Page 127 of Shattered Promise

I meet Mason’s gaze and he’s fighting a smile, blinking a little too quickly. Theo is oblivious, happily squishing a goldfish cracker between his fingers before trying to jam it in his mouth.

“Well, all I’m saying is, your mom and I love you all. And may we continue to have to upgrade dining room tables,” Dad says, raising his glass. “To family.”

“To family,” everyone echoes, the words ringing warm and golden in the air.

Mason’s hand slides to the swell of my stomach, instinctive and reverent. I look at him as I lift my water glass, heart thudding.

Mom reaches for her glass too, blinking fast, then clears her throat. “I just want to say—” she pauses, swallows. “I’m so, so happy to have my family at home. Thank you for always coming back here on Sunday nights. I hope it’s a tradition we keep going . . . for a long time.”

She looks around the table like she’s cataloguing every face, committing them to memory. And when her eyes land on Theo, who’s now playing with the ends of my hair. And most likely getting goldfish cracker paste in it.

She looks at Mason. “You know, Mason, I was wondering, if well, I had this thought. That perhaps you might one day be open to me calling Theo one of my grandbabies? Don’t answer now. Go ahead and think about it. I’d just been thinking about it for a while, and I wanted to see what you think,” she says, her voice pitches soft, but her words tumbling out fast.

The table quiets again.

Mason’s brows lift. He blinks once, slow. Then a smile spreads across his face, quiet and full andsteady. “Of course,” he says, glancing at Theo. “He’s lucky to have you.”

Mom’s eyes mist just a little before she grabs a napkin and pretends she’s wiping her lipstick.

Cora lifts her glass in a silent toast. Jasper clinks his against hers. Francesca smiles into her mocktail sangria.

Then Margot—barefoot and half-drunk on sun and soda—leans across the table toward Vivie and says, “Tell your sister I want my sunglasses back.”

“Youtell Eloise you want your sunglasses back,” Vivie says, shoveling corn salsa onto her plate. “I’m not your messenger just because I’m the youngest, Margot.”

Hawke leans back in his chair, a lazy grin cutting across his face. “Leave her alone, Princess Chaos. You probably left them in the Reaper clubhouse again.”

My brows hit my hairline and Mason and I exchange a glance. Since when did Margot hang out at the Reaper clubhouse?

“You hangin’ around Hawke and the Reapers now, sis?” Eloise asks, sending her sister one of those glances that says a hundred different words without saying a single one.

Margot scoffs. “Asif.Hawke’s adog,Eloise.”

Across the table, Hawke barks with a wide, shit-eating grin. It’s loud and quick and it gives golden retriever energy.

Theoloses it. Belly-laughs like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard. Chuckles erupt around the table, and I can’t tell if they’re genuine or those sort of nervous chuckles. I know one thing for sure, the group chat will be active tonight. Cora, Francesca, and I all exchange looks.

Margot arches a brow at Hawke, the picture of unimpressed. “Really, Hawke?”

Hawke is unrepentant. “I’ll be your dog if you need me to.”

Mason leans over, presses his lips to my temple. “Good day?”

“The best,” I say.

My hand finds his on my thigh, fingers laced. Theo giggles on his lap, sticky and sweet and sooursit physically aches sometimes.

This moment is loud, a little chaotic, totally unscripted.

Andperfectlyours.