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“You love each other,” Roberto says, gazing at his eldest daughter lovingly.
“We always have,” I declare without hesitation.
A tense silence fills the room as if everyone’s holding their breath. A look passes between my parents. They regard me thoughtfully.
“I'm sorry,” Mom says, her voice quivering as if she's on the edge of tears. Audrey's mom nods in agreement.
“What we share is real and meaningful,” I say firmly. “How you handle the past is your choice, but for us, it's time to start building a future together.”
Audrey squeezes my arm, a pulse of warmth in a room that's gone cold. I wrap my arm around Audrey's shoulders and pull her into a nook by the window.
She cleaves to me, the gesture a living testament to our intimacy—her warmth seeps into my very bones. I tenderly kiss the top of her head.
I can't stop staring, touching her, or kissing her. I need to keep her close and never let her go. No one will take her away from me ever again.
“We want a better, brighter future together as one family,” Audrey says.
Carmella’s mouth drops open. “Are you pregnant?”
The room goes silent, tension snapping like a live wire.
Audrey laughs. “Ma!”
“Ahh… I see you like the sound of that?” I laugh.
Audrey was right. Getting angry would only make things worse. She's usually right, though offering them more coffee wasn’t a good idea.
We'll see them again in a few hours. We’re having lunch with Audrey's parents and dinner with mine.
Although I don’t want our parents staying longer than necessary, there’s something important I need to do first—no point waiting any longer.
I let go of her hand, excuse myself, and leave the room.
* * *
Audrey is everything to me.I would do anything to protect her, even if it meant shielding her from the people in the living room.
While studying Audrey's radiant face, I realized there’d never be a “perfect” time for anything-- there’s only now.
If I'm going to be the man Audrey needs, sticking to my values matters. I’ll be someone she can count on—a man who always has her back.
I'd imagined the proposal playing out differently, but suddenly, all my meticulous planning seemed pointless. All that matters is that I make my intentions clear to everyone.
When I return, Audrey searches my face, concern in her eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“There's something I need to say.”
Audrey's eyelids flutter as she gives me a shy smile.
Taking her hand, I turn to her parents. “I was going to ask this beautiful woman to marry me tonight. But there's no reason to wait.”
I glance at her father.
“If you approve, wonderful. If not, I'm not asking permission. Please don't mistake this as disrespect. The simple truth is I love your daughter beyond words and cannot live without her.”
She is everything to me. I’ll do anything for her, and she’ll never want for anything.
At least, not if I can help it. If that means protecting her from anyone in this room, then so be it. I’ll protect her with my life.
