“Oh my God,” he mutters.
Archer is down on one knee in the center of the elevator with a box in his open hand. My jaw is hanging open as I take in the sight of him like this, tears brimming in his eyes.
“I had a good, long talk with my mom last night, and we spoke about family and what it means to us. She explained that without my dad and my brother to hold her down, she felt lost, like she belonged nowhere. That’s how I felt before I met you two. You are my family. You are my forever. You keep me grounded and make me excited for the future. You give me something to live for, and all I want is to be everything and more for you too.”
I suck in air on a sob as the world seems to fade out of focus around the man on his knees in front of me.
There’s a tremble of nerves in his voice, and it makes me love him even more to know he’s genuinely nervous about this. When the elevator doors try to close, Julian slams a hand against them to keep them open.
“Technically, it’s not legal yet for three people to get married,” Archer continues, “but I have to believe some day it will be. Although I don’t care about the laws. It’s the commitment I care about. I want you two to know I will be yours forever.”
My fingers lift to my lips as a tear slips over my cheeks.
“So…will you?” he stammers. “Marry me?”
It’s silent for only one second, so all I hear is my own heart thrumming in my ears. Not a shred of doubt courses through my mind. I would marry Archer right this very second if given the chance.
“I’m not sure how this would work,” Archer says. “If maybe you two want to talk about it first?—”
“Yes,” Julian blurts out with enthusiasm.
“Yes, you want to talk about it first?” Archer asks.
Julian smiles the brightest I’ve ever seen him smile. “Yes, we’ll marry you, Archer. I mean?—”
He looks down at me, at the tears ruining my makeup as I glance back and forth between them. Did they really think there’d be any hesitation in my mind?
“The world only makes sense to me when the three of us are together. I don’t need to think about it,” I say, wiping my eyes. “Yes. I want to marry you.”
“Really?” Archer asks as hope and relief fill his lungs. His eyes are blazing as he jumps to his feet. The three of us collide with tears, sniffles, and giggles. I kiss each of them in a rush, a flurry of excitement holding me tight in its grip.
The doors of the elevator close behind us, and we hardly notice. Archer opens the ring box to reveal two simple and elegant gold bands. Pulling them out one at a time, he hands the first to me, sliding it on my ring finger. It feels so surreal as it passes the knuckles.
Then he pulls out Julian’s and slides it on his only empty finger. It blends beautifully with the others.
With excitement and elation, we fall together. I fit snugly under Archer’s chin while Julian nestles into his side. We are like a puzzle, stacked together perfectly. Like we were made for this.
And truly, nothing brings me more pleasure than hearing them kiss as I cuddle into Archer’s chest. Then feeling the moisture on each of their lips as I take a kiss of my own.
These men aremine. And now I have a ring on my finger that says they will be mine forever.
When we reach the lobby floor, the doors open, and we’re met with a noisy celebration of cheers and applause from the apartment staff. It’s sort of fitting they’re here since they were here the night we met.
“They knew about this?” Julian asks.
Archer laughs as we step off the elevator. “Yeah, I needed their help holding it for me at the top while I waited for you guys.”
“Is this where you’ve been all morning?” I ask, staring down at the gold on my finger.
“Yeah, I called a jeweler at the crack of dawn. After last night, I knew I needed them today.”
“I’m so proud of you,” I say, touching his face with love in my eyes. This is a big deal for Archer. Not just the commitment but the bright outlook on the future. That’s not something he had when I met him, and it’s not something he wanted. Now he’s not just excited about the future but he’s making plans for it, ready to live it.
“Now let’s get to work. We have a restaurant to open,” Archer says, placing each of us on either side of him as we walk.
To think I met these two men when they were at their lowest, when they considered themselves hard to love, but it was never hard for me. I saw the diamonds shining under the dirt they buried themselves in.
When they were the most guarded and closed off to the world, they were suddenly thrust into mine. They’ve taught me so much already in these six months. They’ve taught me that money buys a lot of things but can never fill the hole in your heart. They’ve taught me that the ones who push away the hardest usually need love the most. And they’ve taught me that the greatest thing the universe can reward you with is people, and I must have done something really good because I have two of the best. And they’re all mine.
