"Probably wondering what all the commotion is about," I say, my hand finding her belly.
Lucy lifts her head to look at me, her hair falling like a curtain around us. "Think she approves?"
"She’d better get used to it," I say, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I plan on loving her mama for a very long time."
Lucy's smile is radiant in the moonlight. "Good. Because we're not going anywhere."
That night, after Lucy falls asleep curled against my side, I stare at the ceiling of the old cabin, the one where we began. And I start planning.
Not just surviving. Not just hoping. Building. Becoming.
Becoming the man who deserves this life.
Chapter 10
Lucy
I can feel it in the air all day. Caden has been quiet, more thoughtful than usual. Not withdrawn like before, but focused and present.
His eyes track me every time I move around the kitchen at Noah and Lexi's. When I laugh at something Lexi says, he watches me, committing it to memory. When I hum while chopping vegetables, he leans against the doorframe, unwilling to look away. He helps Noah fix a hinge on the back door, but his gaze keeps drifting to me, as if I'm the one thing he can’t afford to lose sight of.
He's planning something. I feel it deep in my bones.
I don't ask. I just let the warmth of him settle over me, anchoring me. This new version of Caden, open, tender, steady, is one Inever stopped believing in. But watching him live in it now? That feels like a miracle I get to touch every day.
We eat dinner on the porch with Noah and Lexi, Grace, Jake, and Kassi. The sun dips low, painting the sky in strokes of orange and lavender. It feels like my family is finally whole. I rub my belly absentmindedly, smiling at the way Grace teases Jake about eating more cornbread. The baby rolls, slow and steady, as if she's taking it all in from the safe harbor of my womb. Caden's arm brushes mine, and he glances down at my bump.
"She kickin'?"
"A little. I think she's listening to your voice."
He chuckles, then leans in, pressing a kiss just below my ear. "Smart girl."
After everyone leaves and the porch goes quiet, the stars peek through the trees. The wind shifts, cooler now.
"Come with me," Caden says softly.
I turn to him, and he takes my hand. His fingers are warm, a little rough, just like they always have been. We get into the golf cart Noah uses to get around the property, and we head out on the path that leads to the back of the property. He takes me to the caretaker's cottage, where everything started.
As we climb up, the porch creaks under our steps. He opens the door slowly, revealing a room lit by dozens of tiny candles. Their glow flickers across the walls, casting soft golden light over the worn wood in the space that holds so many memories.
It’s where we first said I love you, and where we first made love. The air feels charged with old love and new beginnings.
Caden leads me inside and pauses near the center of the room. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. My heart stutters.
He kneels.
My breath catches. "Caden..."
He opens the box. It’s a simple ring. Silver with small diamonds circling a bigger one. Classic and timeless. His hands shake as he holds it up.
"I didn't want to wait," he says. "I don't have a speech. Just the truth."
I nod, throat already tight.
He looks up at me, eyes brighter than I've ever seen them. "I used to dream of this. Even when I couldn't feel my leg. Even when I wanted to give up. I dreamed of you in this room, saying yes."
He swallows hard and continues, his voice low. "I carried a photo of you in my chest pocket. One I stole from your fridge the day before deployment. Every time I thought I wouldn't make it, I'd press my hand there and remember why I had to. You were always my way home, Lucy."
