Chapter 49
I've been thinking about it for longer than I probably should've.
Not the idea of it.
The timing.
The way to do it without Chloe overthinking herself into backing away from something she actually wants.
That's the part I keep coming back to.
Because she still does that sometimes, hesitates at good things like she's waiting for them to turn into something else.
She doesn't deserve that.
And I don't want her second-guessing this.
Not this.
I'm standing in the kitchen when I decide properly.
Not in a dramatic moment.
Just... a quiet one.
Ava is in her highchair smearing banana across her face like it's her life's purpose.
Callahan is leaning against the counter, drinking coffee like he lives here, which he basically does at this point.
"You look like you're about to commit a crime," he says.
"I need your help."
He blinks slowly.
"That's worse."
I ignore him.
"I'm going to propose."
Callahan chokes on his coffee.
Ava claps.
I glance at her.
"...not to you," I tell her.
She giggles.
Callahan wipes his mouth, staring at me.
"Mate," he says slowly. "You're serious."
"Yes."
A pause.
Then his expression shifts into something far too entertained.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
"It's not fun."
"It's absolutely fun."
I rub a hand down my face.
"I don't want it big," I add. "I want it right."
Callahan nods like that actually makes sense.
"That I can work with."
Ava reaches for him suddenly, and he picks her up without hesitation, balancing her on his hip like he's done it a hundred times.
She immediately grabs his shirt.
He looks down at her.
"You're involved now, apparently," he says.
Ava squeals like she agrees.
I stare at them both.
"Why are you holding my child like that?"
"Your child likes me," he says smugly.
"She likes everyone who isn't me," I reply.
"That's because you have resting murder face."
"I do not."
Callahan just raises an eyebrow.
Ava pats his cheek.
"Traitor," I mutter under my breath.
Callahan grins.
"Right," he says. "Let's plan your life-altering romantic gesture."
I should probably be annoyed.
Instead, I find myself thinking about Chloe.
About the way she smiles now without checking if it's allowed.
About how she sleeps properly.
About how she doesn't flinch at silence anymore.
About how she says home like it belongs to her.
And about how I want to give her every version of that feeling for the rest of her life.
"I want Ava involved," I say.
Callahan looks down at her.
"So do I," he says. "She's already running the operation."
Ava babbles like she's agreeing again.
Of course she is.
We sit at the kitchen counter for a while after that, Callahan drawing out ideas on a scrap piece of paper like this is a military briefing he refuses to lose.
He's loud about it.
Overcomplicated.
Unnecessarily confident.
I ignore half of what he says.
But I listen to the important parts.
The part where it should feel like us.
Not staged.
Not forced.
Just... right.
Eventually, Callahan leans back.
"You nervous?" he asks.
I don't answer immediately.
Because the truth is obvious.
Yeah.
Not because I don't know what she'll say.
But because I do.
And because it matters.
More than I've ever let anything matter before.
Ava reaches for me again and Callahan passes her over.
She settles against my chest instantly.
Easy.
Like always.
Like she belongs there.
Like Chloe does too.
"I just don't want to get it wrong," I say quietly.
Callahan studies me for a moment.
Then shrugs.
"If you're thinking that hard about it," he says, "you won't."
I glance down at Ava.
She grabs my shirt with both hands.
Like she's anchoring me too.
I let out a slow breath.
"Yeah," I say. "Okay."
Callahan grins.
"Oh, this is going to ruin my life in the best possible way."
I ignore him.
But I'm already thinking about Chloe's face when I ask.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels like the next step in my life is something I actually get to look forward to.