Page 73 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)
I smile, shaking my head gently. “There was no meeting, Baby.” I brush my fingers through the top of her hair and tuck a piece behind her ear. “I don’t understand, you did all this?”
“I had a lot of help,” I say, glancing briefly at the stands full of people waiting.
“Every single person here has helped in one way or another.” I begin to explain.
She takes a moment to look around, still hasn’t spotted her family in the stands.
I bring her focus back by hooking my finger underneath her chin.
“Dayna—we were just two teenagers when we first fell in love. Back then, grief and heartache didn’t exist for us. But life threw us curveballs. Big ones. In the end, it wasn’t about what broke us—it was how we swung at it that mattered.
Almost two years ago, my world went dark. I packed up my life, took a leap of faith, and moved to this little town hoping to find space for my daughter and me to heal. We were struggling. Lost.
And then…we ran into you. That moment in the office— God —I’ll never forget it.
The look in my little girl’s eyes as she listened patiently to you, folding the next day’s announcements into a delicate flower.
A flood of emotions hit me like a freight train.
She had lost the glimmer in her hazel eyes and I thought it would be gone forever, but in that very moment, I saw a glimpse of her radiant self.
Without any doubt, I know it was you who put it back.
You lit the stars back into our atmosphere.
Right then and there.
You helped both of us in ways I still can’t fully put into words. You let us grieve, you let us grow. You gave us peace. You made space for every part of our messy, beautiful life.
I love how effortlessly you fit with us. Dayna–you stepped into the role of motherhood with such grace and heart. Watching you with Sadie, watching her choose you…it broke me in the best way. You became the piece we didn’t know we were missing.
So now, here I am–hoping you’ll make me the luckiest man alive, I kneel down on one knee, back straight and open the black velvet box .
“Dayna Mae, Will you marry me?”
The crowd erupts–the rumble of the gym full of students and staff shaking the bleachers. Through tear-filled eyes, Dayna nods hard and fast.
“Yes, Luke! A million times yes!”
I don’t wait. I sweep her into my arms, lifting her off her feet as my mouth finds hers.
She smiles against my lips, and I spin her in a full circle while the gym roars around us.
When I set her back down, I reach for the velvet box and gently slide the marquise diamond solitaire onto her finger–the white gold catching the lights above us.
Dayna stares down at it, breath catching in her throat. “Luke…this is breathtakingly beautiful…” she whispers, voice cracking as the tears start to fall.
The cheers rise again–and right on cue, the confetti poppers explode. Silver streaks rain down like a storm of stardust, catching in Dayna’s hair as she presses herself closer to me. She buries her face in my chest, her body trembling as she begins to sop.
Then I hear it. That unmistakable squeal that only belongs to one little baby girl.
Dayna lifts her head, following the sound–and that’s when she sees them.
Her family. Her entire family, sitting right in the center of the bleachers beside Sadie.
Elliot, Delaney, Gwennie, Sienna with Tessa perched on her hip.
The Evans. Right next to my brother, Liam.
“You invited my family to be here?” Dayna’s voice cracks, full of disbelief and wonder.
Her hand covers her mouth again, her eyes locked on them like she can’t quite believe they’re here.
Sadie waves wildly, then lets go of Gwennie’s hand and bolts–bouncing down the bleacher steps like she’s weightless, all curls and joy.
Her sneakers barely touched the wooden floor.
“Of course I did,” I say softly, watching our girl run straight for us.
“They wanted to be here for this moment. Do you know how hard it was for Sadie to keep this a secret?” Sadie hits the gym floor at full speed, running and launches herself into Dayna’s arms. Dayna catches her with a breathless laugh, holding her tight as tears fall freely.
She laughs through her crying burying her face in Sadie’s curls .
“You mean–” Dayna chokes out, pulling back just enough to see her face. “This is the reason why you wouldn’t talk to me?”
“I’m sorry you felt that way,” I say, stepping in closer now, my voice low and full of truth.
“That was never my intention. Keeping this from you…it was the hardest thing but I promise you, we love you so fucking much.” A few audible gasps ripple through the gym at my choice of words.
Dayna’s eyes fly up to mine–wide, surprised–and then she laughs.
Full and bright, the sound soars through the gym like a musical.
I lean into my girls, pressing my forehead to the side of theirs, “I love you both so fucking much.” I whisper, just for them. Sadie snuggles deeper into Dayna’s arms as she lifts her up, holding her between us.
“I’m your daughter now, Momma.” Sadie says softly.
The air leaves my lungs. Just–obliterated. Dayna’s whiskey brown eyes find mine, shimmering, overflowing. She presses a kiss to Sadie’s forehead, her voice strong and steady.
“Oh, my Sweet Girl…” she breathes. “I am honored to have you as my daughter.” She hands back Trixie to Sadie, who hugs the pink dinosaur tight beneath her arm.
On her other hand, Dayna still holds onto the delicate paper flower.
The same one she made Sadie the day they met.
It hits me–I’ve never asked. I reach up, brushing the last of her tears from her cheek.
“You know,” I murmured into my future wife’s ear, “I never asked…What kind of flowers are those?” Dayna glances down at the soft folds of the paper in her hand.
Her smile curves slowly, full of meaning.
“Daffodils,” she says. “They symbolize new beginnings.”
And in this moment–wrapped in silver confetti, surrounded by cheers and a love so loud it echoes out to the cosmic stars that brought us here–I know:
This is it.
This is our forever.