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Lucille pins her daughter with a look. “Well, as long as you tell me you’re finally going to set up your own baking business, then absolutely. You were never passionate about that course, sweetheart, but David and I only wanted to support you in whatever path made you happy. Your talent deserves to be embraced, though, and I think you’ll be happier than ever…especially now.” She grins my way as she adds those last words, and I smile back gratefully.
“Yes, yeah. I mean, I’m going to set up my baking business finally,” Talia tells them, still looking a little shocked. “Thank you, both of you. I hope you know how grateful I am for the way you’ve supported me.”
“You can thank us with that chocolate cake of yours,” Dad tells her, making her laugh and agree readily.
We’re a long way off from a normal family, but by the time we’re finished with desserts, Talia is walking with a spring in her step and the future feels clearer than ever.
11
TREY
“Ican’t believe I’m not dreaming.” Talia sighs and pats one of the many, manydecorative couch cushions, fluffing it up until it’s perfect. "Like, how is this my real life?”
She’s talking more to herself than to me, but I chuckle and step closer to her regardless, tugging her away from our new couch and into my arms.
“It’s real, sweet girl,” I murmur in her ear, and she leans back into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine. “Need me to remind you just how real this is?”
To emphasize my point, I press her ass against me so she can feel the way my cock hardens for her.
Talia makes the prettiest little whimper and tilts her head back to meet my eyes. “Not until the cakes are out of the oven,” she tells me with a raised brow, pulling away a little. “I don’t want them to burn.”
I grin and let her go. She’s right, we can’t fall back into bed just yet. Not just because of the vanilla cake I can smell baking in our new oven, but because of the surprise I’ve got up my sleeve.
I follow her through to the kitchen, staring at her while she’s staring at our house like she’s still waiting for it to suddenly disappear. She trails her hand along the freshly painted white wall, humming as we step into the large, bright kitchen.
I meant it when I said I wasn’t leaving her behind when I came back to work. Now, three weeks after we left our parents’ house, Talia has turned the house we bought into a home. I wanted her to have the space she needed to start her business from our kitchen, and my girl deserved a place of her own. I started looking for houses off base as soon as she agreed to come with me, and this was the first one we saw. It’s perfect—a spacious three-bed with a modern kitchen space big enough for two fridge-freezers so Talia can store all her cakes safely.
I don’t exactly blame her for thinking this is all a dream. I’d feel the same if it wasn’t for the fact there’s no way in hell my dreams could ever come close to the absolute bliss of my life now. When I left for my dad’s place for my break, I never in a million years predicted how much my life was about to change.
And fuck, I’m beyond grateful for it.
I thought I was decently happy before. I liked my job, I had good friends. But now? Now I know nothing I’ve ever experienced before could ever match the light Talia brings to my life.
She’s everything to me.
And I hope that soon, she’ll be my wife too.
Talia hums a tune under her breath and drops a few drips of pink food coloring into the bowl of frosting she’s mixing up. I obviously introduced Talia to everyone when we came back and bragged about how talented my girl was. As a result, she has three orders this week—two birthday cakes and one huge batch of double chocolate chip cookies. She’s still working on getting her marketing and socials all set up to share her skills more widely, but at the rate she’s going, she’ll be overrun with orders before long.
I can’t wait to see her get all the praise and success she deserves. God, she’s fucking amazing, just as sweet as the icing she’s making, talented and beautiful, and all mine.
While she’s distracted, I head out the French doors to the back garden. It needs work done. I’ve mowed the grass, but the flower beds need tending, and Talia has plans for a firepit like Graham’s.
Still, it’s green and lush, if a little untidy, and the perfect private place for what I need. I add the finishing touches to the display I’d spent all morning setting up while she was focused on baking, stepping back to admire my work.
It’s just starting to get dark, making the neon letters and fairy lights stand out more. There are chocolate-covered strawberries, champagne, and macarons set out on a white picnic blanket, and I’ve set up a hammock towards the back of the garden between the two decently large trees that’s big enough for both of us.
“Hey, Trey, what’s—” Talia’s voice calls out.
I whirl on my heel, finding her paused in the doorway, an icing-coated spatula in her hand and a shocked expression on her face.Her hair is tied up away from her face, but some golden strands have escaped, framing her flushed cheeks.
“Come outside, cupcake,” I say softly, grinning.
The spatula drops to the floor, and she rushes out, barefoot and stumbling as she runs towards me.
“Trey, what’s all this?” she whispers, voice a little shaky, eyes wide, taking it all in. She turns and reads the glowing letters framing the picnic blanket, and her breath hitches.
MARRY ME?
