this perfect, imperfect, beautiful life with the people he loved most.

I should probably go, Avery said, but she made no move to leave.

Or you could stay for dinner.

I was planning to make pasta.

You’re going to cook for me? Don’t sound so surprised.

I can cook.

I’ve seen you cook, Lucas.

It’s an adventure.

An adventure that results in edible food most of the time.

Most of the time, Avery repeated, smiling.

Those are not encouraging odds.

Stay anyway.

Okay.

But if you poison me, I’m haunting you forever.

Deal.

Lucas cooked while Avery kept him company in the kitchen, stealing tastes and offering suggestions.

When Emma woke up from her nap, groggy and disoriented, she was delighted to find Avery still there.

“Are you staying for dinner?” she asked hopefully.

“Apparently, I’m staying to be potentially poisoned by your dad’s cooking.

” “Dad’s pasta is actually pretty good,” Emma said loyally.

It’s his other stuff that’s questionable.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, sweetheart.

They ate dinner together.

The three of them crowded around Lucas’s small kitchen table, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Emma talked about school, about her friends, about the new book she was reading.

Avery listened with genuine interest, asking questions and laughing at Emma’s dramatic retellings.

Lucas watched them interact and felt his heart swell.

This was what family looked like.

Not the perfect picture perfect version he’d once imagined, but something real and messy and infinitely better.

After dinner, they played board games, Emma’s choice, and Avery turned out to be fiercely competitive about children’s games, much to Emma’s delight.

“You’re cheating,” Emma accused when Avery landed on the winning space.

“I am not.

I followed the rules exactly.

You’ve been counting cards, haven’t you? It’s not my fault I have a good memory.

Lucas sat back and watched them argue playfully, a smile on his face.

This was going to work.

Despite all his fears, despite the complications, despite everything, this was going to work.

When Emma’s bedtime rolled around, Avery stayed to help with the nighttime routine.

She read Emma a story while Lucas cleaned up the kitchen, her voice drifting down the hallway, animated and engaging.

By the time Lucas finished the dishes and joined them, Emma was fighting sleep, her eyes drooping even as she tried to stay awake.

“Time for bed, sweetheart,” Lucas said gently.

“But I’m not tired,” Emma protested, immediately contradicted by a huge yawn.

“Sure you’re not,” he kissed her forehead.

“Sleep well.

” “Okay.

” “Okay.

” Emma looked at Avery.

Will you be here tomorrow? Not tomorrow, but soon.

I promise.

Pinky promise.

Pinky promise.

Avery agreed, linking fingers with Emma one more time.

After Emma was tucked in and her light turned off, Lucas and Avery retreated to the living room.

This time, when Avery said she should go, Lucas didn’t try to convince her to stay.

“Thank you for today,” he said, walking her to the door.

“For everything.

” “I should be thanking you.

I got to spend the day with my two favorite people, eating good food and building terrible furniture.

That’s a pretty perfect day in my book.

We could do it again sometime.

We could do it every day if you wanted.

Lucas’s heart skipped.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Avery smiled.

I know we said we’d take things slow, but Lucas, I’ve been waiting for this for over a decade.

I don’t want to rush, but I also don’t want to waste any more time pretending I don’t want to be with you every single day.

What are you saying? I’m saying that eventually, not tomorrow, not next week, but eventually, I want this to be permanent.

I want to fall asleep next to you and wake up to your terrible bed head.

I want to build crooked furniture and burn dinner and argue about what to watch on TV.

I want all of it, Lucas.

The messy, imperfect, beautiful reality of building a life together.

Lucas pulled her close, his hands framing her face.

I want that, too.

All of it.

Good.

She kissed him softly.

“Then we’ll get there.

One day at a time, one crooked bookshelf at a time.

One terrible attempt at furniture assembly at a time,” Lucas agreed.

They stood in the doorway for a long moment, neither wanting to let go until finally Avery pulled away with a reluctant sigh.

“I really do have to go this time.

Early meeting tomorrow.

Text me when you get home.

” “Always.

” Lucas watched her leave, then closed the door and leaned against it, a ridiculous smile on his face.

2 days.

They’d only been officially together for 2 days.

And already, Lucas couldn’t imagine his life without this.

Without being able to tell Avery he loved her.

Without being able to kiss her goodbye.

Without being able to plan a future that included both of them.

His phone buzzed with a text.

Home safe.

Missing you already.

Is it too soon to be this attached? Lucas typed back immediately.

Not if we’ve been building toward it for over a decade.

I think we’re right on schedule.

Good point.

Sleep well, Lucas.

Dream about me.

Always do, he replied.

And realized it was true.

He’d been dreaming about Avery for years without even realizing it.

Dreaming about a future that included her not just as his friend, but as his partner, his love, his home.

And now that dream was finally becoming reality.

Three months passed in a blur of happiness that Lucas had never quite believed was possible.

Three months of stolen kisses and family dinners, of Emma’s delighted laughter as she watched her dad and Avery hold hands, of building furniture that was consistently crooked but somehow always perfect.

Three months of falling deeper in love with someone he’d loved all along.

But on a rainy Tuesday morning in late fall, Lucas woke up to a text that made his stomach drop.

We need to talk.

Can you come over tonight after Emma’s asleep? It’s important.

The message was from Avery, and the formal tone of it sent Lucas’s mind spinning into worst case scenarios.

This was it.

She’d realized that dating him was too complicated, that merging their lives was too messy, that the reality of being with a single dad didn’t match the fantasy she’d built up over the years.

He stared at his phone, his heart hammering, trying to formulate a response that didn’t sound as panicked as he felt.

Of course.

Is everything okay? The three dots indicating she was typing appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again.

We’ll talk tonight.

I promise it’s nothing bad, just important.

Nothing bad.

Lucas tried to let those words reassure him, but anxiety had already taken root in his chest.

He’d been here before.

Sarah had used those exact words right before she’d told him she was leaving.

Dad, you okay? Emma appeared in his doorway, already dressed for school, her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Lucas forced a smile.

I’m fine, sweetheart.

Just got a text from Avery.

Emma’s face lit up.

Is she coming over tonight? Can we do movie night? Not tonight.

She and I need to talk about some grown-up stuff.

The excitement on Emma’s face immediately transformed into worry.

Is she breaking up with you? What? No.

Why would you think that? Because you have the same face you had when mom left.

All worried and sad.

Lucas’s heart clenched.

He crossed the room and pulled Emma into a hug.

Aunt Avery is not leaving.

She just needs to talk to me about something important.

That’s all.

You promise? I promise.

He hoped he wasn’t lying.

The day dragged by with agonizing slowness.

Lucas went through the motions of work, of picking Emma up from school, of making dinner, and helping with homework.

But his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Every time his phone buzzed, he jumped, hoping for another message from Avery that would explain what was so important.

But no additional texts came.

By the time Emma’s bedtime arrived, Lucas was nearly vibrating with nervous energy.

He rushed through the bedtime routine, probably too fast, because Emma gave him a suspicious look.

You’re being weird again, she observed.

I’m not weird, I’m efficient.

That’s what weird people say.

Lucas kissed her forehead.

Go to sleep, you menace.

I love you.

Love you too, Dad.

And remember, Aunt Avery promised she wouldn’t leave.

She Pinky promised.

I remember.

As soon as Emma’s door was closed, Lucas grabbed his keys and headed for his car.

The drive to Avery’s penthouse felt both too long and too short.

He rehearsed conversations in his head, tried to prepare himself for whatever was coming, but nothing felt adequate.

When he knocked on Avery’s door, she answered almost immediately, as if she’d been waiting right on the other side.

She looked beautiful, but nervous, wearing jeans and a sweater, her hair down around her shoulders.

“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi.

” Lucas stepped inside, his heart pounding.

So, what did you need to talk about? Avery twisted her hands together, a gesture Lucas had come to recognize as a sign of serious anxiety.

Do you want something to drink first? Coffee? Water? Avery, you’re killing me here.

Just tell me what’s going on.

She took a deep breath, then gestured toward the living room.

Can we sit down? They sat on the couch, the same couch where they’d confessed their feelings 3 months ago, and Lucas tried to prepare himself for the worst.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, Avery began, still not quite meeting his eyes.

About us, about where we’re going, about what I want from life.

Lucas’s stomach twisted.

Here it comes.

And I realized something, Avery continued.

These past 3 months have been the happiest I’ve ever been.

Coming home to texts from you, spending weekends with you and Emma, building our terrible furniture and burning dinner, and just being together.

It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

But, Lucas prompted because there had to be a butt.

People didn’t say we need to talk and looked this nervous if everything was perfect.

But nothing.

Avery finally looked at him and Lucas saw tears in her eyes.

Lucas, there’s no butt.

That’s what I’m trying to tell you.

I don’t want to keep taking things slow.

I don’t want to keep pretending this is new when we’ve been building toward it for over a decade.

I want to stop waiting and start living.

Lucas’s brain struggled to process what she was saying.

I don’t understand.

Avery laughed, a wet sound and wiped at her eyes.

I’m screwing this up.

I had a whole speech planned and now I’m just rambling.

She stood up, pacing across the room, then turned back to face him.

Lucas Carter, I love you.

I’ve loved you for years, and I’m going to love you for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to waste another second being cautious or careful or worried about moving too fast.

” She crossed the room to where he sat, frozen in shock, and dropped to one knee.

Lucas’s heart stopped.

“What are you doing?” he whispered.

“Something I should have done months ago, maybe years ago.

” Avery pulled a small velvet box from her pocket, her hands shaking.

Remember that night with the bookshelf when you jokingly said we should get married so we’d be legally obligated to help each other with furniture for the rest of our lives? Lucas nodded, unable to speak.

I thought you’d never ask, Avery continued, echoing the words that had started everything.

Because I’d been waiting for you to see me the way I saw you, waiting for you to realize we could be something more.

And when you finally did, when we finally admitted how we felt, I thought that was enough.

I thought I could be patient and take things slow and not push for more.

She opened the box, revealing a simple silver band.

But I was wrong.

I don’t want to be patient anymore.

I don’t want slow.

I want you and Emma and our crooked furniture and burned dinners and every single messy, imperfect moment.

I want to marry you, Lucas.

I want to build a life with you.

A real, permanent, forever kind of life.

Tears were streaming down Avery’s face now, but she was smiling.

So, I’m asking, “Will you marry me?” Lucas stared at her, his mind completely blank.

This wasn’t what he’d expected.

This wasn’t anything close to what he’d been preparing himself for.

He’d been bracing for heartbreak, and instead, she was offering him everything he’d ever wanted, but been too afraid to ask for.

“You want to marry me?” he finally managed.

“More than anything.

But we’ve only been together for 3 months.

We’ve been together for over 10 years, Lucas.

We just made it official 3 months ago.

There’s a difference.

Lucas laughed, the soundbreaking on a sob.

This is insane.

Completely insane, Avery agreed, but also right.

You know it is.

Tell me you don’t feel it, too.

And he did.

Lucas felt it with absolute certainty, this bone deep knowledge that Avery was it for him, that there would never be anyone else who understood him the way she did, who loved Emma the way she did, who fit into his life so perfectly.

It was like she’d always been meant to be there, because she had always been there.

“Yes,” he said, the word coming out rough and emotional.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.

” Avery’s face transformed with joy.

She fumbled with the ring, pulling it from the box with shaking hands, and slipped it onto Lucas’s finger.

It fit perfectly, like she’d known exactly what size to get.

“How did you chipmus?” Lucas started.

“I stole one of your rings last month and had it sized,” Avery admitted.

“I’ve been planning this for weeks.

I almost asked you a dozen times, but I kept chickening out.

” Lucas pulled her up from the floor and into his arms, kissing her with everything he had.

When they finally broke apart, both crying and laughing, Avery was trembling.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” she said.

“I can’t believe I actually proposed.

” “I can’t believe you beat me to it,” Lucas replied.

“I’ve been looking at rings for the past month.

” Avery’s eyes went wide.

“You have?” “Of course I have.

You think I don’t know where this is going? You think I haven’t been imagining a future with you every single day?” He kept her face in his hands.

I love you, Avery Sinclair, and I want to marry you and build terrible furniture with you and burn dinner with you for the rest of our lives.

That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said about domestic disasters.

I learned from the best.

They kissed again, softer this time, full of promise and hope and the certainty that they were exactly where they were meant to be.

“We should tell Emma,” Avery said.

Eventually, she’s going to lose her mind.

She’s going to say, “I told you so.

” about a thousand times.

Worth it.

Lucas looked down at the ring on his finger, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

I’m engaged, he said wonderingly.

We’re engaged.

We’re engaged, Avery confirmed, her smile radiant.

How do you feel about that? Terrified.

Happy.

Like I’m living in a dream.

He pulled her close again.

But mostly happy.

So incredibly happy.

They stayed on the couch for a long time, wrapped up in each other, talking about the future in concrete terms for the first time, about whether they’d live in Lucas’s apartment or Avery’s penthouse or somewhere new entirely.

About what kind of wedding they wanted, about how they’d tell their friends and family.

“Your mom is going to be insufferable,” Avery predicted.

“She’s going to say she knew all along, because she did know all along.

Everyone did except us.

We were a little slow on the uptake.

A little? Lucas laughed.

Avery, we wasted over a decade being idiots.

We weren’t wasting it.

We were building a foundation.

You can’t rush these things.

You literally just proposed to me after 3 months of dating.

3 months of dating built on 10 years of friendship, Avery corrected.

That’s different.

Lucas kissed her forehead.

Whatever you say, future wife.

Avery’s breath caught.

Say that again.

Future wife.

I like the sound of that.

Good, because you’re going to be hearing it a lot.

When Lucas finally drove home in the early hours of the morning, he felt like he was floating.

The ring on his finger caught the light from the street lamps, a constant reminder that this was real, that Avery had actually proposed, that they were getting married.

Emma was going to absolutely lose her mind.

He managed a few hours of sleep before Emma came bouncing into his room at 7:00 in the morning, immediately noticing the ring on his finger.

Dad, she shrieked.

What is that? Is that a ring? Did you get married without me? I didn’t get married, sweetheart.

But I am engaged.

Emma’s eyes went wide.

Aunt Avery proposed? How did you know she proposed and not me? Because Aunt Avery is brave and you’re kind of a chicken about this stuff.

No offense.

None taken, apparently.

Luca sat up and pulled Emma onto the bed beside him.

Yes, Aunt Avery proposed last night.

And I said, “Yes.

” Emma threw her arms around his neck with such force she nearly knocked him over.

I knew it.

I knew you guys were going to get married.

This is the best thing ever.

You’re okay with this? Really? Okay.

Emma pulled back and gave him a serious look.

Dad, I’ve been waiting for you to marry Aunt Avery since forever.

She’s basically already my mom in all the ways that matter.

This just makes it official.

Lucas’s throat tightened with emotion.

She’s not trying to replace your mom, Emma.

We’ve talked about this.

I know, but my real mom left and Aunt Avery stayed.

She’s been showing up for me my whole life, even when she didn’t have to.

That makes her more of a mom than the person who actually gave birth to me.

Emma’s voice was matterof fact without bitterness.

So, yeah, I’m really, really okay with this.

Lucas hugged his daughter close, overwhelmed by her wisdom and resilience.

I love you.

You know that.

I know.

I’m pretty lovable.

She squirmed out of his embrace.

Can we call Aunt Avery? I want to tell her congratulations.

It’s 7:00 in the morning on a Wednesday, so she’s probably already up.

Rich people wake up early.

Lucas laughed and grabbed his phone.

Avery answered on the second ring, sounding breathless.

“Is everything okay?” “Emma knows,” Lucas said.

She spotted the ring immediately.

“And Avery’s voice was nervous.

” Emma grabbed the phone from Lucas’s hand.

“Aunt Avery, you’re going to be my actual mom now.

” “Well, stepmom, but basically, mom, this is so cool.

” Lucas could hear Avery’s emotional response, even without the phone to his ear.

When Emma finally handed the phone back, Avery was clearly crying.

She’s okay with it? Avery asked.

She’s more than okay with it.

She’s thrilled.

I can’t believe this is real.

I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.

Believe it.

You proposed, remember? You don’t get to back out now.

Wouldn’t dream of it.

They made plans to get together that evening to celebrate properly, and Lucas spent the rest of the day in a days of happiness.

He called his mother, who did indeed say, “I told you so.

” approximately 15 times before bursting into tears of joy.

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