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SAVANNAH

T he boys’ laughter floated up through the kitchen window before I even stepped outside. I paused at the door, breathing in the scent of fall—cut grass, cool air, smoke curling from the grill. Dominic stood by the barbecue with a pair of tongs in hand, focused, shirt tight across his back.

Cal shrieked across the lawn, chasing a bubble, while Leo darted after him. It was warm for October, enough to forgo shoes. I stepped out barefoot onto the porch, which was cool beneath my feet, and let the screen door ease shut behind me.

In the yard, Dad held a drink, leaning back in one of Dominic’s Adirondack chairs as Thea said something that made him actually smile.

Graham was deep in some animated story, arms moving in wild arcs as he entertained Vanessa.

She lounged on the loveseat under a blanket and laughed louder than I’d heard her all week.

The cookout was meant to bring everyone we cared about together, and while it wasn’t the first interaction between Dominic and my father since everything unraveled at the end of July, it was the first time they were being completely civil—almost their normal selves.

The merger was almost complete, approved by both boards and both companies’ shareholders, and after booting Marla from my team, I’d been given a promotion to head of PR strategy for the new Knight Holdings.

Thea was able to double up on her classes, and the boys were in kindergarten full time.

Life seemed to be forming a new sort of normal that I was adjusting to. I liked it.

Walking toward Dominic, I clutched the box behind my back, the wrapping paper crinkling in my fingers.

My heart thudded; I felt steady and nervous all at once.

I’d rehearsed this moment in my head a dozen different ways; my anxiety over how to make this little announcement was eased by the fact that telling Dominic about the twins had bordered on being traumatic.

After that, anything would seem simpler.

“Boys,” I called. “Come here, I’ve got something for you.” My shout grabbed everyone’s attention, though Vanessa and Graham were still snickering like school children, appearing to be more than just business acquaintances.

The boys ran without hesitation. Cal got to me first, grabbing my leg for balance as I knelt in the grass. Leo practically dived for the box as his eyes lit up with curiosity.

“It’s a surprise,” I said, holding it out, “and I want everyone to watch you…” My voice rose for emphasis as I skimmed the yard with my gaze to make sure everyone—including Dominic—was watching.

They tore into the paper together, little fingers fighting over the corners. When the last layer came free, Cal pulled it back and blinked at the white box while Leo continued prying until the contents spilled onto the deck at my feet, a onesie and two T-shirts.

“Buh-iiig Bruh-uhth er x2?” Leo sounded it out, squinting up at me. “What’s that mean?”

I heard a few gasps of surprise as my eyes lifted to see Dominic watching steadily.

We’d discussed the possibility, but I hadn’t told him what the doctor’s results said yet.

The tongs had dropped to his side. He didn’t move except to raise a hand to cover his mouth and then pinch his nose.

Then he crossed the deck with long, even strides as I braced myself.

I heard Vanessa whispering, and somewhere I knew Thea was probably squealing quietly under her breath.

The boys started playing tug of war over the shirts while I blinked back tears and when Dominic reached me, he crouched and took my face in his hands.

“You’re sure?” he asked, eyes searching mine.

I nodded. “I had a blood test last week.” The smile on my lips was infectious.

His smile hit slowly, like it sank in gradually. He leaned in and kissed me, a slow savoring kiss that drew a few more muffled sounds from our guests.

We stood together, and I bent to hand Cal and Leo each a T-shirt. They held them up to their chests proudly, eyes still darting to the white onesie left on the ground. I picked it up and held it high enough for everyone to see. The words across the front read: Baby of the Family.

Dad’s brows shot up. He looked from the onesie to me, then to Dominic, eyes wide with disbelief. Then he shook his head, slowly smiling, and reached for his drink. Thea wiped at the corner of her eye and gave a choked little laugh.

Dominic slid an arm around my waist and raised his voice. “We’re having another baby.”

The cheers came immediately—Vanessa whooped and clapped, laughing as Graham bumped her shoulder with his.

Thea gave up pretending she wasn’t crying and covered her whole face with both hands.

Dad muttered something under his breath, still smiling, and shook his head again like he couldn’t believe it.

The boys ran in circles, still clutching their shirts, while Leo yelled, “We’re big brothers now!” as if the whole neighborhood needed to know.

The crowd didn’t just cheer—they beamed.

Vanessa raised her glass and shouted something about planning a baby shower.

Graham pointed at the boys and said they’d better start practicing diaper duty.

Thea drifted closer and wrapped her arms around me from the side, rocking us gently as she whispered, “You deserve all of this.”

I stood there in the middle of it all, surrounded by people who had every reason to keep their distance—but didn’t.

I felt it deep in my chest, the difference between being tolerated and being embraced.

Dominic caught my hand again, fingers twining with mine, and when I looked up at him, there was no trace of tension in his face. Just joy. Just home.

For the first time in years, I wasn’t bracing for impact or waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I stood steady in the center of something real, held together by love, surrounded by people who saw me and stayed anyway.

I was safe here, chosen without conditions, and fully known in a way that didn’t scare me anymore.

Dominic cleared his throat and gently squeezed my hand. When I looked over, his expression had shifted—still warm, but more serious now.

“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 time thinking 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.