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And so that day had gone.

Today was a lot less chaos, but I was just as proud of how Wally had handled himself.I held up my phone.

Jeremy, understanding my request, messaged me the graduation photo.

I shot it off to Scott at the library.

Who sent back a flurry of, like, fifty emojis.

Without an iota of doubt, I would find time to fit in the library visits along with working for Marcie.Jeremy and I had already watched the nibblets a couple of times to help her out, and my childcare course, which had been delayed, started next week.

I’d already read all the materials, of course.I intended to be the best prepared student in the class.Even if I was the oldest by half a dozen years.

Jeremy approached, having somehow located another glass.He handed it to me.“I’m so proud of you.”

Heat raced to my cheeks.“Yeah?”

“Of course.”He pressed a kiss to my temple.“Even if you two had somehow not passed, I still would be proud.”He crouched.“How’s my Wally?Are you a good boy?”

Wally gazed back at me.

I gave him thego aheadsignal with the sweep of my hand.

He lunged into Jeremy’s arms.

I was still amazed at how well-behaved he was.

Jeremy and the dog.

I grinned.

Wally had come a long way.Although he adored Jeremy, I was his primary handler now.He was to take his cues from me when we were together.If he was alone with someone else, he was to give them his full attention as long as he had his vest on.He thrived on the mental stimulation that training gave him, and he’d adore the kids in the library—of that, I had no doubt.

“You are so adorable.”Sawyer approached.“Can I take a picture of the three of you?For your family album.”

Our family.

Yeah, we kind of were.The three of us.

With an extended family spanning all these wonderful people, Marcie and her crew, as well as Jeremy’s wonderful parents.They wanted to come today, but Mom was still a little woozy, and the noonday heat would’ve been tough on her.The doctors figured she’d make a full recovery and, overall, she and Dad were healthy.

They both insisted I call them Mom and Dad.Especially after I’d shared my upbringing.I wanted Jeremy’s family to know where my gratitude sprang from.Why I sometimes teared up at moments of closeness between everyone.Either Jeremy or Marcie—or even Raphael once—would put an arm around my shoulder and give me a squeeze.

Wally and I were down a bit of weight, with more loss on the horizon.Slow and steady, as Dr.Louisa liked to say.Somehow, I’d finally got it into my head that making social connections was far more important than what the scale said.I’d get healthy.More importantly, though, I’d found acceptance.

We posed for Sawyer.

Jeremy waved his phone and Neil, understanding the request, snatched it and shot a couple of pictures as well.

I planned to get the best one framed and to give it to Jeremy.Along with a proposal.I figured…Thanksgiving.Mostly because he had Christmas in his mind for the grand proposal.I didn’t want to keep him from having fun, but I wanted to be the one doing the asking—so he’d know how true my love for him really was.

Arthur approached us, still appearing a little shy.He’d been chatting with Jeremy earlier, which I took as a good sign.

I shook his outstretched hand.“Thank you.For taking a chance on me.”

He grinned.“Easy decision to make.Clearly you were meant to be together.”He eyed Wally.“He’s such a great little guy.”

“A matchmaker to boot.”Jeremy offered a chuckle.“I don’t know if I’d ever have met Phillip, if not for our little guy.”