Then Piper came outside. Her face said Grace had told her the news. We walked toward each other and kissed like we were in some movie, and the emotional music had crescendoed.
This certainly felt like a happy ending.
Piper
I woke to an empty bed. But that wasn’t very surprising.
I sat up, yawning and patting down my messy hair. Voices drifted in from somewhere beyond my bedroom door. Again, not surprising.
Grayden had a habit of getting up early to spend time with Ollie in the mornings. While I loved waking up next to Grayden, I loved walking out into the living room and finding them chatting over a comic book even more. Or in the kitchen making chocolate chip pancakes with flour dusting the counters and laughter filling the air.
I pulled on my robe over my pajamas and stopped by the bathroom to splash water on my face.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. Life was good.
Silver Linings was doing better than ever before. My new baker had started experimenting with pastry recipes that had people lining up before we even opened.
I’d also started taking online courses toward finishing my college degree in literature. Grayden had been the one to inspire that, reminding me that it was never too late to pursue something I’d once dreamed about.
Though of course, a lot about my life felt like a dream come true.
I headed out to the kitchen and found the table already set. There was a plate with eggs and bacon waiting for me, and a mug of coffee sat beside it.
Both Grayden and Ollie were smiling at me in a way that seemed almost conspiratorial. Ollie was practically bouncing on his toes, dancing around the way he did when he was particularly excited about something.
“Good morning,” I said slowly, looking between them. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Ollie said, his grin widening.
“Just breakfast,” Grayden added, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.
I narrowed my eyes at them. “You two are acting weird. Did I forget something? Is there some big event today?”
They exchanged knowing glances, and Ollie giggled.
“Seriously, what is happening right now?” I asked, though I couldn’t help smiling at their obvious excitement.
I went over to Grayden and kissed him on the cheek, then pulled Ollie into a hug. “I love you both, you know that?”
“We love you too,” Ollie said, pushing me away playfully. “Now go sit down and have your coffee.”
“My coffee?” I raised an eyebrow. “Since when are you this concerned about my caffeine intake?”
“Just drink it, Mom.”
I looked again at Grayden, who was trying to maintain a neutral expression but failing miserably. The corner of his mouth kept twitching upward.
“Okay, fine. I’m going. You weirdos.” I moved to the table and pulled out my chair. Then reached for my coffee mug, lifting it to take a sip.
And that’s when I saw it.
Underneath where the mug had been, sitting on the table, was a ring.
My breath caught in my throat. I set the mug downcarefully, staring at the delicate band with its small but beautiful stone catching the morning light.
“What…” I looked up at Grayden, my heart hammering. “What’s going on?”
Grayden crossed the kitchen and kneeled down beside my chair. He took my hand in his, his dark eyes meeting mine.
