The revelation makes the ring even more precious.I stare down at it, watching how it catches the light.“When did you even find time to plan this?”
“Been carrying that ring for weeks,” he confesses.“Just waiting for the right moment.Then I saw the shirt online and knew it was perfect.”
I shake my head in wonder.“Sneaky.Using our daughter as a prop.”
“Effective, though,” he points out with a grin.“You said yes.”
“As if there was any other answer.”I lean in to kiss him properly, mindful of Faith between us.His free hand comes up to cradle my face, his touch gentle despite the calluses on his fingers.
When we part, Faith is watching us with wide, curious eyes, one fist stuffed into her mouth.The sight of her, our daughter, in her proposal t-shirt, brings fresh tears to my eyes.
“We’re going to be a family,” I say, the words catching in my throat.“Officially.”
“We already are,” Zach corrects, pressing his forehead against mine.“The paperwork just catches up eventually.”
I laugh at that, at how perfectly it encapsulates our journey.Reality first, formalities later.“Your dad is going to be unbearable with the wedding planning, you know that, right?”
“Already has a venue picked out,” Zach admits with a wince.“And Mom’s talking about dresses for Faith.”
“Of course she is.”I’m not even surprised, they’re fiercely traditional about family milestones.
Faith begins to fuss, reminding us that romantic moments are still subject to a baby’s schedule.“Someone’s ready for breakfast,” I observe, taking her from Zach’s arms.“Aren’t you, my little proposal accomplice?”
As I settle into the rocking chair to feed her, Zach kneels beside us, his hand resting on my knee.The weight of the ring on my finger feels strange but right, a tangible symbol of the commitment we’ve already made in every way that matters.
“So,” he says, watching as Faith eagerly takes her bottle, “spring wedding?Summer?Tomorrow at the courthouse?”
I laugh, the joy of this moment bubbling up irrepressibly.“Let’s enjoy being engaged for at least a day before we set a date.”
His smile turns thoughtful as he watches us.“Never thought I’d have this,” he admits quietly.“A family.Someone to come home to.Someone who sees all of me and stays anyway.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promise, the words carrying the weight of absolute certainty.“Neither is she.”
Faith’s eyes are starting to drift closed as she drinks, her long lashes fluttering against her cheeks.She looks peaceful, secure, loving everything we’ve worked to give her this past month.Everything we’ll continue giving her for the rest of our lives.
“Dr.Kennedy,” Zach muses, testing the sound of it.“Has a nice ring to it.”
“I like it,” I agree, imagining the new nameplate for my office door.“Though my patients might need time to adjust.”
“They’ll manage.”His confidence makes me smile.“The whole town’s already adjusted to you being with me.A name change is nothing compared to that scandal.”
He’s right, of course.The initial shock of the respectable doctor getting involved with the MC enforcer has long since faded into acceptance.We’re just part of the community now.The doctor, the biker, and their baby.
As Faith finishes her bottle and drifts back to sleep, Zach takes her gently, placing her back in the crib with a tenderness that still catches my heart every time I witness it.His massive hands, capable of such violence, cradle her as if she’s made of glass.
“I need to call my parents,” I say, the practicalities starting to filter through the haze of happiness.“And the clinic.Tiana will want to start planning an engagement party.”
“Already taken care of,” Zach says with a smug smile.“Everyone’s coming over tonight.”
I stare at him, impressed despite myself.“You were that confident I’d say yes?”
He shrugs, but the vulnerability is back in his eyes.“Faithful, not confident.There’s a difference.”
I rise from the rocking chair and go to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest.His heartbeat is strong and steady beneath my ear, the rhythm I’ve come to rely on.
“I love you,” I tell him, the words simple but encompassing everything I feel.“You and Faith, you’re everything,” I repeat his earlier words from the hospital.
His arms tighten around me, his cheek resting against the top of my head.“Love you too, X.More than I know how to say.”
