Jacob appears to our side and hands Dax a small velvet box, then stands next to us as Dax gets down on one knee. “It’s time to give that story—our story—a happy ending,” he rasps. His voice cracks as he opens the box to reveal a sparkling and elegant diamond. “Clara Morgan, I love you and Jacob with my whole being. Will you give me forever and marry me?”
“Say yes, Mom,” Jacob urges, his smile infectious and heartwarming.
I kneel to meet them at eye level. With a watery smile, a few stray tears falling down my cheeks, and a heart ready to burst, I nod. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
Jacob jumps with arms in the air. “Yes! She said yes!”
“Why are you yelling?” I laugh, then kiss Dax on the lips as we stand.
When I turn to the side, my mom, Andrew, Willow, and Zach rush toward us, cheering with big smiles on their faces.
“Oh my God.” I gasp, leaning into Dax’s chest, his arm wrapped firmly around me.
“They’re getting married!” Jacob continues jumping and dancing around with Andrew as my mom hugs both Dax and me.
My father appears too, along with his wife, Izzy, then Staci, Brooks, and Sienna.
Sienna holds her phone up, and I’m positive she’s live-streaming this. She animatedly talks into the screen, describing every detail in one breath. “You guys, this is the most beautiful proposal, okay?” She angles the phone to capture the setup. “Check it out. Rose petals. Candlelight. I mean, this shit is better than a fairy tale.”
I laugh and wipe more tears from my eyes as we give hugs all around.
Andrew pops a bottle of champagne, and my mom helps him pour it into plastic cups they brought.
Willow holds both our hands, her tear-streaked face making me emotional all over again. “Congratulations, you two. Mom and Dad would be so proud, big brother.” Dax leans down to squeeze her in a hug. Then, she turns to me. “Clara, you’ve always been family to us, but welcome, officially.”
We both exhale into giggles.
I reach Sienna as Staci and Brooks engulf Dax in a group hug. “You knew?” I shake my head at Sienna as she tucks her phone in her pocket.
“Oh, yes. It’s why I was at your house before you even texted me. I was watching out of my window, actually, for Dax to leave.” She laughs, then pulls me in for a hug. “You’re one lucky bitch. Dax is wearing the hell out of that suit, and he’s a doctor? Nice work.” She leans back and fans herself.
My smile is glued on my face. Permanent, thanks to Dax and Jacob.
Champagne is passed around, and before we take a drink, Dax holds his cup in the air and wraps his free arm around me. His piercing gaze is on me as he says, “A toast. To my future bride.” He nods to Jacob, then focuses back on me. “Our family. Our friends. To our future. Thank you all for being here to celebrate, even though it’s cold and only getting colder.”
We all chuckle, pulling our coats around us a little tighter.
“The perfect evening.” I kiss Dax’s lips, my cup of champagne still in the air. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.
I face our friends and family and grin. “Cheers.”
“Cheers!”
“Can I have some?” Jacob pulls on my arm and nods to the cup of champagne.
This causes another round of laughter from us. I shake my head, and my dad walks up with my mom. “For you, little guy, we have sparkling apple cider.” My dad holds up a cup as my mom fills it.
Jacob groans and begrudgingly accepts it. But when he takes a sip, his eyes widen in appreciation. “Okay, that’s good. We should have this every day.”
“Yes, sir.” My dad clinks his cup to Jacob’s.
A new round of tears wells in my eyes as I look around at our closest friends and family. When my gaze falls on Dax—my best friend, my fiancé—my heart flutters.
His grin is so wide and genuine that my throat is clogged with emotions.
“I know.” He kisses my forehead.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have any words, either,” he whispers and places my hand over his chest. “But my wild heartbeat speaks for itself.”
I close my eyes and lean into him, listening to his heart thump beneath my hand.
It’s the best kind of music.
The best kind of truth.
It’s love.
Epilogue
Three years later…
Dax
I move the head of my stethoscope over her chest, listening to the soft sounds that comfort me in a way I never imagined possible.
I’ll never tire of this sound.
“What’re you doing?” Clara asks as she wraps her arms around my waist.
“I’m listening to her heartbeat.” I close my eyes as the soft beats mix with Clara’s happy sigh.
“Can I?”
I give Clara one ear tip, and we watch as small eyes gaze up at us.
“Our miracle baby,” Clara whispers.
With Clara’s head resting on my shoulder, we watch our baby daughter as we listen to her heartbeat.
“A miracle indeed.”
Clara had a miscarriage soon after our wedding. It was difficult to process, for both of us, but she’s strong. She kept us together.
Then, one morning, Clara threw up.
She threw up the morning after that and the one after that. She was wary and didn’t want to get her hopes up, not after the last time, but I convinced her to meet me at the hospital for a checkup.
With our fingers intertwined, gripping each other for support, we listened to the swooshing of an extra heartbeat echo through the room as the OBGYN told us she’s four weeks pregnant.
We were still cautious.
We remained silent on the way home from the ultrasound like we were holding our breath. Once we were inside our home, we both broke down with so much happiness we could’ve burst.
We took it one day at a time.
Now, as we watch our daughter, my heart is ready to explode again. She was born premature, but she’s healthy.
Full of personality already.
She completes our family.
I rest my forehead against Clara’s and close my eyes, breathing it all in.
We got married a few months after our engagement. It was a small and intimate ceremony at Andrew’s winery.
We drank.
We danced under the moonlight. Andrew taught us how to dance like they do in Greece, hand in hand, in a big circle. With our family surrounding us, we celebrated.
Then, we honeymooned in Lake Tahoe where our families used to vacation together when we were kids. But this time, we made new memories.
Different ones that brought us even closer.
Because that’s the thing about revisiting the past now. It’s there and adds to our story, but we’re rewriting the future. One where Clara isn’t just my friend anymore.
She’s my wife. A mother to our two kids. My whole world.
I’m busy at the hospital, but coming home to my family brightens even my darkest days.
“Ready to take her outside?” Clara wipes at her eyes, a wide grin on her face.
I kiss her lips, my body buzzing and ready to celebrate with our family and friends. Staci and Brooks are here. Willow and Zach are here with their own daughter too. They were finally chosen to adopt last year, and the sight of my sister with her new family felt right.