"All my metaphors are terrible. Doesn't make them wrong."
Her words settled into the quiet between us. I drew in a long breath, feeling something shift inside my chest—not certainty, but maybe the willingness to try. I hugged Maria goodbye, grabbed my keys from the counter, and walked out into the evening air toward whatever came next.
That evening, Brad surprised me with reservations at Wrightwood’s finest restaurant—a place where waiters knew wine pairings and the bathrooms had cloth towels. He'd arranged everything: Theo babysitting with detailed instructions, Dr. Lisa on speed dial, backup plans for backup plans.
"You didn't have to do all this," I said as he pulled out my chair, his hands lingering on my shoulders.
"I wanted to." He sat across from me, devastating in a charcoal suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. "We need to talk."
My wine glass froze halfway to my lips. "Those words have never preceded anything good in human history."
"No, it's—" He reached across the table, taking my hand. "The cabin's ready."
"Yeah."
"So what happens now?"
I stared at our joined hands, his thumb tracing circles on my palm. "I don't know."
"I do." He pulled out his phone, showing me a note. "Finn and I made a list."
The title read "Reasons Serena Should Stay Forever" in Finn's careful printing. Below, in alternating handwriting:
- Makes pancakes that look like actual bears - Finn
- Knows all my medicines - Finn
- Doesn't get the scared face when I wheeze - Finn
- Makes Dad smile - Finn
- Reads the best bedtime stories - Finn
- Her hair smells like vanilla cookies - Finn
- Is already my mom, she just lives in the wrong house- Finn
My vision blurred. Brad's additions were below:
- Makes us whole
- Brings light to our house
- Loves Finn like her own
- Makes me want to be better
- Is the home we didn't know we were looking for
"Brad..."
"There's more." He produced a velvet box from his jacket, and every table in our vicinity stopped pretending they weren't watching. Inside, a silver chain held a tiny hockey skate, three diamonds winking from the blade like stars.
"Three diamonds," he explained, his voice rough. "For three of us. If you'll have us."
"I can't accept this. It's too much—"
"It's not enough. Not nearly enough for everything you've done. For who you are to us." His eyes held mine, intense and vulnerable. "Move in with us. Officially. Permanently."
