She opens her eyes. Sees the box. Goes completely still.
"Callum."
"Before you panic, it's not what you think."
"It's a ring box."
"Yes."
"Ring boxes traditionally contain rings."
"Also yes."
"And rings traditionally mean?—"
"Open the box, Nadia."
Her hands shake slightly as she reaches for it. The lid lifts with a soft creak, revealing what's inside.
Not an engagement ring. Not yet.
A key. Silver, ornate, matching the one around her neck.
Her brow furrows. "I don't understand. I already have a key."
"That key was for my house. My playroom. My life as it existed a year ago." I take her hand, threading my fingers through hers. "This key is for the cabin."
"The cabin?"
"The one Flynn's been designing for the past six months. The one Declan's crew started building last week." I watch understanding dawn on her face. "Our cabin, Nadia. On the property, but separate from the main house. Three bedrooms, a home office for your business, and a playroom that puts my current one to shame."
"You built us a cabin?"
"I'm building us a cabin. It won't be ready until summer." I bring her hand to my lips. "I wanted you to have something that was ours. Not mine that you moved into. Ours from the beginning."
Her eyes are bright with tears she's trying not to let fall. "That's... Callum, that's insane. That's so much. I can't?—"
"You can." I cup her face in my hands. "You can because you're not a houseguest anymore. You're not temporary. You're my partner in everything that matters, and I want us to have a place that reflects that."
"A place with three bedrooms."
"For when we need the space."
She laughs, wet and wondering. "You're thinking about kids? We've been together a year."
"I'm thinking about the future. Whatever shape that takes." I wipe a tear from her cheek with my thumb. "No pressure. No timeline. Just possibility."
"Possibility." She turns the word over like she's tasting it. "I like that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She pulls me down for a kiss that tastes like wine and salt and everything I never knew I wanted. "I love you, Callum Ridge. Even when you make insane grand gestures that put my tiny Christmas present to shame."
"What did you get me for Christmas?"
"A new coffee maker. Because your old one was a crime against humanity."
"I liked my old coffee maker."
