“We will,” Millie promises.
I bend down and kiss Jacie’s perfect little head. “Be good to your parents,” I whisper.
Tears fall down my cheeks, and when I look up, Aiden is watching me. I try to smile, but it falls short.
Bennett picks that moment to start screaming, and I had him off to Jonathan. Instantly, the baby quiets.
“Lizzie?”
“Yeah?” I wipe my tears and look at Aiden.
He rubs his hands down the front of his pants, blows out a breath, and drops to one knee.
Oh my God. I cover my mouth.
“Sweetheart.” He takes my hand. “I know this probably isn’t the most ideal place to do this. I had the perfect proposal planned. I was going to pack a picnic and take you to that beautiful lookout spot by the Golden Gate Bridge that we love so much and pop the question there, but this feels more special.” Aiden looks at our surrounding family before bringing his soulful eyes back to mine. “Lizzie Donovan, you are so much more than my best friend. You are my soulmate, the holder of my heart, my lover. I can’t imagine living this life without you.”
“You don’t have to,” I whisper. “The answer is yes.”
“I haven’t asked the question.”
Everyone laughs, including me. “Sorry, please keep going.”
“Lizzie Lou…will you marry me?”
“Yes.” I throw myself at Aiden. Everyone in the room hoots and hollers. “Yes. A million times yes.”
We kiss and hug and laugh and receive congratulations from all of our family.
“We need to call Edna,” I say, looking at the shiny teardrop-shaped diamond on my finger. Wow, this is going to take some getting used to.
“She already knows.”
I look up. “What do you mean?”
“The center diamond of your ring was the diamond in Edna’s engagement ring that Robert gave to her.”
“What?” I shake my head in disbelief. “I… I don’t understand. I…”
Aiden hugs me. “I told her I was going to propose, and a few days later, she called me with an idea. She always wanted to pass her ring down to someone, but there was never anyone to pass them down to. Until you. She wanted you to have the diamond that Robert gave her. And, someday, she wants you to pass it down to one of our children. So, on one of our trips back here—while you were at your sister’s baby shower—I took Edna and her ring to a jeweler. We picked out a new band and setting for the diamond.”
“Oh my God, Aiden.” I cup Aiden’s face in my hands and kiss him. “I don’t know what to say. I need to thank Edna.”
“We’ll go see her before we leave.”
“Okay.” I nod and cry and kiss Aiden some more because I can. Because he’s going to be husband. I get to kiss him forever and ever. “I can’t believe we’re getting married.”
“Finally.”