Chapter 26 #2
When they finish, Sophia blows out the candles and everyone cheers, with Tanner being the loudest. Sophia side-eyes him hard. She does not find Tanner amusing at all, so he has made it his life’s mission to win her over.
“Little Minnow, do you want some of my candy floss to go with your cake?” Tanner asks as he folds himself onto the open seat beside her. He offers over his stick of pink fluff.
I’m seated on the other side of her and can see her roll her eyes. Gareth is standing behind me, and I feel him shaking with silent laughter as he catches her expression, too.
He clears his throat and interjects, “You shouldn’t be eating that anyway, Tanner. We fly out for Russia in two days.”
Tanner scoffs obnoxiously. “What’s the World Cup in comparison to Little Minnow’s eighth birthday?” Tanner nudges Sophia and waggles his brows.
She continues staring at him with complete indifference and a tiny splash of annoyance.
Gareth squeezes my shoulders affectionately and adds, “You’re trying too hard with her, Tan. She can smell the desperation.”
Tanner drops his cotton candy on the table in a huff.
Then he dips his head so he’s eye level with Sophia.
“Sophia, can you please tell me what it is you don’t like about me?
I’m bloody dying for your affection! I can’t sleep at night!
Ask Belle. She’ll tell you. Have you not been receiving my letters? ”
Belle shakes her head from across the table. “You don’t have to answer him, Soph. Keep playing hard to get. It’s the best way.”
Sophia frowns up at Tanner and with a perfectly serious face, she replies, “Well, maybe when your hair isn’t longer than mine, we can talk.”
Everyone erupts into a fit of laughter as Sophia looks around with a straight face, clearly not understanding how utterly adorable she is.
“I will cut it for you,” Tanner deadpans and slams his hand down on the table. “Wife! Bring me the scissors.”
Belle rolls her eyes at her crazy husband and Sophia finally cracks a small grin at him.
Vi begins passing out cake while Booker and Poppy fuss over their twins, Oliver and Teddy.
Camden is busy flirting with Indie, and Vaughn watches everyone with a sweet twinkle in his eyes, even as they mercilessly tease each other.
Sophia fits right in as she deserts her cake to play with Hayden and Rocky in the grass.
This is the happiest mess of a family I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure my smile is permanent right now. “This is so wonderful, you guys. You really didn’t have to do all of this.”
Vi slides me a piece of cake. “Well, Gareth did the bulk of it.”
My jaw drops and I gaze up at him with wide eyes. “You did?”
He glowers at his sister for a moment, then shrugs. “I wanted tonight to be special.”
“Well, it is,” I reply, standing up from my seat and wrapping my hands around Gareth’s neck. “Thank you. I don’t see how it could possibly be any more special.”
I feel everyone staring at us with big, dopey grins on their faces, and my brow furrows in confusion. Suddenly, Sophia is at my legs, her big brown eyes watching us with excitement.
“Is it time yet?” she asks, looking at Gareth.
“What do you think, Minnow?” he asks, tweaking his brows at her playfully.
“What are you two up to?” I ask, looking back and forth between them.
Gareth pulls me in and presses his lips to my forehead before twining his fingers with mine. He walks me out onto the grass, under the twinkling lights, and Sophia follows with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Gareth, what are you doing?” I ask, my voice tight and high in my throat.
“I have a special present for Sophia that I want you to see her open,” he replies.
Suddenly, Vi is next to us with Rocky in one arm and a giant pink present in the other.
Gareth takes the gift from Vi and hands it off to Sophia, who drops down onto her knees and begins tearing at the paper like an animal.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Belle recording with her phone.
When I look back down, I see that Sophia has opened the box only to reveal another box.
She pulls out the medium-sized box that’s wrapped in matching pink paper and tears into that one next. She giggles and peers up at me when there’s a third box inside the second box.
“What is going on?” I exclaim, the suspense killing me.
Gareth’s eyes crinkle with amusement as Sophia tears into the final box. When she opens that one, there’s a black velvet box inside. I gasp when I see that Gareth is down on one knee, watching Sophia with so much affection, my heart feels like it’s going to explode.
Sophia stands up and holds onto the small velvet box for a moment before handing it over to Gareth. She steps back, but Gareth grabs her hand and pulls her close beside him.
The sight of them in front of me has quiet sobs shaking my entire body. “Gareth,” I plead, the suspense shattering my heart completely.
He smiles his perfect, sexy, oh-so wonderful smile and says, “Sloan, when I played football with Sophia in your back garden, she had a lot to say.”
Sophia smiles proudly up at me and I sob again. I’m a sobbing, uncontrollable mess.
“I told you about some of the things she said to me, but there were several I kept to myself.”
“Is that right?” I croak, my voice wobbling in my throat.
He nudges Sophia with his arm. “What did you ask me, Minnow?”
She looks down and begins shyly playing with her tutu. Gareth whispers some words of encouragement in her ear and she finally peeks up at me. “I asked if he was going to marry you.”
“You what?” I exclaim, complete shock and mortification washing over me. “Sophia!”
“Do you want to know what I told her?” Gareth interjects, smiling up at me. “I told her that I hoped to someday, but I wanted to make sure she liked me enough first.”
Gareth looks over at Sophia, who looks up at me and chirps in her perfect little British accent, “Mummy, I definitely like him enough to let him marry you.”
With a knowing chuckle, Gareth cracks open the box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. My hands lift to my cheeks as tears fill my eyes, the emotion of the moment completely overwhelming me.
Gareth clears his throat and says, “This was my mother’s…
I never thought I’d love someone enough to give it to them.
But I was wrong, Treacle. I love you more than I ever knew I was capable of loving someone.
And I love Sophia more than I thought possible…
Enough for more than one million dads even.
I love the silly package you two are, and I love the mess you both bring into my life.
I know I’m not her father, but I want to spend the rest of my life being her family…
and your family, because family isn’t just one thing. It’s everything. Will you marry me?”
A sob erupts from my throat as I drop down on my knees in front of Gareth and pull Sophia to my side. “Yes!” I laugh and chastely swipe at my cheeks. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”
With one arm wrapped around Sophia and my other hand cupping Gareth’s cheek, I kiss him. I kiss him and I repeat “yes” against his lips over, and over, and over until I hear Sophia groaning in disgust from beside me.
I pull away giggling through happy tears and watch Gareth put the ring on my finger. I show it to Sophia, who nods happily before cupping her hand to my ear and whispering, “Mummy, you should also know that I asked Gareth for a baby sister.”
I cry laughing and hug her to me as Gareth wraps his arms around us. He holds us and loves us completely. It feels good, like how life should feel. And I intend to hold onto this life for Sophia and me with everything I have.