I hesitate, maternal instinct warring with the knowledge that this is Axel's brother, the man he's told me countless stories about, the one who taught him to fish, who covered for him when he snuck out as a teenager, who has always been his closest confidant.
"It's okay," Aiden says, understanding in his eyes. "We'll stay within sight of the picnic. Just far enough to give you two some space."
I nod, watching as he grabs the diaper bag from the truck before heading toward the lake's edge, already pointing out birds to Poppy, who's watching with rapt attention.
"He really did just show up today?" I ask, turning back to Axel.
"Completely out of the blue." Axel takes my hand, leading me toward the picnic blanket. "But his timing couldn't be better."
There's something in his tone that makes my pulse quicken. That strange energy is still coming off him in waves, nervousness, anticipation, something else I can't name.
As we settle on the blanket, I realize what's bothering me. Axel is never nervous. He's always been the calm one, the steadypresence who grounds me when I'm spiraling. Seeing him like this, slightly off-balance, almost jittery, is unsettling.
"Okay, what's going on?" I ask as he pours wine into actual glass stemware, not the plastic cups we usually use for picnics. "You're being weird, Aiden just happens to show up and offer to babysit—and there are fairy lights in the trees."
Axel sets down the wine bottle, taking a deep breath. "Can't a guy just plan a nice evening for the woman he loves?"
"A guy, sure. You? You're the king of spontaneous. Your idea of planning ahead is checking if there's gas in the truck before a road trip." I take a sip of wine, watching him over the rim of my glass. "So yeah, all of this"—I gesture to the elaborate setup—"is setting off my radar."
He laughs, the sound slightly breathless. "Your radar is too good. It's annoying."
"Spill it, Slade."
He reaches across the blanket, taking my hands in his. The sudden seriousness in his expression makes my stomach drop.
"Are you breaking up with me?" I blurt out, the fear that's always lurking beneath the surface suddenly roaring to life. "Is that what this is? A nice setting to soften the blow?"
His eyes widen in genuine shock. "What? God, no. The exact opposite."
"The opposite of breaking up?" I echo, my brain struggling to process.
And then it hits me. The special setting. The nervous energy. His brother's convenient appearance to watch Poppy. The way he keeps checking his pocket.
Oh.
Oh.
My heart does a somersault, then starts racing so fast I can hear it pounding in my ears. This is a moment. The moment.
Axel looks at me, his eyes so tender it makes my breath catch.
"Sadie," he says, his voice husky with emotion. "From the moment you walked into my brewery with flour in your hair and that don't-mess-with-me expression, I knew you were different. Special."
My hands are trembling in his, and I can't seem to make them stop. I watch, heart hammering, as he shifts his position, moving to one knee on the blanket in front of me.
"I've spent my whole life being the fun guy, the easygoing one, never taking anything too seriously." He pauses, swallowing hard. "Until you. Until Poppy. You two changed everything for me."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. My vision blurs as tears fill my eyes.
"I don't just want to be the guy who loves you, Sadie. I want to be your partner, your safe place. I want to be Poppy's dad in every way that matters." His voice breaks slightly on the word "dad.”
"I want to build a life with both of you, a real family, a forever family."
He opens the box, revealing a ring that catches the evening light, delicate, vintage-inspired, with sapphires that match the color of my eyes. It's perfect. It's exactly what I would have chosen.
"Sadie Calloway, will you marry me? Will you and Poppy be my family, officially and forever?"
The tears spill over now, tracking down my cheeks. My throat is tight, my heart so full it feels like it might burst from my chest.
