I look up from my hand to find Fern watching me from the doorway of the break room, an amused smile on her face.
"Doing what?"
"Staring at your ring like it's going to disappear if you look away."
Heat floods my cheeks.
"I'm not?—"
"You are. And it's adorable." She crosses to me, holds out her hand. "Let me see it properly. I've only seen the photos your mother keeps shoving in everyone's faces."
I extend my hand, letting her examine the ring.
The emerald gleams under the break room lights, the surrounding diamonds sparkling like tiny stars.
"Oh, Ingrid." Fern's voice softens. "It's stunning. Absolutely stunning."
"Gunnar picked it out. With my mom's help."
"I heard. Charm hasn't stopped talking about it. The jewelry store, the proposal, how excited she is to have Gunnar as another son," She squeezes my hand before releasing it. "I'm so happy for you, sweetheart. You deserve this."
"Thank you."
"I mean it." She settles into the chair across from me, her expression warm. "I've known you since you were born. Watched you grow up, watched you struggle, watched you try to find your place. And now, seeing you like this—engaged, glowing, actually happy—it's everything I've hoped for."
My eyes sting.
"Don't make me cry at work."
"Too late. You've been crying happy tears for a week straight. What's a few more?"
I laugh, wiping my eyes.
She's not wrong.
Since Gunnar proposed, I've been an emotional mess.
The good kind.
The kind where joy keeps spilling over because there's too much of it to contain.
"Everyone's so excited," Fern continues. "The whole club's been buzzing since the announcement. Runes said it's the best news we've had in months."
"Better than solving the trafficking case?"
Her expression flickers.
Just for a second.
"That's still ongoing. But yes—in terms of personal happiness, your engagement is definitely the highlight." She reaches over, pats my hand. "Everyone loves Gunnar. Always has. He's one of the good ones."
"I know."
"I remember when you two were kids, running around the clubhouse, getting into trouble. Even then, he followed you everywhere. Like a little shadow. Runes used to joke that he'd imprinted on you like a baby duck."
I laugh at the image.
"He wasn't that bad."
