My eyes flood with tears.
"I don't have perfect words," he says, his voice low and thick. "Just this: I love you. More than I thought I could love anything again. I want to build a life with you. I want to be the man who tucks our daughter in at night and wakes up next to you every morning. I want the hard days. The soft ones. All of it."
He swallows hard, emotion trembling through every word. "It won't be perfect. I'll mess up. But I will never stop loving you. Never stop showing up. Will you marry me, Sunshine? Will you be my home?"
The baby kicks. Hard. As if she knows.
I nod through my tears. "She agrees."
He leans forward and kisses my belly. "You're my whole damn world," he murmurs.
I cup his face, drawing him up to me, and kiss him. It's not about fireworks or spectacle. It's about home. About yes. About finally.
But before he can say more, I press my hands to his chest. "You think you're the one lucky to have me? Caden, I waited because I knew you'd come back. I knew the man you were, and I still see him. Even on the hard days. Especially then."
Tears slip down my cheeks. "This baby, this life... none of it feels real without you. You were never too broken. Just too brave to say how scared you were."
We stay there for a moment, suspended in the quiet, letting the candlelight wrap around us like a blessing. Caden rests his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingle, steady and shared.
"She's going to know what love looks like," I whisper. "Because she'll see it in us."
His arms slide around my waist, pulling me closer. "She'll grow up knowing we wanted her. That her mama was the bravest woman I've ever known."
We sit on the bed, his arm around me, my head tucked beneath his chin. The ring catches the candlelight, glinting as if it knows it's part of something sacred now.
"What are you thinking?" he whispers, his breath warm against my temple.
"That we made it and we're going to be okay. That I want this moment to last forever."
His lips press to my temple. "Damn right we are."
For the first time in a long time, the future feels close enough to touch.
And we're holding on tight.
Epilogue
Caden
6 months later
The Georgia sun is warm on my shoulders, not too hot, just enough to make everything shimmer with life. Oakside is glowing. There are folding chairs lined up in front of the barn, flowers trailing along the rail fence, and twinkle lights strung between the trees swaying in the breeze.
I take a deep breath and let it settle in my chest. The rhythm of my heart is steady. Not racing. Not panicked. Just full. I adjust my stance a little, but I'm solid. Balanced. Every step that brought me here is burned into my body, and every scar feels worth it.
Brentley nudges me gently from behind. "You good, man?"
I glance over at him. He's grinning because he knows I'm about to lose it.
"Better than good. Just trying not to cry like Lexi."
"Too late for that," North says, straightening the sleeves of his dress blues. "She started bawling before the music even started."
Beside me, Jake, Brentley, North, and Noah flank me—Brentley and North crisp in their dress blues while Jake, Noah, and I are in suits—all of us proud, maybe a little smug. My brothers, in every way that matters.
My mom's got my daughter cradled in one arm, swaying gently. She's in the tiniest white lace dress I've ever seen, her soft wisps of blonde hair catching the light. I catch her yawn, and my chest swells so much I'm not sure how I'm supposed to keep breathing. My daughter. My entire world, wrapped in a white bow.
The music shifts. The soft strumming of the guitar gives way to a melody that’s slow and full of hope. Brentley claps my shoulder once and moves into place. Lexi and the other bridesmaids walk forward before Grace steps forward, bouquet in hand, eyes bright. Maid of honor, sister, and fiercely protective friend. She catches my eye and smiles. No warning, and no threat. Just quiet approval, her expression saying,you did good.
