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“Well, we’re quite literally building something together,” said Ava, feeling on firmer ground now that the words were out of her mouth. “And I figured since you were the one that asked me to stay here then I should be the one to ask you to marry me.”

“I didn’t ask you to stay,” said Hope.

“Fine,” Ava said, gritting her teeth. “I take the proposal back then.”

Hope smiled and came a little closer again. “I’m not sure you’re allowed to do that.”

“Of course I am. It was my proposal, if you don’t want to get married then we don’t have to.”

“Did I say that I didn’t?”

“You really are the most infuriating person,” Ava groaned. The movement by the open front door caught her attention. She groaned again. “Oh no.”

“What?” asked Hope.

Rosie strode through the door like she owned the place, closely followed by Robbie, closely followed by… a small cat that Ava had never seen before.

“They adopted a baby!” Hope said.

“I’m going to nail the cat door closed. You’re some kind of cat magnet,” said Ava.

“I’ll put up signs, I’ll get the kitten adopted,” Hope said hurriedly.

But Ava sighed and shook her head. “No. Rosie brings home strays because she trusts you. Because you looked after her and took her in and I guess I of all people can’t complain about that. It’s just the price I have to pay for having a girlfriend that’s so trustworthy.”

“A wife that’s so trustworthy,” Hope said.

Ava’s head spun around to look at her. “What?”

“Did you or did you not just ask me to marry you?”

“I did,” said Ava. “But you didn’t say yes.”

“You didn’t give me a chance to.”

“Oh.”

Hope stepped in and wrapped her arms around Ava’s waist. “So, yes.”

Ava’s eyes felt heavy, she could feel her throat tightening. “I love you,” she said quietly. “I can’t promise we’ll always be perfect, I can’t promise that nothing bad will happen. But I do love you. I came here broken and you’ve fixed me.”

“No,” Hope said, equally quietly. “I didn’t fix you. You fixed yourself. And that’s okay. Because that’s what life is. It’s not perfection. It’s just being constantly broken and constantly repaired, and that’s a good thing. The repaired places are better and stronger, even though they might be uglier.”

Ava bit her lip and nodded. “So, we’re going to do this?”

“You can’t take it back now,” Hope joked.

“We’d better go and tell Alice,” said Ava.

Hope leaned in closer. “Oh, I think that can probably wait a few minutes, don’t you?”

“Can it?” Ava said, but Hope’s hands were already traveling down over her waist, grasping at her hips. “Hmm, I suppose it can. Hold on.” Ava darted away, quickly shutting the front door of what had been her house and was now about to be their house. “Can’t have any more cats getting in.”

“Oh, there’s going to be cats. Lots of cats. And children and family and arguments and making up and meals and holidays and laughter and tears and all kinds of everything else.”

“Sounds fantastic,” said Ava, taking Hope back into her arms.

And then there was silence other than the soft sounds of breathing and moaning for a long, long time. Until the sun was setting and the light was orange and Ava couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world.