If someone had asked me before coming to the lake house if I thought I’d be proposing in the new year, I’d have laughed in their face.
I was done with love and all the trouble that came with it.
Then Margot streaked into my life like a comet, and it’s been one hell of a ride ever since.
And I wouldn’t change a single damn thing.
I just think what kind of romantic clown I’ve become, knowing her and wanting to make her happy to the letter of the law.
The man I was a year ago would’ve called me whipped.
The man I was ten years ago wasn’t half the man I am now.
Now, that last missing piece falls into place, and I’ve met the man I was meant to be.
“Should we head up?” I say, and she nods, this time being the one to take my hand and lead me upstairs into the grey, washed-out light of the day.
It’s clouded over, the sky threatening more snow tonight. The wind whips her hair across her face.
“We should tell them,” she says, but I just point over her shoulder.
While we were down there, the kids’ snowman making competition turned into something a little more elaborate.
I don’t know who wins—Dan’s depiction of me with a large carrot stuck in my face—or Sophie’s Margot, with branchy arms dragging on the ground.
Neither of them are world-class artists yet.
But they also grabbed our clothes.
The snowman has my hat, and Margot’s scarf is wrapped around ‘Margot’s’ neck. The snow woman has bright-red berries for a mouth, pressed into a heart shape. Dan even scrubbed some shredded bark onto my snowman’s chin for stubble.
I scratch my short beard with a smile.
“Congratulations!” Sophie screams, right before cannonballing herself at Margot.
Margot looks at me helplessly as she’s practically tackled to the ground by two small kids. “Did you tell them before we—”
“No,” I say, wrapping my arms around them from behind. Sophie squeals with laughter, and Dan makes a noise a bit like a chicken. “But I guess I let something slip to Dan.”
“I knew the whole time, Dad!” he says smugly. “I figured he was going to ask you to marry him. Sophie said you’d say yes because you love him and you already live with us, so why not? It just makes sense!”
And it does.
Margot laughs. She tips her head back and laughs at the sky so hard the tears roll down her face.
“What?” Dan asks anxiously. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, Bud,” I say, holding my family tighter. “Nothing you could say right now could ever ruin this.”
27
NO PLACE LIKE (MARGOT)
Three Months Later
Ithought the proposal would always be the happiest day of my life—and I waswrong.
Nothing on God’s green earth will ever beat our wedding day.
