Epilogue
CALLAN
Another infamous MacKenzie gathering. Knox and Juliette’s place is once again a whirlwind of chaos, but it’s the best kind. Their twins, barely a month old, are both wailing in unison. Juliette is rocking one while Bree tries to soothe the other.
“Do they always do this at once?” I ask Knox.
He glances over with an amused expression that doesn’t quite mask his exhaustion. “Aye. One cries, and the other is quick to follow.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “It’s like they’ve got their own wee communication system,” I muse, eyeing the red-faced twins. “A MacKenzie conspiracy already in the making.”
Knox, the once unflappable distillery heir, now looks like he’s been run through the wringer. His hair is disheveled, and there are dark circles under his eyes, but there’s a contentment in his gaze that I haven’t seen before.
Just then, Juliette manages to quiet her bundle. I think that’s Keira? Honestly, I’ve lost track at this point. The sudden absence of one cry seems to startle the other into silence. The room falls into a blessed hush, broken only by Bree’s whispered, “Thank you, Jesus.”
Bree tiptoes over to me, and with a smile that could melt steel, she carefully transfers…Maisie, I think, into my arms. “Here, Uncle Cal,” she says, the warmth in her voice almost as comforting as the tiny, squirming bundle now nestled in my arms. “Your turn.”
I cradle Maisie, the weight of her little body sending a rush of affection flooding through me. Her eyelids flutter, but she stays asleep, and for a moment, the world outside our little bubble seems to pause.
Bree stands back, watching me. “You’re a natural.”
“Don’t jinx me.” I glance down at Maisie’s tiny face, marveling at how fragile and perfect she is. “But, yeah, I think I’ve got this. For now.”
Bree chuckles and takes a seat beside me on the couch, her gaze soft as she leans her head on my shoulder. “You’re doing great. And Juliette? She’s amazing.”
I glance over at Juliette, who’s still rocking Keira to sleep. There’s a peaceful smile on her face that speaks volumes. It’s the kind of smile that says, despite the exhaustion, she’s found something worth every sleepless night.
The room is still, almost eerily quiet, save for the soft ticking of the clock and the occasional sigh from one of the babies. The chaos pauses for a brief moment, and we all breathe in the calm before the next wave hits.
“Do you have any idea how incredibly attractive you are right now?” Bree whispers.
I raise a brow, a smirk lifting at the corner of my mouth. “Oh? Is this your way of saying you want one of these wee bundles for yourself?”
She laughs. “Hold your horses, MacKenzie. I’m just saying it’s…endearing. I’m appreciating the view.”
“Endearing, hm? I’ll have you know, I’m always endearing. It’s part of my charm.”
She rolls her eyes, but there’s nothing but love in her gaze. “And modest, too, I see.”
“Modesty’s overrated,” I quip, adjusting Maisie as her tiny fingers curl around mine.
“You know,” she says, casually brushing her fingers along Maisie’s tiny, socked foot, “if we ever get married…” She says it like it’s just a thought, a hypothetical tossed into the breeze, but her voice dips a little at the word, like she’s testing it out on her tongue.
I arch a brow, not missing a beat. “If, huh?”
She shrugs, feigning nonchalance while her cheeks turn pink. “Well, if. Then maybe we can talk about babies.”
I let out a hushed laugh, careful not to wake the sleeping bundle in my arms. “Ah, so this is a long con. Lure me in with your charm, trick me into marrying you, and then boom. Next thing I know, we’ve got three toddlers climbing the curtains and drawing on the walls.”
She grins wickedly. “Exactly. It’s all part of the master plan. You’ve fallen right into my trap.”
I hum thoughtfully, shifting on the couch so Maisie can snuggle deeper into the crook of my arm. “Guess I’ll just have to be on my guard. Keep my wits about me.”
She’s completely unaware that the ring is burning a hole in my pocket as we speak.
I’ve carried it for weeks now. Tucked it in my pocket every time we’ve had a quiet night or a sunset walk, thinking maybe it was the one. The moment never feels quite enough—not because she isn’t, but because I’m terrified I won’t get it right.
Maybe there is no perfect way of doing it. Maybe there’s just this, her laughter, my nerves, our messy, beautiful life already unfolding in front of us.
I look at her, hair falling into her face, laughter still lingering in her eyes, and I know there’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life getting teased by her.
Then, out of nowhere, the chaos level in the room spikes as Mum bursts through the door, her arms weighed down with bags, her cheeks flushed from the brisk Highland air. “I’ve brought reinforcements!” she announces, all excitement.
The calm is obliterated. Maisie lets out a soft grunt in my arms, her face scrunching up as she gears up for a full-on meltdown. Over by the window, Keira doesn’t waste any time. She’s right there with her, turning the air into a symphony of piercing wails.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Mum mutters. “I’m so sorry.”
“Here, let me take her,” Bree offers. I gratefully pass Maisie over, watching Bree as she expertly cradles the baby and begins to sway gently. She gives me a reassuring smile as she rocks Maisie back and forth. “See? Like riding a bike.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Is it? Because last time I checked, bikes don’t scream at you when you mess up.”
She laughs, shaking her head. “Not exactly the same, no.”
I study her, that familiar heat spreading through my body like a fire on a cold day.
I’ve spent a lot of time picturing our life together, imagining quiet mornings, lazy nights, the dog that listens half as well as we’d like.
Seeing her now, holding our niece like she was born for this, unfazed by the chaos of screaming kids, clattering dishes, and at least one questionable crash from the other room, I realize something.
This is it.
Bree cradling our niece, whispering calm words I can not only hear but can feel.
Yeah. This. Right here.
This is what I’ve been chasing, and I’d do it all over again just to land in this moment.
“Bree,” I say, my voice suddenly hoarse.
She looks up, still swaying with Maisie in her arms. “Hmm?”
I don’t stand. I don’t get down on one knee. I don’t make a show of it because we don’t need one.
“Marry me.”
I pull the box from my pocket, opening it to reveal a round diamond flanked by two deep blue sapphires, the exact shade of her eyes. It’s bright and impossible not to look at. Just like her.
“You serious?” she whispers, blinking like she’s not sure if she heard right.
I nod. “With you? Always.”
She just stares for a second, then lets out a breathy laugh that fills the whole room. She looks down at the ring, then back at me. Her eyes are glassy, that expression she wears so effortlessly filled with not only a playfulness I can’t get enough of, but devotion. Adoration. Enchantment.
“I love you.”
I grin. “Is that a yes?”
She leans over, careful not to squish Maisie between us, and whispers against my lips, “Yes.”
And just like that, in a room that smells vaguely of baby wipes and roasted carrots, I slide the ring on her finger.
She said yes. And even with the racket of the MacKenzies in the background, it’s the only thing I hear.