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The table goes quiet. Even the ocean seems to hush.

It’s clear everyone’s been waiting for the answer.

Xander lowers his fork, his voice softer now. “Well, no… I want to win the Cup, Gramps. It’s the least I can do to honor you.”

His words hang heavy. His usual confidence is gone, replaced by something quiet, almost ashamed.

My heart squeezes at the sight of him like this. He’s so much more than a championship ring. I place my hand on his thigh, and he covers it with his own.

Gramps scoffs. Sam shakes his head.

“What are you talking about, mijo?” Sam says. “Don’t you know how proud we all are of you?”

Kristine nods in agreement, her expression tender .

“And that’s great, Dad,” Xander says finally, “but… I still feel like I’ve let everyone down. Including myself.”

Silence falls over the table again. No one reaches for food. No one speaks.

Xander exhales, eyes on the half-eaten food in front of him.

“Yes, I know it sounds stupid,” he says quietly.

“But it’s the truth. You both won the biggest tournaments in your respective sports.

Made a name for yourselves. What do I have to show for myself?

That I’m Sam González’s son? That I’m Randy Wozniak’s grandkid?

I want to be Xander González, National Hockey Cup champion. ”

I squeeze his thigh beneath his table. He will win. I saw the way he threw himself into rehab to get back on track. He has what it takes.

“I like that hunger, Xandy,” Gramps says with a warm smile. “But never think you have to do it to please your family. We love you, and we’re already proud of you. Now… if you want to do it to impress a girl—well…”

I bark out a laugh, and after a beat, the whole table joins in.

“I can assure you,” I say, still smiling, “he has impressed me enough already. He met my entire family, survived a sibling inquisition, celebrated St. John’s Day with us, and let my Granny do a full-on healing ritual for his collarbone.”

Xander lifts my hand and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Hey, now. Don’t make fun of Granny’s ritual. She said I was going to be the next hockey champion—and I believe her.”

I shake my head, smiling.

“Oh, that’s so interesting,” Kristine says, eyes lighting up. “You’ll have to tell me more about it later.”

The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur of laughter, delicious Caribbean food, and easy conversation. We talk about my family, their family, everything in between. It’s incredible how we all click, like I’ve known them my entire life.

Eventually, Xander stands and stretches. “Okay, familia. Rain and I are going for a walk, but we’ll stop by tomorrow before we leave.”

Everyone rises from the table with him. Gramps and Sam both wrap me in big, warm hugs, telling me how much they enjoyed meeting me.

When Kristine steps forward, I notice a small pouch in her hand. Her smile is crooked, and her voice thickens with emotion as she begins to speak.

“I can’t begin to thank you enough for being here. You don’t know how much I prayed for my boy to meet someone worthy of him.”

My eyes pool with unshed tears. How does she know I’m worthy? We’ve barely talked.

She seems to read the doubt on my face .

“I’ve seen the change in Xander,” she says. “I’m sure some of it has to do with his recovery, but I also know that you’ve awakened something inside him I feared was gone.”

She pulls me into an embrace, and I feel her shoulders shaking. My heart whispers with hurt, for all the months and years she spent watching her son retreat from a distance.

“I’m the one who finally found someone worthy,” I whisper, and she pulls back just enough to hold my hands in hers.

“Here,” she says, placing the pouch in my palm. “I enjoy gardening and creating jewelry pieces from nature. I made this for you.”

I open the pouch and find a delicate flower, preserved in resin and set into a pendant. The petals shift between blue and purple depending on the light.

“This is beautiful, Kristine. Thank you,” I say, voice thick.

We hug again, and I press the pendant to my chest, holding it close, like a secret only we share.

Once we leave the restaurant—bellies full, hearts fuller—I stop just outside and turn to Xander, smiling. “Will you put it on me?”

He takes the necklace gently from my hand. “Mom gave you this?”

I nod.

“That’s awesome. She only gives these to family.”

I smile as he fastens the clasps behind my neck. When he’s done, he kisses the spot just below it, soft and lingering.

“Hmm,” I say, tilting my head toward him. “Then you better make an honest woman out of me.”

He barks out a laugh, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “That’s one surprise you’re not going to steal my thunder on, ma’am.”

He winks. “Our proposal will be one for the books. Just you wait, Cherry.”

He kisses me—slow, sweet—and then we start walking, hand in hand, down the shoreline.

People pass us as the waves roll in, clashing gently against the sand. Seagulls circle above, calling out as they look for their next meal.

I take a deep breath of salty air and look out at the endless blue ocean for the first time.

And I can’t wait to see what other firsts I get to experience with this man.

Hopefully, many, many more.