Page 49 of Oops, I'm Having My Best Friend’s Baby!

“Ah-huh.”

The truth was Amy had never been happier, and it showed. She was no longer so closed off with a million walls locking everybody out. And it still pained her to receive help — definitely pained her to ask for it — but at the very least she could see how much easier her life was with a helping hand every now and then.

But her career wasn’t the only thing in their lives that had morphed into something completely new. Jason and Kai had combined forces and never looked back, and Kai, too, was amazed at the difference having someone to lean on had made. And it wasn’t just at work that he found himself able to lean on Jason. Jason had apparently meant every word when he said he’d admired Kai for coming clean about the whole misguided engagement plan. After that, there was no reason to keep anything from the other man, and while it helped their businesses immensely, Kai found himself with a real friendship that grew stronger by the day. Funny how close you could get to someone when you didn’t have a web of lies hanging between you.

Jess had filled the same role for Amy, the two of them inseparable. Not to mention that Jason and Jess had been nothing but supportive during Amy’s pregnancy. They had seen Kai and Amy at rock bottom across that restaurant table and had decided they were still worth the work that friendship entailed. Kai was determined to spend the rest of his life making it up to them, even if he had no idea how he was going to achieve that. But the very least he could do was keep trying.

Really, in hindsight, Kai was amazed at how chicken he’d been. Both he and Amy had been fearful of sharing their true feelings for so, so long, that honestly it was kind of impressive. They could probably qualify for some sort of world record. It was obvious that they’d been completely in love with each other since high school, and God, they had wasted all those years not talking and thinking that staying apart was all for some greater good. They were ridiculous, the both of them.

But at least they were here now, no matter how ridiculously long it took them. Mikey was here, too, and Kai didn’t even want to think about a universe where he wasn’t on the floor with the little baby on his chest.

Amy ate a few more potato chips, content just to sit quietly next to them, not needing to say anything to fill the silence. Kai had one of those moments where you can stand outside yourself and see how perfect a moment is, where you know that you will be thinking about this moment for years to come.

So in favor of his new motto of jumping in feet first and not clinging to what should be done, he decided on a whim that right now was the perfect time to ask the question that had been burning on his tongue for the last few days, ever since he’d picked up the ring from the jewelers. He’d decided he would just ask it when it felt right. And that was now.

“Hey,” he said. “I have a question.”

“Oh, really?” Amy asked, finished with her potato chips and lying down beside him, turning her face to look at him eye to eye, that smile still on her face. Yeah, it was definitely the right time.

“It’s a very important question,” he said, knowing Amy wouldn’t take his grave tone seriously.

He was right. She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Sure, it is,” she said, still smiling. Kai was glad she smiled so much these days. He never wanted it to stop.

“I mean it.”

“It’s so serious,” she continued, “that the best time to bring it up is on the floor with Mikey drooling onto your shirt?”

“Yep. This question is so important that it can’t possibly be asked at any other time.”

“Oh wow. So it’s super important.”

“The most important question I’m ever going to ask.”

“Well, you better ask it then.”

He took a moment just to take in her smile for a second longer. Then he asked, knowing it would change the direction of their lives once again.

“Amy, will you marry me?”

Her smile flickered in surprise, and she blinked.

“What?”

“Will you marry me?”

“Are you seriously asking me, or is this a joke?”

“I’m seriously asking. I said it was a serious question. It’s not my fault you didn’t believe me.”

It was a rare occasion that Amy was speechless, but here she was, staring at him with her mouth open like a fish. She was silent for long enough that a spark of worry started up in Kai.

“It’s not a joke,” he said. “I promise.”

“No — I mean, yes, I’ll marry you, but… what?”

She sat up, staring down at him with a stunned expression.

“Now are you being serious?” he asked her. “Is that an actual yes, or are you teasing me?”

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