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My heart stops beating for a moment. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I’ve been talking myself down for weeks. Trying to be rational and to not get lost in the thrall of a new relationship, but there’s an undeniable certainty when it comes to my feelings for them. I thought perhaps I was rushing myself, but the way the three of them are watching me, I know that I’m not alone.

Gage cups my face gently, his thumb brushing over my cheek. “We love you, Lily. All of us. We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you without scaring you off.”

“But after the shit show of last week . . .” Hudson’s voice catches slightly. “We can’t pretend anymore.”

“We don’t want you as a temporary thing,” Cole adds. “We want you permanently. All of us, together.”

While I’ve only been single for two months and we’ve been dating for one, the guys have been showing up for me a lot longer than that. It was easy to pretend they were there for Matt. Looking back, though, I can’t help thinking of all the times their presence stopped Matt from being truly terrible. How they were there for every important moment. The way they wormed their way into my heart long before we ever started dating.

The truth is right there. “I love you too,” I confess. Those three words have never felt more right. “All of you. I was so scared you’d get tired of me, or that this was just some fling⁠—”

My words are cut off as they pull me into another group hug, this one fierce with promise and relief. I’m surrounded by their warmth, their strength, their love, and for the first time in weeks, I feel completely safe and utterly content.

We’re going home. All of us, together.

I park outside the memory care center and take a deep breath. Here’s hoping mom is having a good day. Walking through the automatic doors, I wave to the receptionist.

“She’s having a great day,” she tells me with a warm smile. “She’s been asking for you all morning.”

My heart lifts as I make my way down the familiar hallway to Mom’s room. I knock gently before pushing the door open.

“There’s my beautiful girl!” Mom’s face lights up the moment she sees me. She’s sitting in her favorite chair by the window, her graying hair neatly brushed. Today her green eyes—so much like mine—are bright and focused.

“Hi, Mom.” I lean down to kiss her cheek before settling into the chair across from her. “How are you feeling?”

“Wonderful now that you’re here. I was thinking about that trip we took to Yellowstone when you were in high school. Do you remember?”

I blink in surprise but don’t question this gift. “Of course I do. We saw that grizzly bear on the trail and you grabbed my hand so tight I thought you’d break my fingers.”

She laughs, the sound exactly like I remember from childhood. “I was terrified! But you were so brave. You stood there taking pictures like it was no big deal.”

“Someone had to document your panic.” I grin at her. “Though I was shaking as much as you were.”

“We had such a good time that week. Just the two of us.” Her face grows distant but not in the scary way it sometimes does. This is the good kind of distant, the kind that means she’s savoring a happy memory. “I loved having you all to myself. No distractions, no work calls. Just me and my girl.”

My throat tightens. “I loved it too, Mom. Best trip ever.”

A nurse appears with a tea service. We spend the next hour sipping Earl Grey and talking about everything and nothing. Mom tells me stories I’ve heard a dozen times, but I listen like it’s the first time because her voice is steady and sure. She asks about work, about the house, about my life.

Today is one of the best days I’ve had with her this last year. When it’s time to go, I’m reluctant to leave. When will I experience this again? Mom reaches for my hands and holds them tight.

“I love you so much, sweetheart.” Her voice wavers slightly. “I’m so sorry I’m like this. I’m sorry you have to see me this way.”

“Mom, no.” I squeeze her hands back. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all.”

She pulls me into a fierce hug that reminds me of when I was little and had scraped my knee or had a bad dream. “I love you, Lily. I am so incredibly proud of the woman you’ve become. You’re stronger than I ever was.”

“I learned from the best.” I hug her back just as tight, breathing in her familiar lavender perfume.

“Promise me you’ll be happy. Promise me you won’t let fear hold you back from love.” The rest is unspoken. After Dad left, her heart was shattered. She never fully recovered and was too afraid to date. To find the love she deserved.

I pull back to look at her, surprised by the intensity in her voice. “I promise, Mom.”

Walking back to the parking lot, my steps are lighter than they’ve been in weeks. Good days with Mom are precious gifts and today was definitely one of them.

I’m surprised to see Hudson’s truck parked next to my car and all three guys leaning against it, looking like some kind of calendar photo shoot. My heart flutters, a sensation I’m getting used to whenever they’re around, and a grin breaks across my face.

“Hey.” I walk up to them. “What are you doing here?”