I had never felt more loved. Never more sure.
“Yes,” I breathed, my heart full to the brim.
And that was how I fell asleep: held, chosen, completely his.
I woke up late the next morning, the sunlight already claiming the edge of the window. Sean’s spot on the bed was empty. I stretched lazily, still wrapped in the sheets that smelled like him. I hadn’t even heard him leave, too blissed out on love to notice.
I stumbled into the bathroom, then padded back and grabbed my phone from the nightstand—nearly dropping it.
A text from Sean last night popped up. I thought he’d been sleeping next to me. It was one word:Centerpiecewith our engagement photos and a video of the proposal. Warmth swirled in my chest.
He’d orchestrated all of it without me having a hint.
Texts. So many texts. I blinked, scrolling in a daze.
A flood of “Congratulations!” “Hype it up, girl!” “You two are goals!”—and more heart emojis than I’d ever thought the internet could hold. With all the people who knew Sean, I shouldn’t be surprised by how fast social media caught fire when our engagement hit his page.
Tahoe West Media posted an official engagement shot with a cheeky headline: Coach Murphy’s Best Play Yet: Crowning the Victory before the Cup with a Ring!
I laughed. Ridiculous and perfect.
Crap. Me, the literal centerpiece, hadn’t posted a single thing. It hadn’t even crossed my mind. Too busy being swept off my feet. I quickly picked a few favorite photos—one of Sean kneeling, me looking stunned, my hand on his chest with the ring catching the light just right. I threw them together on my social media page and captioned simply:He asked. I said yes.
The moment I hit ‘post,’ I called Sam.
She picked up right away.
“Took you long enough,” she said, grin audible.
I laughed. “Hello to you, too, sis. Did you get the picture I sent last night?”
“That blurry finger shot with one word! I thought it was a joke. I zoomed in like it was a UFO sighting and still couldn’t make it out. Then I saw it on Sean’s page: Swoony Coach Murphy down on one knee.”
I couldn’t stop laughing.
She continued, “Also, you owe me a new phone. You tagged me, and mine basically combusted with all the notifications.”
“Okay, okay.” I caught my breath, dropping back onto the pillows, the bubbly glow oozing out of me.
“Remember the gazebo ‘Kiss me dizzy under the moonlight’ quote?” Her voice went smug.
“You are obsessed with that porch.”
“Yes, and you got engaged there. With a lawn big enough for six nieces and nephews. I even approved the brother-in-law in advance.”
I rolled on my side. “You said he dyed his hair to seduce me.”
“And he did.” She laughed. “Okay, maybe not the hair-dying part, but the rest is spot on. You’re about to get married! Oh, Mel, I’m so happy for you.”
“Iamhappy. I should tattoo yesterday on my arm: June 25th. Maybe add a little heart emoji, plus a tiny Stanley Cup or a hockey stick?”
“Melanie freaking Boyd—since when do you think: tattoos!”
I chuckled. “Actually, it’s Melanie halfway to Murphy. And since my man’s got one on his arm and took me out on a bike spin...”
“Oh Lord, Sean, you don’t know what you’ve created: terminal infatuation.” I pictured Sam shaking her head.
“Yep. Falling off the Deep End of Love. And the view from down here is pretty great.”
