“It might just work,” David said softly from beside her.
She wasn’t the only person who gasped. Paris was standing beside her, pulling a tissue out of her pocket.
Andrea turned to David and frowned. “What do you mean?”
Gently, he pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “The boys have made a good point. If we get married, we’ll be a family of four, not two. It makes sense for all of us to agree to being a new family.”
Andrea glanced at the boys and then back at David. “But we haven’t even been on a date.”
Charlie stepped forward. “Pastor John said when you meet the person who’s right for you, everything makes sense. That’s how we feel about David. He makes sense.”
He made sense to Andrea, too. But that wasn’t the point. Or maybe it was.
Andy joined his brother. “Charlotte said you need to have a ring and a special cushion if you want to marry someone. We don’t have any cushions, but Paris let us borrow this rabbit.”
Andrea’s gaze shot to her friend.
She held up her hands. “I didn’t know why they wanted it, but what they’re doing is lovely.”
Andy breathed a sigh of relief. With trembling hands, he held the rabbit close to Andrea. “Look in its paws, Mom.”
The boys had tied a white ribbon around the rabbit’s paws to keep them together. Nestled between the ribbon was a wooden box.
“We didn’t have any rings, either,” Charlie said. “So we made two.”
David took the box out of the ribbon and smiled at her. “What do you think?”
Tears filled her eyes. “What do you think?”
Taking a deep breath, he held her hand. “I’ve loved you from the moment I bumped into you and spilled wine on your pizza. I love you when you think of others before yourself, when you put the boys above everything else, and when you smile at me. No one has ever made me feel so alive or so happy. That’s what I think.”
Andrea wiped her eyes.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Andy said. “We didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“They’re happy tears.” She kissed Andy and Charlie’s cheeks, then looked into David’s eyes. “From the moment we met, I knew, deep down, you were special. The café would never have opened if you hadn’t believed in me. You took the time to show me how good men behave. You are patient, gentle, and put the boys’ and my needs above your own. But, most of all, you care about me and want me to be happy.”
“Open the box,” Charlie whispered.
David kissed her cheek. “Are you ready?”
Andrea nodded. “I’ve never been more ready for anything.”
Slowly, David took the lid off the box.
Sitting in the middle of some tissue were two rings made from Legos. David’s tender smile brought more tears to her eyes. “They’re wonderful.”
“Charlie and I made them together,” Andy said proudly. “We had to use the smallest Legos we could find and we only had enough for two. But they worked in the end.” He nudged his brother.
Charlie pulled back his shoulders. “Mom and David, will you marry us so we can be a family?”
Andrea looked at David and smiled. “I’d love to marry you.”
Carefully, David lifted one of the rings out of the box. When he lowered one knee to the ground, everyone in the room sighed.
“Andrea, Charlie, and Andy Smith. Will you do me the honor of becoming my family?”
Andy and Charlie smiled and nodded, then looked up at her.
