Page 98 of Single Mom's Firemen

“And yet here it is,” Eric sighs. “What do you think?”

“Well, DNA testing is an option,” I say with a slight shrug. “I don’t care which one of you is the daddy. All three of you are his daddies, after all.”

“Yeah, but legally speaking—” Chase starts but Wyatt cuts in.

“Let’s draw straws.”

“You’re serious,” Eric says, staring at his older brother in sheer disbelief.

“Got a better idea? I’m all ears,” Wyatt shoots back as he takes three of the paper straws out of the fast food bag, breaks one, then hands them over to me. “You hold them. I’ve already shortened one.”

I’m laughing my ass off, but even that takes a considerable amount of effort as my chortles turn into long, drawn-out yawns. “Alright,” I concede. “Anything to get this over with.”

I check the straws and then close my fist around them, careful so they won’t see which one’s shorter. Cautiously, the Danson brothers approach, taking deep breaths with each step. They are equal parts hilarious and devastatingly handsome in this particular moment, and I can only pray that we have a lifetime left of this ahead. No more running, no more hiding, no more secrets. We’re done with all that.

Let this right here be our biggest challenge.

“Draw your straw, gentlemen,” I say.

A moment later, I’m holding back a heavy laugh as I watch my men stare at their straws. It feels like forever before one of them finally speaks.

“I guess I’m the baby daddy,” Eric says. “It doesn’t take anything away from the two of you,” he adds, looking at his brothers.

“Yeah, we’ll all be there, equally involved,” Chase agrees. “No doubt about it.”

“You know what this means, though, right?” Wyatt asks Eric.

I’m out of the loop for this one, since I’m too busy inwardly giggling over this entire exchange. The baby will grow up with three fantastic fathers. How lucky is he?

“Right. Yeah,” Eric mumbles, then looks at me. “There’s something else, Halle.”

“Oh, dear…”

He takes a small velvet box out of his jeans pocket as he comes closer. My heart stops for what feels like forever and I’m unable to take my eyes off the box. “Since I’m going be the legal father of our son, I should be the one to make an honest woman out of you, too, in the eyes of the law and all that.”

“Eric,” I mumble, unable to say anything else.

“Before you protest, we’re all in agreement here,” he says. “We love you, Halle. More than anything in this world. And this…” he adds as he opens the box to reveal a gorgeous engagement ring with a teardrop shaped diamond framed by tiny sapphires. “This is our promise to you. We want to spend the rest of our lives with you. With you and our three kids.”

“We wouldn’t mind making more either,” Wyatt interjects with a half-smile.

I still can’t believe my eyes and ears. “Eric… Chase… Wyatt… Are you serious?”

“As serious as we can get,” Eric replies. “Halle, will you marry us?”

Tears spring from my eyes, a never-ending stream of the purest kind of joy as I nod without hesitation. “Oh, God, yes, a million times yes. I will marry you.”

“Great, because none of us were anywhere remotely ready for a no,” Eric smiles and puts the gorgeous ring on my finger, then kisses me with everything he’s got.

His arms wrap tightly around me as he pours all of his love into the kiss. I’m overflowing with so much light and warmth, I could easily pass out from so much happiness. This is too good, too wonderfully weird, too beautifully strange, but it is real.

“Come here, baby,” Chase says as he joins in. We kiss, melting into one another. “I love you so much.”

“I love you.”

“It’s gonna be a fun wedding to organize, I’ll tell you that much,” Wyatt says when he, too, comes closer so we can seal this deal with a soft kiss.

“I think it’s going to be the best day of our lives,” I laugh, my cheeks still wet and glistening with sheer happiness.

---