Chapter 45- Oliver
Ellie is in the bedroom getting ready.
I can hear the soft hum of her curling iron, the quiet rustle of fabric, the little sigh she makes when she concentrates. Every sound goes straight to my chest.
My hands won’t stop shaking.
I sit on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the fireplace like it’s going to give me courage.
The ring box is in my pocket.
I touch it.
Just to make sure it’s still there.
Just to feel the weight of it.
Just to remind myself this is real.
Today.
It’s happening today.
I take a slow breath, but it doesn’t help. My heart is pounding so hard I swear the whole cabin can hear it.
I stand, slip quietly out the front door, and walk down the snowy path.
The cold air hits my face, sharp and grounding.
I pull out my phone and text Gregory.
Me: We’re heading to dinner soon. Are you in place?
Three dots appear immediately.
Gregory: We’re here. Everything’s perfect.
My breath leaves my body in a shaky exhale.
A moment later, the door of the second cabin opens.
Gregory steps out first, bundled in a coat. Ellie’s mom follows him, her hands tucked into her sleeves, eyes already glassy.
I walk toward them.
Gregory pulls me into a hug before I can say anything.
“You ready?” he asks, voice thick.
I swallow hard. “I think so.”
He laughs softly. “You’re shaking.”
“I know.”
Mei steps closer, her eyes warm and soft in a way that hits me right in the chest.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“For what?” My voice cracks.
“For loving her the way she deserves.”
My throat closes.
I nod, because if I speak, I’ll fall apart.
Gregory squeezes my shoulder. “We’ll be at the spot. Take your time.”
They head back inside their cabin — hidden, waiting — and I turn toward ours.
I take one step.
Then another.
Then—
The bedroom door opens.
Ellie steps out.
And everything inside me stops.
Her dress.
Her hair.
Her smile.
Her eyes lighting up when she sees me.
She looks like a dream.
My dream.
“Wow,” I breathe before I can stop myself.
She blushes, looking down at her dress. “Too much?”
“Never,” I say, voice low. “You’re… perfect.”
She smiles, soft and shy, and I swear I almost drop to one knee right there in the living room.
But not yet.
Not yet.
I offer her my hand. “Ready?”
She nods, slipping her fingers into mine. “Ready.”
The restaurant is warm and golden, the kind of place with soft music and candles flickering on every table. Ellie looks around with wide eyes, taking it all in, and I swear my heart squeezes.
She has no idea.
The hostess leads us to a long table by the window. The lake is visible through the glass, dark and shimmering under the winter sky.
My family settles in — my mom, my sisters, Grandma — all of them buzzing with barely contained excitement. They’re trying so hard to act normal, but I can see it:
My mom keeps wiping under her eyes
My sisters keep biting their lips to stop from smiling
Grandma keeps giving me a thumbs-up under the table
Ellie doesn’t notice any of it.
She’s too busy looking at the menu, her foot brushing mine under the table, her hand resting on my thigh like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I can’t eat.
I can’t think.
I’m just staring at her, memorizing every detail.
Her laugh.
Her eyes.
The way she leans into me when she talks.
The way she smiles at my family like she’s always belonged here.
She has no idea she’s about to become my fiancée.
“Oliver?” she asks softly, nudging me with her knee. “You okay?”
I force a smile. “Yeah. Just… happy.”
It’s the truth.
It’s not the whole truth.
But it’s enough.
Dinner passes in a blur — warm bread, soft music, my sisters whispering excitedly behind their menus, my mom pretending she’s not crying, Grandma ordering dessert “for courage.”
Ellie laughs at that, completely oblivious.
When the check comes, my heart starts pounding again.
This is it.
I stand and offer Ellie my hand. “Want to walk by the lake before we head back?”
She beams. “Yes.”
My family stays behind, but I see the way they all exchange looks — the kind that say go, go, go .
Ellie slips her arm through mine as we step outside into the cold night air.
God, I love her.
We walk down the path toward the lake, our footsteps crunching softly in the snow.
And then—
The lanterns appear.
Soft golden lights lining the trail, glowing against the snow, leading toward the water.
Ellie gasps. “Oliver… look at this.”
Her voice is breathless, full of wonder.
I swallow hard. “Yeah. It’s beautiful.”
She walks ahead a little, following the lights, her dress swaying gently with each step.
My heart is beating so hard it hurts.
We reach the lake.
The entire shoreline is lit with lanterns and fairy lights, reflecting off the dark water like stars scattered across the surface.
Ellie stops.
Her breath catches.
“Oliver… what is this?”
I step behind her.
This is it.
This is the moment.
“Ellie,” I say softly.
She turns to me, eyes wide, lips parted, her breath fogging in the cold air.
I take her hands.
And everything inside me settles.
“It’s for you,” I whisper.
Her eyes fill instantly.
“Oliver…”
I take a shaky breath.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You’ve changed my life in every way. You’ve made me better. You’ve made me whole. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you the way you deserve.”
She’s already crying.
I squeeze her hands.
“And I didn’t want you to do this alone.”
She frowns, confused—
And then—
Footsteps crunch softly behind her.
Ellie turns.
Gregory and Mei step out from behind the trees.
Ellie’s knees buckle.
She sobs instantly, covering her mouth with both hands.
“Dad?” she cries. “Mom?”
Mei is already crying.
Gregory’s face is red.
Ellie is shaking so hard I step forward to steady her.
“I wanted the people who love you most to be here,” I say, voice breaking.
Ellie turns back to me, tears streaming down her cheeks.
I drop to one knee.
Her breath leaves her body.
“Ellie,” I say, voice shaking, “you are my home. My peace. My future. My heart. I love you more than anything in this world.”
I open the ring box.
She sobs harder.
“Will you marry me?”
She nods so fast she can’t speak.
Then she finally chokes out—
“Yes. Yes, Oliver. Yes.”
I stand, and she throws herself into my arms, crying into my neck, laughing and sobbing all at once.
My family cheers from behind the trees.
Gregory hugs her.
Mei holds her face and tells her she’s proud.
Moony barks.
Bunter wiggles between our legs.
And Ellie… Ellie shines.
I look at her — my fiancée — and I swear my heart has never felt so full.
She said yes.