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I whirled… and saw all three of them standing behind me. My two sexy SEALs and my strapping Army Ranger. They wore boxers. T-shirts. Randall was even dressed in some shredded, threadbare robe.

“I… I want to open this?”

Holden yawned and smiled. “Sure. After all, it is for you.”

My eyes glassed over. Grinning happily I pulled on the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a delicate gold chain, with a jeweled charm dangling from one end.

I pulled it out and immediately started to choke up. I glanced back at them all, just seconds from crying.

“Look at it.”

I did, and this time I noticed the details. The charm was a teardrop shape. In its center were three matching diamonds, arranged in a triangle. And in the center of that… a rose-colored diamond, glimmering brightly in the flickering lights of the Christmas tree.

The three diamonds were beautiful. Flawless. They surrounded the pink diamond completely, enveloping it. Each of them touching it…

“It’s amazing…” I breathed, and now the tears did flow. I let them go. There was no reason to hold them in.

Marcus approached me first. He took my chin, as he so often did, and tilted it upward.

“I love you,” he said, bending to kiss me. A tear came between us. I laughed as his lips ca

me back wet.

“We love you,” he added, as the others stepped forward. “All of us. And we want to be with you, Andrea. Together. The four of us.”

Holden nodded. He took my hand and added the words: “Wherever we go.”

Randall took the box from my hand. He unclasped the chain, and draped it around my neck.

“If you’ll have us, that is,” the SEAL smiled. “I mean, we can sort of be a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Holden countered.

“Alright, most times. But we’re also kinda handy to have around.” He finished clasping the chain and turned me around by the shoulders. “There. See?”

From the direction he turned me, I could see myself in the room’s mirror. The four jewels symbolizing our relationship sparkled with life and light. And the golden teardrop…

… represents those we lost along the way.

I started crying all over again, tears of happiness and joy. Crying and smiling at the same time. The guys looked adorable, their hair standing up, all rumpled from sleep. They looked exhausted, too. And that was because, once again, I’d refused to tap out.

I held my arms out and they came to me, taking me into the middle. Surrounding me in a little triangle. Hugging me like the pink diamond in the center of my beautiful pendant.

“I love you too,” I said, turning to each of them. “With all my heart. With everything.”

The room went blissfully silent. I swore I could hear their hearts, beating around me. That I could feel the warmth of their blood, coursing through their veins.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“Now comes the fun part,” said Holden. “We go home.”

I almost dared not even believe it. It just hadn’t been a possibility in so long.

“I’ve had enough of Europe for a while,” Randall agreed. “I’m looking forward to the States. I could definitely eat a hot dog. See a baseball game.”

“Football,” Marcus interjected. “Baseball’s boring.”

“Bite your tongue, big guy.”