I can’t help but smile at how stunned she seems. “This can’t be that much of a surprise.”
“But… I thought you weren’t interested in marriage. I thought?—”
“A year ago—less than a year ago—I had a lot of really dumb ideas about my life.” I pull the ring out with one hand, managing not to jostle my daughter too much in the process. “It’s a good thing I had you to show me the way. So… What do you think? Will you make an honest man of me?”
Her eyes brim with unshed tears. “Yes, of course. I’ll marry you, yes.”
I slide the ring onto Sophie’s finger and wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. One of the babies coos. We’re both smiling when we kiss again. This one is soft and tender.
“This is what I’ve always wanted.” Sophie smiles happily at me. “No, it’s better than I ever hoped it would be. Because it’s you and me.”
I know what she means. It’s hard to believe where we were a year ago. I was hiding out in a cabin determined to never let my heart be hurt again. She was making plans to have a baby.
I’m glad those plans changed to include me. My whole life has changed for the better because of it. And we’re only getting started.
