“Enzo Bellanti,” Axel says in a strong voice. “You’ve already made me the happiest man in the world with your awesomeness.”
My eyes snap open.
“You have,” Axel says softly. “You have.”
I press my lips together.
“Will you do me the honor of being my partner for the law?”
“Partner for the law?”
“My man on government documents and everything official?”
I nod.
“My man on adoption papers and future official co-dad for the most wonderful boy in the world?”
My heart drops.
I stop breathing.
He knows. He saw the thing I was too afraid to ask for, and he’s giving it to me anyway.
“Adoption papers,” I repeat. The word catches in my throat. “You want me to adopt him. Legally.”
“I want you to be his father. Not just in practice. On paper. Forever. Even if—” He stops.
“Even if what?”
“Even if something happens to us. Even if you wake up one day and realize I’m too much. You’d still be his dad. No one could take that from you.”
My eyes burn. “Axel.”
He shrugs. “You’ll have to lose your unc-unc title. It won’t work. You’ll be his father.”
Father.Not uncle. Not caretaker. Father.
A smile breaks over my face.
Axel’s eyes sparkle, but he winks. “My man in the bedroom.”
I smile and stifle a laugh.
“My man on dates in fancy restaurants and cool, unnoticed bistros.”
Coach clears his throat. “The press is waiting.”
“Right.” Axel gives a nonchalant shrug. “My husband. Will you marry me, Enzo?”
The locker room goes silent. Or maybe I just can’t hear anything over my heartbeat.
“I will,” I breathe.
Axel’s face splits into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. And then in the next moment glitter explodes through the room, and joyful music plays.
Axel pulls me up onto the locker room bench, and we make out, right there, in front of everyone to the sound of claps and roars of approval from our friends.
Afterwards, Axel takes my hand in the elevator. The door pings, then we walk hand in hand in the hallway.
