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“Who knew that all we needed all along was a minor disaster?”

I stare at him.

“Too soon?” he asks.

“Too soon,” I affirm. “Also, I wanted to ask—can you give me your therapist’s phone number?”

“Really?” Alaric asks.

“It’s for Emma,” I say. “I think it would be better if she had a professional to talk to. She’sa strong woman, but she lived in fear for too long. The stalker really messed with her head.”

“You’re going to be such a good husband,” Alaric says, smiling at me like a proud parent.

I look at my friend.

“Maybe I’ll schedule a few sessions with the therapist too,” I say.

Alaric yelps with glee.

The idea of sitting with a stranger and talking about the darkest moments of my life still feels a little unnatural, but I want to be a healed man for Emma. I don’t want to put the burden of my past on her. I’m doing better than before, but I know there’s still a lot of work to be done.

“Now go get ready for the party,” he says. “Our guests will be arriving soon.”

“How did you get in touch with Emma’s friends, anyway?” I ask.

“They called Emma’s grandmother. Apparently, they had brunch scheduled, and they were worried when Emma didn’t show up. I spoke with them in the morning and assured them everything was okay. They were still concerned about her, so I invited them to dinner.”

I hear faint notes of music from downstairs.

“The orchestra must have arrived,” he says.

“You hired an orchestra?” I ask. “I thought it was going to be a low-key dinner party.”

“Please, you know me better than that.” He scoffs. “I don’t do anything low-key.”

“Splendid,” I deadpan.

“You always grumble, but you also have the best time at my parties,” he says.

I give him a look.

“And before I forget, I wanted to give these to you,” I say, handing him Adam’s phone and wallet. “They belonged to Emma’s stalker.”

He takes the phone and wallet from me, his face growing serious.

“Emma gave them to me a few hours ago,” I say. “I meant to give them to you earlier, but I kind of passed out after the?—”

“Oh God, don’t remind me,” he groans.

I grin as I stand up. “I’ll let Emma know that her friends are coming.”

He gets to work on the phone, trying to hack into it himself. I make my way down to the garden.

I find all of them there, including Helena and Emma’s grandmother. The kids are playing with the golden retriever puppy, looking like they don’t have a care in the world. That’s how it should be.

Instead of joining them, I stare at them for a moment.

They’re my whole heart.

When I first learned that I was going to be the kids’ primary guardian, I felt like I would never be enough for them.

It was easy for me to provide for them financially, but I didn’t thinkI would be able to meet their emotional needs.

But I realize now that I didn’t have to do everything on my own.

That’s what family is for.

And all this time, the kids always had multiple people in their lives who adored them. We werenever alone.

Emma’s grandmother is the first to spot me. I walk toward her because I’ve been meaning to speak with her.

“May I have a word with you, ma’am?” I ask.

She smiles at me. “Of course.”

I pull her away from the group. My heart is beating so hard in my throat. I’ve never done this before. I didn’t think it would be so intimidating when the moment came.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I say.

The sparkle in her eye tells me she knows exactly what I have to say.

“Yes?” she says.

“It’s about your granddaughter,” I say. “I know you’re the most important person in her life, so it would mean everything if you’d give me your blessing to marry her. I adore Emma and want to spend the rest of my life loving her.”

She studies me for a moment.

“One thing you should know about my granddaughter is that she’s a very sensitive girl,” she says. “She only lets her guard down in front of the people she truly loves. This also means that you'll break her heart if you ever do her wrong.”

“She’s been through enough already,” I say softly. “I would never add to her pain. I promise to love and protect and cherish her for as long as I’m alive.”

“Keep going,” she says, tipping her chin up.

She’s a fierce little woman, and I love her for being so protective of Emma.

“She’s the center of my universe,” I say. “I owe everything to her. She taught me what it means to love with my whole heart. She taught me how to be a good role model for the children. I’ll be the best man I can be for her and the baby.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “What did you just say?”

I blink. I forgot that we haven’t told everyone about Emma’s pregnancy yet.

“She’s expecting,” I say. “We just found out at the hospital this morning.”

“This is the best news of my life.” She wraps her arms around my middle.

Helena must have overheard the conversation because she joins in, squishing me in the middle of the hug. Both of the women start crying happy tears.

If someone told me a month ago that I would be a willing participant in a group hug with two older ladies, I would ask them to stop dreaming.

The kids run toward me. Emma is behind them, picking up the tired little puppy and holding him close to her chest. The sight of the kids and my woman coming toward me makes my heart feel like it’s going to burst.

“Hi, Uncle Klaus,” James says, barreling into my knees and hugging one of my thighs.

Rosalie is more skeptical. She stands at a distance as she watches us.

“Why is everyone acting so weird?” she asks.

“You want a hug too, don’t you?” I ask.

“ No ,” she says.

I extend an arm toward her. She rolls her eyes but joins in on the hug.

She’s sassy sometimes, but she’s still a sweetheart.

Looking at my niece doesn’t hurt anymore.

Yes, she still reminds me of my sisterevery time I look at her, but this little human is also her own person.

She needs my adoration and unconditional love.

“I love you kids,” I say, mussing their hair.

I can feel Emma watching me.

Her smile makes everything light up inside me. I don’t remember the last time I felt this happy . It’s so strange for me to feel this light and buoyant.

“You told them?” she guesses.

I nod. The group makes space for her. She fits like she’s the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. She fits like the two of us were meant to share this life together.

“Tell us what?” Rosalie asks. “I want to know, too.”

Emma and I share a smile. We’ll tell the kids about the baby eventually, but not today.

“Uncle Alaric’s having a party,” I say. “And you two need to take a shower before the guests come.”

The puppy settles down for a nap,drowsy after all the playing. The kids race upstairs to their bedroom. The older ladies also retreat to their rooms.

“What’s the party for?” Emma asks.

I shrug. “You know Alaric. He likes to celebrate everything. Your friends are coming, by the way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they got in touch with Alaric because they were worried about you,” I say. “So he invited them over.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of him,” Emma says.

There’s a spark in her eyes. She’s excited to see her friends.

“So it’s just a small get-together then?” she asks.

“Nothing’s ever a small get-together with Alaric,” I say. “He has a tendency to get carried away, especially when it comes to his parties.”

“What should I wear?” she asks, biting down on her bottom lip.

“You look beautiful in everything,” I say.

“You’re not being helpful, Klaus,” she says.

I grin at her. “I had a stylist put together a wardrobe for you and the children. There should be plenty of clothes for you to pick from.”

“Are you serious?” She looks at me with wide eyes.

“I hope the selection is to your liking,” I say, taking her hand and kissing the inside of her wrist.

She shakes her head in disbelief, but there’s a smile on her face.

We walk up the staircase together.

“Your clothes are in our bedroom closet,” I say. “I’ll help the kids get ready in the meantime.”

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” I ask.

“We’ll be fine,” I say, dropping her off at our bedroom and then walking to the kid’s room.

As soon as I step inside, I can feel the tenseness of the atmosphere.

Rosalie is in tears, andJames’s face is red.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately rushing to their side.

Rosalie cries harder when she hears the softness of my voice.

“She’s upset that none of her old clothes are here,” James explains.

“We have new clothes, sweetheart,” I say.

“It’s not the same.” She sniffles.

“Clothes don’t matter,” I say. “They’re not important.”

“Yes, they are ,” she screams. “The pink dress that Mom bought for me isn’t here. These aren’t my clothes. These aren’t my things.”

I take a deep breath.

I can’t be callous about this just because I’m not attached to my own clothes. For me, clothes are just something I wear. For Rosalie, they’re a memory. They represent something.

I sit down in front of her.

I let her cry until she’s all out of tears.

These kids have lost so much already. They lost even more in the fire. They deserve to grieve.

“I’m sorry, Rosalie,” I say, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“It’s okay,” she says, leaning into my touch. “It’s not your fault, Uncle Klaus.”

“What’s important is that we still have each other,” I say. “That’s the most important thing.”

She nods. “I know.”

“Material things will come and go, but it’s always the people who matter most,” I say. “Nothing’s more important than family.”

“Ohana means family,” James whispers, quoting one of his favorite movies. “Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

“That’s right, buddy,” I say. “And the three of us are family, okay?”

“Miss Turner, too,” Rosalie adds.

“Yes, Emma is family, too,” I say.

Rosalie sniffles. “I don’t want to come to the party. I feel blue.”

“It’s okay to feel blue. Everyone feels blue sometimes.”

She considers that for a moment.

“You can stay in your room if you like, but there’s going to be cake,” I say.

She sighs. “Okay, I’ll come for the cake.”

I smile at my niece. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest when she smiles back at me.

I get the kids showered and dressed within thirty minutes.

There’s a soft knock on the door. The scent of sweet frosting wafts through the air before I even see her.

“Hi,” Emma says.

I look at her and forget how to breathe.

She stands in the doorway, looking like an ethereal angel in a flowing yellow dress. Her dark hair tumbles down her bare shoulders in soft curls. The off-the-shoulder neckline accentuates her curves, making my heart squeeze in my chest.

She looks like a princess, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

“I can’t wait to have boobs,” Rosalie declares.

“Gross,” James says, making a face. He smiles at Emma. “You look very pretty, Miss Turner.”

“Thank you, James,” she says. “You guys all look amazing too.”

The puppy barks from downstairs, waking up from his nap. The kids say goodbye and bolt out of the room, eager to play with their new best friend.

Emma and I are alone in the room now.

I walk toward her. She keeps those pretty dark eyes on me as I close the distance between us. When I graze my knuckles against her cheekbone, she shivers with her whole body.

“You’re the sunshine in my life, Emma,” I say. “Everything lights up when you walk into a room.”

I pull her into my embrace.

I hold her close, letting her listen to the sound of my heartbeat. It beats for her now. Only for her.

Our hearts have pledged loyalty to one another from the moment our eyes met.

It feels like destiny, but we also chose each other.Even when things got hard, we released our egos and insecurities.

And because of that, we gained everything.

“There are still things I need to tell you, Emma,” I say. “Things about my family. Things about Sinclair mansion.”

“Just hold me for now, Klaus,” she says. “Everything else can wait.”