Page 62 of Daddy's Accidental Babies

“Hey,” he called out, raising his voice enough to catch everyone’s attention. “Graham, mind checking the grill?”

Graham gave a mock salute and headed that way, snatching the tongs from Dominic’s hand as he went.

With the background noise easing, Dominic turned slightly toward the group. “I wasn’t planning to say anything today, but this moment feels too good not to mark. I spent a long timethinking I’d never have this—someone who saw me for who I am and didn’t flinch, who stayed even when it got hard. Savannah didn’t just give me a home. She gave me a family.”

He looked down at me again. “I love you. And I can’t wait to do this next part together.”

My chest tightened, full in a way that almost hurt. The love in his eyes made everything around us fall away—no noise, no nerves, just him and me and the life we were building.

Before I could catch my breath, he took a step back, dropped to one knee, and pulled a ring box from his pocket. The air caught in my throat as Thea backed away and gave me space. My hand fluttered to my mouth and the boys tore off through the yard tugging their shirts on over their heads.

He held it out like he already knew the answer. “Savannah,” he said, voice low but sure. “From the moment I met you, everything in my life shifted. You challenged me, softened me, gave me more than I ever thought I deserved. You made this house a home, made me a father in every way that counts, and now, you’re giving me the future I never had the courage to ask for. I want to spend the rest of my life earning this—earning you.”

He opened the box slowly, letting the ring catch the afternoon light, and held it steady as he dropped to one knee. He looked up at me with a soft smile, the kind that belonged only to moments like this.

“I know I already said it in front of everyone, but I want to say it again—with intention. I’ve loved you in so many different ways—quietly, stubbornly, desperately. You gave me space when I needed it, called me out when I deserved it, and believed in me long before I ever believed in myself. I don’t want a single day without you.”

He paused, just long enough for the silence to settle between us. Then his voice lowered. “Will you marry me?”

The breath caught in my throat. Around us, voices blurred into a warm, distant hum, but I couldn’t stop staring at him. The man from whom I kept things, who deserved so much better but settled for what I could offer him…His words snaked into my soul and coiled around me until I couldn’t stop the tears. He loved me, after everything I put him through, and the way I lied to him by omission, and he still wanted me—enough to marry me.

Tears streaked down my cheeks and dripped from my jaw, but I didn’t wipe them away. I let him see all of it—the awe, the joy, the quiet fear that maybe I didn’t deserve this much happiness, and the fierce hope that maybe I did.

I reached down, my fingers brushing his cheek, and I whispered, “Yes.”

Dominic stood, wrapping his arms around me, and laughed into my neck. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” I whispered, pulling back just enough to kiss him. “Yes. Of course, yes.”

He kissed me again, longer this time, and when we pulled apart, the applause returned—louder, fuller. I leaned into him as our friends and family closed the distance, offering hugs, congratulations, and teasing remarks about wedding dates and baby names. Thea promised she’d help plan the ceremony, and even Dad muttered something about finally doing things the traditional way. Dominic just laughed and kissed my temple.

We stayed out in the yard long after the sun began to set. The grill ran cold. The boys took turns announcing their big-brother status to anyone who would listen. Graham burned the second batch of brats, and Vanessa swore she’d host a proper engagement party. I didn’t want to leave the moment; I didn’t want to forget the feel of Dominic’s hand in mine or the weight of his promise settling into place.

We hadn’t done anything the easy way. We’d made mistakes, kept secrets, and survived things we didn’t speak about out loud. But we were still standing.

I looked around at everything we’d built—imperfect and patched together, but deeply ours.

And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t chasing something better. I was home.