Epilogue Foster
Foster
I never thought I’d be doing this for a second time.
I was certain I’d never let my heart lead me again.
Never give it the power to wreck me the way it once had.
I told myself I was stronger for it, smarter.
More guarded. Never again would I feel that sting of rejection.
Yet here I am, standing in the foyer of our new home, my pulse hammering so loudly, I swear it echoes off the walls.
The house smells faintly of roses and vanilla.
There’s a warmth to the scent that makes this feel like home.
Rose petals trail across the floor like they’re guiding me forward, leading me toward a moment I’ve replayed a hundred times in my head and still feel wildly unprepared for.
Candles are everywhere, their flames flickering softly, casting shadows that dance along the walls.
It feels surreal. Like I’ve stepped into a memory that hasn’t happened yet.
My right hand is buried deep in my pocket, fingers curled tightly around the ring I picked out just for her.
I can feel the shape as it bites into my palm.
The cool weight of it grounds me. I think about how long it took me to choose it, how nothing ever felt good enough.
How no diamond seemed capable of carrying the meaning of what she’s done to me.
How she’s healed me and given me back something I thought I’d lost forever.
Hope.
Love.
Eden didn’t just make me fall in love again. She made me believe in it.
I swallow hard and glance around, my chest tightening as I take it all in.
This house—our house—we closed on it yesterday, and I made excuses that I was with the guys to pull this off.
The walls are bare, causing the rooms to echo just a little, but it already feels lived in because we chose it together.
We’re going to live here together, raise our family, and make memories that will last us a lifetime.
I can picture it all clearly, and the thought doesn’t terrify me.
It excites me. This is our next chapter.
The proposal? That’s the part that scares me.
The last time I stood on the edge of a promise like this, I was na?ve. I thought I knew what love was.
I was wrong.
I didn’t understand how fragile trust could be, how devastating it is when it shatters. The rejection stayed with me, and I swore I’d never put myself in a position to lose this much again. I built walls so high, I convinced myself they were permanent.
And then Eden came along and, without force or pressure, made them irrelevant. She barely had to push, and everything I was keeping locked inside crumbled like a house of cards.
She saw the parts of me I tried to keep hidden.
The hesitation, the scars, the fear that I’d fail again.
But she’s still here. She stayed. She didn’t ask me to be perfect.
She just asked me to be honest. Somewhere along the way, loving her stopped feeling like a risk and became the only thing that made sense.
My chest rises with a slow, steady breath as nerves twist in my stomach. I’m terrified of what I’m about to do. Not because I doubt her. I’m terrified because this matters. She matters. Because I know exactly what I’m offering and exactly what I’m asking for in return.
My heart for hers.
I tighten my grip on the ring and let a small smile tug at my lips.
Today, I’m going to ask Eden to marry me.
And for the first time in a long time, I’m not running from what my heart wants.
I’m choosing it.
I’m choosing her.
The stage is set. All I need is my girl. I told her to meet me here after her interview. She finally realized what she wants to do for a career, and it’s not cleaning houses. I’m so fucking proud of her for the path she’s chosen, and I know that she’s going to get the job.
The sound of her car pulling up has me standing taller. I release the ring I’m gripping like a lifeline and pull my hands out of my pockets. She thinks she’s meeting me here to get some measurements for furniture, because this house is massive, and we’re going to need more furniture.
Exhaling a deep breath, I tell myself everything is going to be okay as I make my way to the front door and step out onto the front porch, pulling the door closed, hiding what’s waiting for us inside.
“Hey.” She grins as she makes her way toward me. “I just passed Sloane and Camden taking a walk. I love that we all live so close.”
I open my arms, and she walks into my embrace. I hold her tightly, hoping like hell she can’t hear the thunderous beat of my heart, or feel the slight tremble coursing through my veins.
“It’s a nice neighborhood,” I reply, my voice cracking.
She pulls back to peer up at me. Her hand settles on my cheek as her blue eyes study me. “You okay?”
I take her hand from my cheek and press my lips to her palm. “I’ve never been better in my entire life, baby. You’re here with me in our new home. Nothing could be better than this.”
“Something’s different,” she muses.
“Me. I’m different. I’m a better man because you love me.”
“Foster,” she breathes, rising on her toes to press her lips to mine.
“Come on inside. We have some work to do.” I lace her fingers with mine and lead her into the house.