loud wail .
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aidan was out of his chair in a flash while megan was close on his heels .
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mason came running into the dining room .
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`` what happened ? ''
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pesh asked .
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`` noah got hurted . ''
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aidan reappeared in the dining room with noah in his arms .
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`` he 's fine .
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he just fell down . ''
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taking noah 's hand , aidan said , `` here daddy will kiss the booboos away , okay ? ''
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noah sniffled and bobbed his head .
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once aidan finish with his hand , noah stuck out his leg .
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aidan smiled .
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`` okay . ''
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once he bent down to noah 's leg and kissed it , he asked , `` are you daddy 's boy ? ''
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`` uh-huh . ''
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angie chuckled .
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`` that 's not fair to do that when emma is n't here . ''
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as the others laughed , pesh glanced at mason .
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he was staring at aidan and noah with a contemplative look on his face .
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never in a million years could he have imagined what he would do next .
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mason crawled up into his lap and patted pesh 's chest .
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`` esh mace 's daddy .
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mace daddy 's boy . ''
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conversation in the dining room silenced .
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without even looking up , pesh felt his skin singing under the burn of everyone staring at him and mason .
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there was no way he could deny the boy when he wore such an expression of happiness .
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`` yes , you 're daddy 's boy . ''
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a strangled cry caused him to snap his gaze from mason over to megan .
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wide-eyed and open mouthed , she blinked a few times as if she were trying to believe that what she was seeing was real .
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then without another word , she bolted from her chair and fled the room .
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pesh sat in a shocked silence for a few seconds trying to decide what to do .
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bending over , he whispered into mason 's ear , `` will you go back and play with the others ?
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i need to check on mommy . ''
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when mason nodded , pesh gently sat him back down on the floor .
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after he raced out of the dining room , pesh finally glanced at the others .
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`` excuse me , '' he said , before rising out of his chair .
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he made his way down the hallway .
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he did n't have to look hard for megan-she was in the one bedroom with the door closed .
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he rapped lightly on the wood .
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when she did n't answer , he went ahead and opened the door .
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he found her sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands .
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he went over and sat down next to her .
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tentatively , he put his hand on her back .
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`` i 'm sorry for not setting mason straight and telling him i was n't his daddy .
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he looked so happy , and i did n't want to hurt him . ''
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with her elbows braced on her knees , megan turned her head to look at him .
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tears streamed down her cheeks .
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`` you think i 'm angry at you ? ''
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he nodded his head .
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she hiccupped a cry .
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`` oh pesh , you 're so naive sometimes ! ''
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he jerked back at her words .
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`` excuse me ? ''
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`` just when i think i ca n't love you more , you go and do something like that . ''
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before he could process her words , she threw herself at him , kissing his cheeks and mouth .
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she straddled his lap and brought her hands around his neck .
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`` you really love mason , do n't you ? ''
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`` of course i do . ''
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`` you could see yourself really being a father to him ? ''
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`` yes , i could .
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but what- '' she silenced him with a kiss .
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it was one that was laced with desperate emotions .
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he wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her closer to him .
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just as he was about to deepen the kiss , she pulled away .
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`` you love me too , do n't you ? ''
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`` you should have no doubts on that one . ''
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`` you love me enough to be a husband to me ? ''
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her question caused him to suck in a harsh breath .
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he felt like he had been kicked in the gut .
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`` yes , i could-i always have . ''
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she tilted her head at him and smiled .
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`` then marry me . ''
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`` excuse me ? ''
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bringing her lips to his , she murmured against his mouth , `` marry me .
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make me your wife . ''
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at that moment , he thanked god he was sitting down because if he had n't been , he was pretty sure he would 've done something totally emasculating like fainting .
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he also questioned both his hearing and his sanity .
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had megan just proposed to him ?
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surely , he was hallucinating .
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`` did you just ask me to marry you ? ''
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