Chapter 43
Forty-Three
Caroline
Holy freaking heck—
It was raining the day of the grand opening.
Noah insisted on driving me, even though I was only five months pregnant and stubborn as ever.
We pulled up to the new bakery—a storefront twice the size of the old one, windows bright even in the drizzle.
Above the door, a sign: Caroline’s Kitchen.
I stood there, trembling, as he led me inside.
It was everything I’d ever wanted. The wall of books, the bar for kids to decorate cupcakes, the little reading nook by the window. The air was warm, filled with cinnamon and hope.
Inside, a crowd waited: Adele, her friends from college, every kid from St. Catherine’s, Sister Margaret in her best habit. Even some of the staff from the café, grinning and cheering.
Noah squeezed my hand, then stepped up to the counter.
He tapped a spoon against a mug for attention.
“I never believed in fate,” he said, “until I met Caroline. She rebuilt me, taught me how to dream again.”
He turned to face me, a little nervous, a little hopeful.
Then he got down on one knee, in front of everyone.
He pulled out a simple silver ring—no diamonds, just a tiny lemon blossom worked into the band.
“Caroline Carter, will you marry me?”
I started laughing and crying at the same time. I mCarolineged a nod before throwing my arms around him.
The place erupted, clapping and shouting, someone yelling, “About time!”
He slipped the ring onto my finger and stood, kissing me in front of the whole world.
Adele hugged us both, then whispered, “You deserve this. All of it.”
After the party, I wandered the bakery alone, touching every counter, every shelf.
I thought about the woman I used to be—small, scared, always waiting for the next disaster.
Now, my name was on the window.
I had a family. A future. A life built from courage and love, not fear.
When the last guests left, Noah found me at the back table.
He pulled me into his lap, hands resting on my belly.
“We did it,” I said.
He smiled. “No. You did.”
I believed him.
For the first time, I believed in myself.
We closed up together, sweeping floors, wiping counters, laughing about the mess.
We walked out into the night, hand in hand, rain washing the city clean.
This was home now.
This was forever.
And I was finally home!