“What kind of flowers do you think she would like?”
Leo thought really hard, making his thinking face. “The kind that smell super good and make her do her happy smile. Like the pretty ones in her garden that the butterflies love!”
“Daisies,” I said, remembering how Chloe always stopped to admire the wild daisies that grew behind the clinic. “Good thinking, buddy.”
“And we should ask her somewhere super special,” Leo continued, getting more excited.
“Any ideas where?”
“The clinic!” Leo said immediately, jumping up from his chair. “That’s where I met the puppies, and Chloe-mama took care of me! That’s where our family started!”
My throat tightened with emotion. This kid had such a clear understanding of what mattered. “That’s perfect, buddy. That’s exactly where we should ask her.”
“Daddy?” Leo climbed into my lap, his small face very serious. “When we ask her, do we tell her we wanna be a family forever and ever?”
“Absolutely,” I said, pulling him close. “Because that’s exactly what we want.”
“Good!” Leo snuggled against my chest. “Can we practice? I wanna practice what to say so I don’t mess it up!”
We spent the next hour rehearsing. Leo took his role very seriously, practicing kneeling like I did, practicing saying “will you ’dopt me?” until he could say it clearly, practicing not giggling when he was supposed to be serious.
“Leo,” I said, keeping my voice serious. “This is a surprise for Chloe-mama, remember? You can’t say anything about it to her until we are ready.”
He nodded solemnly, then immediately giggled. “But it’s really hard! I’m so excited!”
“I know. Just try your best, okay?”
“Okay!” He scrambled off my lap. “Can we build a fort while we wait for Chloe-mama to wake up?”
“That sounds perfect.”
We spent the next hour constructing an elaborate fort in the living room, using every pillow and blanket we could find. Leo was in heaven, crawling through tunnels and declaring himself king of the fort.
When Chloe finally came downstairs, her hair adorably mussed from sleep, she found us inside our completed fort. “What are you two plotting in there?” she asked, peering into our blanket cave with a sleepy smile.
“Nothing!” Leo said, trying to look innocent but immediately dissolving into giggles. “We’re not doing anything, Chloe-mama!”
“Just guy stuff,” I added, earning more giggles from Leo.
Chloe raised an eyebrow, clearly fighting her own smile. “Should I be worried?”
“Nope!” Leo said, grinning from ear to ear. “You should be excited! Really, really excited!”
“Leo,” I warned gently.
“I didn’t tell the secret!” Leo protested, waving his hands frantically. “I just said she should be excited! That’s not telling!”
Chloe looked between us with growing suspicion and amusement. “You two are terrible at keeping secrets.”
“We’re not keeping secrets,” I said carefully. “We’re planning a surprise. There’s a difference.”
“A really good surprise!” Leo added, bouncing on his knees. “The bestest surprise ever!”
“The best surprise,” I confirmed, meeting Chloe’s eyes and seeing the love and trust there that made me certain we were doing exactly the right thing.
“Well then,” Chloe said, settling down cross-legged beside our fort. “I guess I’ll have to wait and see what you boys are up to.”
“You won’t have to wait too long,” Leo said, practically vibrating with excitement. “Right, Daddy? Not too long?”
