Chapter 30 Love, Laughter, and a Ring
Love, Laughter, and a Ring
MILLIE
Our family photoshoot has always been a tradition—something we do every few years to capture a snapshot of our ever-changing lives. It’s always a day I look forward to, a day to bask in the chaos and love of my family. I usually can’t wait to see everyone gathered together.
Except this year.
This year, I feel a weight in my chest, a dread hanging over me that I can’t seem to shake.
The last seven months have been incredible—opening my café, meeting Gabriel, and falling in love with him and his daughter.
I’d pictured this moment in my mind, imagined Gabriel and Aura standing beside me in the family photos, a part of this beautiful, messy tribe of mine.
But today? Today feels like a lie.
When I woke up this morning, the thought of going through the motions of smiling for photos, pretending like everything was okay when inside I’m still raw, felt unbearable. It wasn’t about the photo shoot itself—it was about the mess I had created.
When I saw Gabriel at the restaurant, everything I wanted to say to him came out all wrong.
Harsh. I was harsh.
It’s as if I couldn’t control the anger that suddenly bubbled inside me. And I don’t even know why. He’s been nothing but patient, kind, and loving with me, and yet, I took it all out on him.
I wish I’d said something else. I wish I’d told him that I loved him more than I’ve loved anyone—that he and Aura have completely changed my life. I can’t imagine a future without them. But that’s not what came out of my mouth. What I said…it wasn’t fair.
After I left the restaurant, I drove home in a daze, tears blurring my vision the entire way. When I got into bed, I cried some more, letting all the anger and sadness mix into this jumbled mess that made me feel like I was losing my grip on this life I was beginning to build.
I remember going home before I went to my parents house.
I stared at the ceiling for hours, the light outside dimmed as the weight in my chest grew heavier.
I laid on my bed clutching a t-shirt of Gabriel’s I hadn’t returned yet.
His scent still lingered faintly on the fabric.
I weeped like a child into the t-shirt. It wasn’t just guilt.
It was fear. Fear that I had ruined something beautiful.
That I’d become someone who ran when things got hard.
And then I called Kenna.
“I need you to check on Gabriel for me,” I’d whispered through tears. “I…I screwed up, Kenna. I pushed him away, and I don’t want to lose him. But I don’t know if I can fix this.”
Kenna, ever the big sister, didn’t hesitate. She promised she’d go to him, give him the space he needed, and be there for him to listen to what he felt.
Now, here I am, standing in the middle of a park, all those tangled feelings swirling in my chest. And then I see him—Gabriel—down on one knee, holding a ring, looking up at me with a tenderness that takes my breath away.
I freeze, completely unsure if I’m hallucinating or if this is actually happening. My breath catches. I feel everything inside me halt—like my heart is waiting to exhale. The world doesn’t just slow down, it disappears entirely, like a curtain has been pulled back and all that’s left is him and me.
“Gab,” I whisper, the words barely escaping my lips.
He smiles, and the world seems to stop. The sounds of the park fade away, the chatter of family, and all I can focus on is him.
Before I can say anything, he interrupts me gently. “Let me talk, baby.”
I nod, my heart pounding as I take a step closer.
“Bumper,” he begins, his voice steady but filled with emotion.
“When we first met, I was a man living only to support his daughter. Then you crashed into me, in more ways than one, and showed me what life was truly worth living for. I knew then that if I got the chance, I would ask you to marry me one day.”
My heart races, and I feel like I’m on the verge of losing myself in him.
“I didn’t do it the right way, though.,” he continues, his voice thick.
“What I should’ve said was that I love you more than I ever thought possible.
If there was anyone I would want to marry, it would be you.
It will always be you. And if the past month has shown me anything, it’s that I don’t want a life without you in it.
Marrying you wouldn’t be transactional. It would be real.
Millie Feely, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? ”
I don’t even hear the rest of the park anymore. My ears are filled with the rush of my pulse and the electric buzz of emotion running through me. My knees buckle slightly under the weight of the moment, and my vision blurs. This time though, I’m crying tears of joy.
I gasp, my hand flying to my heart. The words come out before I even think about them. “Oh, Gabriel, of course I’ll marry you,” I say, dropping to my knees in front of him.
Before he can say anything else, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. And it’s not a sweet, delicate kiss. It’s a kiss that says everything that I’ve been too afraid to say—everything I’ve been holding back.
The moment our lips meet, everything I thought I’d lost comes rushing back. It’s forgiveness, it’s promise, it’s home. He tastes like hope and I never want to let go of this moment.
Around us, I can hear the sound of cheering. I pull away from Gabriel just enough to see my family and friends gathered around, clapping and celebrating. Josh steps forward, holding Aura in his arms, and my heart swells at the sight of her.
“Oh, my sweets,” I coo, reaching out to take her from him. “I’ve missed you.”
Gabriel wraps his arms around us, pulling us into a tight embrace. “I’ve got everything I could ever want. My girls,” he whispers against my hair, and in that moment, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
The rest of the photoshoot is a blur of laughter, love, and joy. We capture these moments of happiness now as a family of three. Gabriel and Aura are mine in every way that matters, and I can’t imagine a life without them.
We pose for silly shots. Aura makes everyone laugh by sticking her tongue out in every photo. Reuben pulls Gabriel into a dramatic dip-kiss pose with me that has the whole family cracking up.
Once the shoot wraps up, we head to Reuben’s restaurant, and I’m blown away by what I find. The entire place is decorated, and the warmth of the space matches the joy in my heart.
Twinkling lights hang from the ceiling like a thousand stars, and there’s a table in the back covered in framed photos from our relationship. Italy, the cafe, a blurry one of Gabriel sleeping on the couch with Aura. My breath catches in my throat.
I laugh softly, shaking my head. “What would you have done if I said no?”
Gabriel pulls me close, his hands on my waist as he leans down to kiss my forehead. “Didn’t even cross my mind, Bumper. I knew you would say yes.”
My heart swells with gratitude. Family has always been important to me and right now, surrounded by all the people I love has me riding a high in the gratitude department.
Mom, Dad, and Reuben are talking to Josh, and Kenna is doing her usual round, thanking everyone for coming. It’s a perfect evening, and I feel like I’m floating on air.
Gabriel leans in, his voice soft and intimate. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, Bumper?”
I scoot closer to him closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Nothing. I’m just thinking about how lucky I am.”
He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “I’m the lucky one, sweetheart.”
As I sit there, surrounded by my family and the man I love, I realize that everything I thought I wanted for my life has come true in a way I never imagined.
Falling in love with the new single dad in town wasn’t on my bingo card for the year. But sometimes, things don’t happen the way we plan.
I wrap my arms around Gabriel’s waist, leaning into him more. “So, what now? What happens with Aura?”
Gabriel picks up his glass, sipping it slowly as he meets my eyes.
“Nothing. What we have—this, us— has nothing to do with that case or legal stuff. I’m marrying you because I have been wanting to ask you to marry me for a long time.
You know, when we came back from Italy, I went straight to the jeweler.
I had the ring designed. I showed my Ma.
She was so happy the day I showed her the ring.
She said to me ‘Amore Mio, if you mess this one up, I will hit you across the head with my paper.’ She loves you,” he adds with a smile
I laugh, shaking my head. “She’s something else.”
Gabriel gives me a crooked smile before his mood shifts. I notice him checking his phone again, his brow furrowing. Something is not right. I walk over to him, placing my hand on his back.
“What’s wrong, love?”
He pulls me into Reuben’s office, shutting the door behind us.
His voice is low and tense. “That was my lawyer. He still thinks being married is best, but I already told him no. I know in my heart that you and I are what is best for Aura. If a judge can’t see that…
” He trails off, frustration clouding his face.
I walk up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Babe, no one—and I mean no one—is taking our girl away from us. We are the best parents for her. And we will keep proving that.”
Gabriel sits on the couch, pulling me with him. I straddle his lap, and as he leans in to kiss me, the world outside fades away. The kiss starts out soft, slow, but quickly deepens. His hands slide to my back, pulling me closer, and I lose myself in him.
“I love you so much,” he says, grinning between kisses, pressing a gentle one to the tip of my nose.
I smile, my heart full. Even though I’m not Aura’s biological mom, I’m hers in every way that counts. And nothing—nothing—will stop me from making sure she stays with Gabriel and me, no matter what.
Pulling back just enough to look him in the eye, I murmur, “Gab, I don’t want to wait to get married. Let’s do it around Christmas. Just a few months away, and I want to spend our first Christmas together as husband and wife.”
Gabriel’s expression shifts, confusion passing over his face. “Bumper, love, we just got engaged. And last time I asked you to get married, you shut me out for a month. If you really want to get married for Christmas, we can do that. But I need to know…I can’t lose you again.”
This sweet man.
I pull him close, my voice steady and sure. “Honey, trust me when I say you will never lose me. You and Sweets are stuck with me. Forever.” I say, pulling him close.
And as I whisper those words, I realize that no matter what comes next. I’m supposed to be with Gabriel. With Aura.
Forever.
When we get home, Aura is already asleep. We put her to bed together and the second I shut her door, Gabriel lifts me up and carries me into our bedroom like I weigh nothing at all. My legs wrap around his waist like they belonged there.
“You sure you’re okay?” He asks quietly, his hands still holding my waist like he’s afraid I’ll slip away.
I nod slowly. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I’m ready. For all of it.”
He carries me to the bed, dropping me onto the mattress before covering me with his body. His mouth is everywhere—my neck, my collarbone, the swell of my breasts. I arch into him, desperate for more.
“Gab, please,” I moan his name in a plea as I writhe under him.
Gabriel leans back on his knees to watch as he slips his fingers inside of me. “Please what Mills?” He smirks “Tell me what you want.”
Heat fills my body and I force out the words on a shaky breath. “I want you inside of me.”
He growls, the sound vibrating through my body. His gaze drags down my body as he tears my dress off.
“Fuck, Bumper,” his voice is guttural. “You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever seen.”
My breath catches. “Are you gonna stare at me or touch me?”
He shakes his head laughing. His hand slides down my stomach and between my thighs. He strokes me with his fingers slowly at first, deliberately, until I’m whimpering.
“Gabriel—”
“You’re so wet for me,” he murmurs, his mouth hot next to my ear. “I could spend the rest of my life between you.”
“Then do it,” I gasp. “Stop teasing me.”
He moves from my mouth to between my legs, replacing his tongue with his fingers. I cry out, arching off the bed as he licks me. His hands pinning my hips when I attempt to buck against him.
“Yes—Gabriel—oh, yes.” My fingers grab at his hair, pulling him closer. “Don’t stop. Please.”
He laughs into me and the vibration sends me over the edge, my climax tearing through me with a violent cry.
I collapse against the sheets panting, trembling. But Gabriel doesn’t stop. He drags his mouth up my body, sucking my nipple in my mouth until I’m shuddering again.
“Too much,” I whimper, though I don’t make an attempt to push him away.
“Not enough,” he counters. His body presses mine into the mattress. Kissing me harder until I taste myself on his lips.
He fumbles to take his shirt off and I rip at his belt. When his skin is flush to mine, he thrusts into me in one hard stroke. I scream his name, raking my nails down his back.
“Fuck, Millie,” he groans pressing his forehead to mine as he drives into me, rough and relentless. “You feel so good—so tight. I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Don’t you stop,” I gasp, wrapping my legs around him, keeping him inside me as far as he’ll go. “Don’t stop—”
He thrusts harder, deeper until I break again, shattering around him, crying out his name. He follows me over the edge with a roar, burying himself deep as he lets loose inside me.
He collapses against me, trembling. His lips find my ear. “Engaged or not, Bumper.” he whispers hoarsely. “You’ve owned me since the day in the cafe.
And as I hold him, my body still humming. I know I’ll never be able to let him go again.