"No, let me." She sets down her coffee and takes my hands. "I've spent my whole life being afraid of needing anyone. Afraid of depending on someone who might leave. My mom taught me that independence was the only safety, that men were just distractions from what really mattered."
I open my mouth to speak, but she squeezes my hands.
"But you've shown me something different. You haven't distracted me from what matters—you've become what matters. You and Summit and this life we're building. You've never tried to dim my ambition or control my choices. You've just... supported them. Even when they went against your own interests."
Her voice cracks slightly, and I reach up to brush the tears from her cheek.
"So I'm asking you, Kasen James, will you marry me? Really marry me? Be my husband and Summit's father and my partner in all the terrifying, wonderful chaos that's coming?"
I can't speak for a minute. This woman, who once called my beer "aggressively mediocre" in a room full of industry professionals, is standing in my hoodie, asking me to be hers forever.
"Are you sure about this?" I finally manage. "Because I'm not easy to live with. I leave my socks everywhere and get obsessive about beer recipes and sometimes I'd rather work on my motorcycle than talk about feelings?—"
"Stop." She laughs, more tears spilling over. "I don't want easy. I want you."
"Then yes." I frame her face with my hands. "Yes. Fuck yes. You know I'm yours. Have been since Vegas. I told you that last night. I'll marry you, Pink. Today, tomorrow, whenever you want."
"How about right now?" she whispers.
"What?"
"Our rings. Let's put them on now." She grins through her tears. "Make it official. No Elvis this time."
I stare at her, then laugh. "You want to exchange rings on a Wednesday morning while we both have morning breath and before I've had coffee?"
"I want to start wearing my ring on my finger instead of around my neck. I want to see yours on your hand every day." She reaches for the chain at her neck and slips it over her head. "I want to start being your wife officially. Is that so crazy?"
"It's the least crazy thing we've done since Vegas." I pull her against me, feeling her belly press into my stomach. I think it grew some more overnight. "Let's do it."
"Really?"
"Really." I kiss her forehead, her nose, finally her mouth. "I'll get dressed. You call Kieran and tell him we won't be in until this afternoon."
"Why Kieran?"
"Well, because he’ll need to run things for the rest of the day. But also because I'm pretty sure he and Lake have a bet going about when we'd finally stop pretending we're not all-in on this marriage."
She laughs, the sound bright and free. "Fine. But you're buying breakfast after. The fancy place with the Belgian waffles."
"Deal." I'm already moving toward the closet. "Mrs. James."
"That's going to take some getting used to."
"We've got time." I grab jeans and a t-shirt, watching her across the room as she calls Kieran. "Forever, actually."
As I get dressed, I listen to her explain to Kieran that she won't be in today. "Family stuff," she says, and the way she says "family" makes something warm spread through my chest.
Banks was right. Sometimes the best moments happen when you stop planning and just let life work itself out.
And sometimes the woman who drives you crazy is also the woman who saves you.
She slips the ring off the chain and hands it to me. Her fingers shake, but she gives me her brightest smile. I take her left hand in mine, and I've never been more nervous about getting something right.
"I, Kasen Jessie James, take you, Wren Eleanor Callan..." I slide the ring onto her finger, where it belongs.
"Are you seriously doing vows right now?" she interrupts, but she's grinning through fresh tears.
"Shut up. I'm trying to be official." I finish sliding the ring on her finger. "There. Perfect."
