18. Alexei #4
Jules flashes him a bright smile. “That was intentional.”
Alexei narrows his eyes. “You remain remarkably irritating.”
“And yet Maggie keeps me around.”
“Against my better judgment,” I tease.
Everything feels wonderfully, beautifully normal.
“Magnolia Hayes.”
I turn to find Roman approaching in a charcoal suit despite the warm weather. Luka and Viktor stand nearby, looking far more relaxed than they did a month ago.
To my complete surprise, Roman opens his arms.
I blink.
Then I hug him.
He pats my back awkwardly. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“You're becoming sentimental,” I tease.
Roman scowls. “Don't spread rumors.”
Before I can answer, a dachshund barrels across the grass, dragging an ecstatic little boy behind him.
“Elvis!” I squeal.
The dog skids to a stop in front of me, tail wagging so hard his entire body wiggles. He plants his front paws against my legs.
“Easy, buddy,” Alexei warns, steadying me with a hand at my waist.
A familiar couple approaches, both laughing.
“We thought you'd want to see him,” Mrs. Williams says as Elvis sits proudly at my feet.
“Want to see him?” I laugh, dropping to scratch behind his ears. “Look at him!”
Elvis looks fantastic. His coat shines, he's gained healthy weight, and pure happiness radiates from every inch of him.
“He sleeps on our bed now,” Mr. Williams admits.
His wife snorts. “Correction. We sleep on his bed.”
I laugh so hard I nearly cry again.
“Thank you,” I whisper, looking down at Elvis. “This is exactly why we do this.”
Alexei squeezes my shoulder.
Second chances.
Maybe that's always been what this shelter was really about.
Later, Alexei leads me behind the shelter to a surprise memorial garden dedicated to Clara and Irina. By the time we return for the ribbon cutting, my emotions are already hanging by a thread.
Ivy insists on helping cut the ribbon. She stands proudly between Alexei and me, holding oversized ceremonial scissors while Winston barks encouragement.
“Ready?” I ask, smiling down at her.
Ivy beams. “Ready!”
Together, we cut the ribbon.
Applause erupts. Second Chance Savannah is officially open again.
Hours later, as the celebration winds down, I find Ivy sitting in the new play yard brushing Winston.
“Maggie?” she asks quietly when I sit beside her.
“Yeah, sugar?”
She twists Winston's leash around her fingers. “You're staying, right?”
My heart aches. I take her small hand in mine. “If you'll have me.”
Ivy stares at me as though I've asked the most ridiculous question in human history. “Well, yeah,” she says. “You're ours.”
I pull her into my arms.
Over Ivy's shoulder, I find Alexei watching us from across the yard. The look on his face nearly undoes me.
As the last guests begin to leave, I step away to watch the sunset paint the sky in shades of pink and gold. Alexei joins me a moment later and places one hand over my stomach. The gesture has become instinctive for him.
Then Alexei brushes his thumb across my side and asks quietly, “Ready to go home?”
I lean against him. “I already am.”
He goes completely still.
“Marry me,” he says.
I blink. “That's it?”
He frowns. “Would you like a longer speech?”
“Maybe.”
Alexei studies me before reaching up to cup my cheek. “I nearly lost you twice. I won't waste another day pretending you’re anything other than mine. Marry me.”
Tears instantly fill my eyes. “That's still pretty possessive.”
“It wasn't a denial,” he points out.
I laugh through my tears. “No. It wasn't.”
“Is that a yes?”
I rise onto my toes and kiss him. “Yes.”
His arms tighten around me. “Good.”
“That's all you've got?”
“I already knew your answer.”
“Arrogant.”
“Accurate.”
I laugh again.
Behind us, Ivy's laughter floats across the shelter grounds.
Winston barks. Elvis races across the yard with Daisy in pursuit.
Jules argues with a volunteer about proper cat enrichment techniques.
Mama cries while pretending she isn't. Roman stands nearby, looking vaguely alarmed by all the emotion.
Family.
Not the one I expected. The one I chose.
Standing outside Second Chance Savannah, surrounded by the people I love, I finally understand something. Sometimes the best families are the ones built from second chances.
And sometimes, if you're very lucky, love gives you one too.
THE END