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“Apparently you told Jonny we may be in the market for a house. He told his wife, and she called this morning about this property. Want to see inside?”
“Of course,” he responds, covering his open mouth with his hand.
I let him look around on his own. I think this property could be the perfect location for us to make a home together. There’s a difference between moving in with someone in a home you didn’t pick, and selecting the house where you will make a home together. I want Logan to have the latter. If this property isn’t the one that makes him feel like ‘this is it,’ we’ll keep searching until we find it.
Standing in the vacant home’s living room, giving him time to look around with no pressure, is difficult. I want to know what he thinks. I’m ready to hear his opinion on the tile in the bathroom shower. I need to know if this is a place he wants to call home, together.
“It’s perfect, Noah.” He calls, making his way back to me.
“Are you sure? Maybe I should have waited until you got here to look.”
He pulls me into a tight hug and kisses the top of my head. He doesn’t let go when he says, “No, it’s everything we need for our next chapter.”
I take a step back and look up at him, taking in the man I fell in love with, despite my best efforts not to. His physical features drew me in quickly, but his character and heart enchant me daily. I couldn’t have hand-picked a more perfect partner for myself.
“Do you want to do this?” He nervously asks with a laugh.
“If you’re in, I’m in.”
Peering around to see where Sadie is, and finding she’s in another room, Logan takes a big step toward me and pulls me back into his arms. His hands are in my hair and I glue my mouth to his, enjoying every moment of him exploring my mouth with his own. He smiles against my lips and whispers, “Let’s do it.”
Logan
Two Months Later
Eight months to the day after I moved back in with Noah, and a year and a half after she saved me in the laundry detergent aisle, we’re closing on our first hometogether. She asked so many times if I was sure this house was the right fit, but I know any house I buy with Noah will be home.
I’ve been working on a surprise for her for weeks, though I’m not sure I can pull it off. There’s so much going on with the close of the house today, it will be easy for my plans to go sideways. Thankfully, Izabeth and Claire were glad to help.
A very boring meeting with an attorney, and three tree’s worth of paper later, we’re homeowners. Together. We put Noah’s current home on the market two weeks ago and were extremely lucky to have a buyer make a cash offer. We close on her house in three weeks. Everything has fallen into place. Well, almost everything.
“Here, babe. Can you take this box to the kitchen?” I ask, unlocking the front door of our new home.
She takes the box from my arms and disappears around the corner with it. When she reenters the living room, she almost falls to her knees in surprise. Maggie, Rainey, Claire, Rufus, Izabeth, and Paul—our entire family is standing in the living room of our new home.
“What in the world?” Noah asks, covering her face in shock. “Is this a housewarming party or something?”
I laugh. “Or something.”
I’ve practiced what’s supposed to happen next with the girls several times while Noah’s been at work. Miraculously, they’ve kept my secret, and it’s time for them to shine. Rainey steps forward to join her aunt where she stands, and Noah looks down at her niece, furrowing her brows. Maggie, still slightly shy in a group of people, takes her place next to me.
“Noah. When our girls became best friends, I didn’t expect to find a best friend of my own along the way. There are no words for the wonder you make me feel. You’re resilient and care more about others than anyone I know. You’re thoughtful, ceaselessly surprising me with your dedication to keep the memory of Hannah alive for my daughter.” Noah’s eyes lock with mine, finally understanding.
“We’ve navigated a lot since our first meeting. We’re putting in the individual work to not stay stuck where we started. Today we bought a home together. I love you so much. You’re my person, my safe space, and my challenger.” I pause and look down at Maggie to indicate it’s her turn.
“Noah, will you marry my daddy? And Rainey, will you be my sister for real?”
Noah’s green eyes well up with tears, and she gasps in disbelief. I step forward, taking her hand in mine as I drop to one knee, awaiting her reply.
“Yes!” Rainey exclaims before Noah can provide her answer. The room erupts in laughter, but my eyes are glued on Noah and the fervent nodding of her head. I stand to slide the band Maggie and I selected onto her left ring finger and pull her in for a slightly-inappropriate-in-front-of-the-family kiss. This woman changed the life of my daughter and me in the most unplanned of ways and I’ll never let her go.
Maggie and Rainey cheer, hugging each other and jumping around, while the rest of our guests clap in celebration. The excitement dies down a few kisses later. I can’t imagine being happier than I am at this moment. The guilt I’m continuing to work through with my therapist doesn’t get a seat at the table. Not today.
Noah clears her throat to get everyone’s attention. “I, um . . . I also have a surprise.”
Claire gives me a questioning look and I shrug.
“Logan and Maggie, can you both turn around and face our guests?” I lift a brow at myfiancébut comply with her request, moving my daughter with me. “Are you ready?” I hear her whisper and the faces of Izabeth, Paul, Claire, and Rufus light up in shock and delight.
