She steps out, and everything else fades. The candlelight catches her hair, making it glow. Her eyes, those brown eyes, scan the backyard, first landing on us, then on the scene we’ve set. The wonder in her expression is enough to make my breath catch.
“What’s going on?” she asks.
I see the hint of a smile on her lips, but there’s a spark of confusion in her gaze. She knows something is coming, but isn’t sure what.
Clint steps forward, the words he’s been rehearsing tumbling out with a quiet strength. “We’ve got something to ask you, Dakota.”
His eyes are warm, sincere, and the world is holding its breath with us.
Reid moves to her side, his smile tender, his eyes full of affection.
“It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a long time,” he says gently.
I take a step forward, my pulse racing. I reach out, my hand brushing hers as I speak, full of conviction.
“Dakota, everything we’ve been through… the ups, the downs, all of it… it’s brought us here, to this moment. And we’re here, together, because we want something real with you. Not just for us, but for you. For Charlie. We want to build a life with you. A family.”
Her eyes flicker with understanding, but she’s still silent, as though she’s processing what we’re saying. I see her trying to make sense of it, and I realize this moment is so much more than we’ve ever said before.
Clint moves closer, his hand gently resting on her shoulder, his gaze unwavering. “We’re asking you to be ours, Dakota. All of us. To be a part of something bigger. To be the heart of this family.”
Reid steps beside Clint, his eyes glistening with a soft affection. “We’re not asking you to choose between us. We’re asking you to chooseall of us. Every part of us. We want to share this life with you, in every way that matters.”
I see the subtle tension in her shoulders, but I also see the way her breath catches, the way she’s looking between us, trying to make sense of what we’re offering.
It’s a lot, I know. But it’s what we’ve always wanted. What we’ve been working toward all along.
“All of you?”
Clint nods, his face softening. “All of us.”
Reid smiles, a quiet kind of joy in his eyes. “We’ve built something strong, something worth holding on to. And we want you at the center of it.”
I step closer, my heart in my throat. “We want you to be ours, Dakota. All of us, together. We’re asking you to be our family.”
I can feel her hesitation, the quiet pull in her chest as she tries to sort through everything we’ve said. I don’t want to pressure her, but the hope in my chest won’t be quiet. Not now.
For a long moment, she says nothing. Then, slowly, the smallest of smiles appears on her lips. It’s unsure at first, but it grows until it lights up her whole face.
Her eyes move from Clint to Reid to me. And then, slowly, she steps forward, as if the decision is already made.
“I… I never thought this would be possible,” she says softly, trembling with emotion. She takes a deep breath. “But yes. Yes, I want this. I want you. All of you. I want to be with you. Together.”
And in that moment, the world shifts. The years we’ve spent finding each other, building this life, make sense. We’re a family now. All of us.
Clint takes her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers gently, lovingly. He pulls her into his chest, and Reid is right there beside them, his arms wrapping around her too.
I step in, my arms joining the embrace, pulling her close and feeling the warmth of her against me.
But just as the moment feels it’s about to settle into forever, we hear a little voice from behind us.
“Mom!”
We all turn as Charlie, wide-eyed and brimming with excitement, runs toward us, holding something carefully in both hands. His tiny fingers grasp a velvet box, and he holds it up to Dakota with a grin so big it’s practically contagious.
“Charlie?” Dakota says, laughing softly.
He beams, practically bouncing with energy. “I’ve got something for you, Mommy! It’s for the family! You gotta put it on!”
