“Too late,” Silas says cheerfully.
People turn. Curious. Smiling.
My stomach flips.
Caleb steps closer to me, not touching, just there. Boone moves to my other side. The space around me tightens.
“Delaney,” Silas says, suddenly softer. “Can you come here for a second?”
I swallow. “You’re all acting weird.”
“Yes,” Silas agrees. “On purpose.”
They guide me toward the open space near the porch. The fire crackles. The lights beam warmly. The town,mytown, watches with gentle curiosity.
Boone exhales once.
“I’m not good at speeches,” he says. “So I’m not going to make one.”
A ripple of laughter moves through the crowd.
“When you came here,” he continues, eyes locked on mine, “you were supposed to be here to help with meals. That was it.”
Silas snorts. “That lasted, what, twelve hours?”
Boone ignores him. “What I didn’t expect… was how you fit. With Sadie. With this house. With us.”
My chest tightens.
“You made this place warmer,” Boone says. “You made my daughter laugh again when I didn’t even realize how quiet she’d gotten. You made me stop pretending control was the same as safety.”
He reaches into his jacket pocket.
My breath catches.
Caleb nods. “You don’t demand space. You make it. You see people. You let them be soft without making them feel weak.”
He takes my hand, warm and steady. “I’ve spent most of my life being useful. You made me feel chosen.”
Silas comes last, grin gone, eyes bright. “I’ve always been the noise,” he says quietly. “The distraction. You didn’t fall for that. You asked me to stay when I stopped performing.”
He drops to one knee.
All three of them do.
The crowd gasps.
Someone whispers, “Oh wow.”
I clap a hand over my mouth, heart slamming against my ribs.
Boone opens a small box. Inside is a ring. Simple, elegant, timeless.
“We’re not asking you to give anything up,” Boone says. “We’re asking you to choose us. The way we choose you. Every day.”
Silas adds, softer, “No pressure. You can say no. I’ll cry, but respectfully.”
Caleb squeezes my hand. “Will you marry us?”
