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FORTY-SEVEN

DANIEL

“How are we ever going to put him in his crib?” Hannah says as the two of us lie in bed. We’ve been home for one night, and she’s currently got Mav on her breast, nursing. Every moment for the last two days has been like this. Perfect. Quiet. Sure, Mav gets fussy, but the moment he latches, he’s content for at least another hour, sometimes two. I get it. That’s my favorite place to be as well.

Our whole crew came to the hospital in shifts. Mav has a ridiculous number of honorary aunts and uncles. At three a.m., when I finally made my way to the waiting area, my dad had made it in from Bristol. He and Millie were the first to meet our guy. The rest of our friends and family visited the next day, bringing breakfast and lunch for the staff and making us the most liked and well taken care of guests in the hospital. Then Lake showed up, and from what I heard, more than one nurse had a panic attack. Hannah cackled when she pointed out that Lake is Mav’s grandmother. Mills chimed in with “That’s what happens when you marry an old man.”

Hannah was in great spirits, even if her mother didn’t show. Noah’s father brought Oliver up to meet his cousin, and her other dads checked in via FaceTime throughout the day. Her brothers too. Even now, we still haven’t heard a word from her mother.

“I’ll never understand how my mother could miss this,” she whispers, almost like she’s reading my thoughts, her blue eyes filled with emotion. “I love Mav so much, and I’ve only just met him. How could she not care?”

I press a kiss to her bare shoulder and brush a finger down Mav’s cheek. “You’re nothing like your mother, Han.”

Her responding nod is resolute, like she’s finally coming to terms with that truth. I think parenthood does that. Puts things into perspective. We only have so much energy, and using it on a person who isn’t putting any energy back into a relationship is a waste. “I know,” she says quietly.

“I’m going to refill your water. Want a snack too?”

Without taking her eyes off Mav, she mutters, “I want a slice of chocolate cream pie.”

I chuckle as I press a kiss to Mav’s forehead. As I pull back, he scrunches up like an angry old man, probably worried I’m going to interrupt his feeding. “Okay, dream girl.” I brush my lips over hers. “I’ll be back with your pie.”

She’s too enamored with our son to pay me any mind.

Taking advantage of her distraction, I collect all the supplies, along with my letter and my surprise. When I return, our little guy is on her shoulder, being burped. “Here, baby. Let me take him.”

I pace the room, patting his back, giving her time to use the bathroom and eat her pie.

“What do you think, Mav? Can you give Mama and me a few minutes so I can ask her an important question?”

Mav nuzzles into my chest like he thinks he’s getting more milk.

I’ll take that as a yes. “Awesome.” I press a kiss to his soft head and inhale deeply, soaking in his sweet scent. Swaying, I walk out of the room. I don’t stop moving until he’s fast asleep. Then I do the unthinkable and put him in his crib. When he doesn’t stir, I smile. It’s like he’s giving us his blessing.

When I return, Hannah is holding up the letter, and her pie plate is empty. “What is this?” she whispers.

I smirk. “Read it.”

She bows her head over it, sniffling.

“Out loud.”

Hannah bites back a smile. “Fine.” She shakes the paper dramatically and clears her throat. “Dream girl,” she says in an absurdly deep voice.

“That’s not how I sound. If you’re going to tease me, then you can read it silently.” I lean over her shoulder so I can follow along.

Dream girl,

ME. I’m not saying I’m perfect. Hell, I’m miles from it. And I’m not saying that I’ll always do everything right. We both know that isn’t true. Half the time I can’t speak properly because you’re in the room. The mere thought of you has my stomach in knots. I’m not settling down, because lord knows being with you doesn’t settle me. You’ve got me so wound up I have to work to be my impressive self.

But I will do all of that, every day, for the rest of my life, if you’ll just say…YES.

Hannah straightens and turns, studying me. “What is this?”

“Put the letters together.” I hand her the letters I’ve written over the last month.

Brow creased, she frowns down at them.

“Now look at the first word of each one,” I instruct.

“Will.”

With a thick swallow, she looks up at me.

I nod, signaling for her to move on to the next letter.

“You.”

“Next.”

She narrows her eyes and shakes her head, a little smile playing on her lips.

“Marry.”

This time she stops herself, but I hold up a hand, telling her to go on.

“Me.”

I press a kiss to her temple. “Now put them all together.”

With an exaggerated sigh, she shuffles the papers so they’re in order. “Will. You.” Smiling, she peers up at me. “Marry.” She picks up the last page, the final word barely more than a breath. “Me.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” I say with a smile.

“Daniel.” Her lip quivers, her teary eyes locked on me as I drop down to my knees and grip her thighs. “You started writing these letters a month ago. Was this always your plan?”

“I had to write it down. If I didn’t, I’d get it wrong.” I blow out a breath as emotion clogs my throat. “I’ve done a lot of things wrong in my life, but I must have done something amazing in my past one to deserve you. Our life together—” Voice catching, I drop my head and just breathe, trying to collect myself.

When I look back up, tears flow freely down Hannah’s cheeks. “I love you,” she whispers.

It’s just the thing I needed to keep going.

“Our life together is my dream come true. You are my dream come true. If I had to describe my perfect girl, I would say she’s a little older, with a lot of sass.”

Hannah laughs through her tears.

“She’s got beautiful blue eyes I could get lost in, and these lips I think about at least once an hour. And her ass? It’s incredible.”

She shakes her head, her eyes dancing in amusement.

“But all of that is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s your heart, Han, the way you love your friends, the way you love our son—” I choke on a sob. “And the way you love me.”

She nods along with every word.

“So marry me. I’m not asking you because I won’t risk the chance that you’ll say no. I’m taking you. I’m making you ask me.”

With a deep breath, she places a palm to my cheek and looks at me with enough love to knock me on my ass. “Will you marry me?”

“Why?”

Maybe it’s ridiculous, but I need to know why she wants to do this. I need to be sure this life is what she wants.

“Because,” she says, voice cracking, “if I had to describe my perfect person, I’d say he’s six foot something, cocky, with the biggest heart I’ve ever had the privilege of getting to know. He’s the standard I’ll use for every book boyfriend I create, though none will compare, and he was the first person to ever truly love me just for me .”

“That’s crazy.” I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, then stroke the sensitive spot just below it. “You are loved by so many.”

She shakes her head. “No one has ever loved me the way you do.”

I nod. “And no one ever will. I promise that for the rest of your life, you’ll know that you and our children come first for me. You will always have my heart and everything else I have to give.”

“So is that a yes?” she croaks.

I reach into the pocket of my sweats and pull out the ring, pinching it between my thumb and forefinger.

“Holy shit. I’m like Princess Diana,” she screams.

Chuckling, I slide the sapphire ring onto her finger. “You’re my princess. Forever.”

She fists my shirt and pulls me to my feet, but she doesn’t stop there. She lies back and pulls me down to the bed with her, kissing me like she’ll never get enough.

“Can we do it tomorrow?” she asks between kisses.

“What?” I laugh, deliriously happy but also deliriously tired.

Hannah rolls to her side and props her head on her hand. “Marry me tomorrow, please. Just you, me, and Mav at city hall.”

I stroke her hair. “Dream girl, I’ll marry you whenever you want, but don’t you want a wedding?”

“Nope. Just my boys.” She bites her lip. “And maybe Ava. And I guess War can come and Noah and Ollie.” Her eyes light up. “Oh, and Riggs and Ash…”

I smile as she rattles off the names of all the people she loves. She may not realize it, but she’s always had a family. It may not have been conventional, and she may have yearned for more, but my girl has always been surrounded by love. Friends who would do just about anything for her and family forged through love rather than blood.

Now she has Maverick and me too. “Yeah, baby. We can invite all of them. But maybe let’s wait until after your follow-up with the OB so we can really enjoy our wedding night.”

Hannah sighs, and the prettiest smile lights up her gorgeous face.

“You know the rules,” I remind her.

“Hmm?” she replies with a yawn.

“When the baby sleeps, we sleep.” I pull her into my chest and press my lips to her crown.

“Sweet dreams,” she whispers.

My body warms with affection. With comfort. How is this my life? Hannah is my dream girl, my fantasy, and now, she’s my future wife. I close my eyes, content knowing that when I fall asleep, I’ll see her in my dreams.