Page 58 of A Baby For Her Billionaire BFF

“Thanks, but I’ve got it under control.” I wave the spatula like a flag of culinary expertise.

Honestly, my burgers are more luck than skill, but today, they’re turning out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

Nora wanders over, slipping an arm around my waist as she peers at the sizzling patties. “They look perfect.”

“Everything is perfect,” I murmur, leaning down to kiss the top of her head, catching a whiff of her strawberry-scented shampoo — another small detail that’s come to mean home.

As we break apart, I catch her parents exchanging a knowing smile, and something warm settles in my chest. They’ve been nothing but supportive since we told them about the pregnancy, embracing me into their family as if I was always meant to be there.

My parents, too, are also excited about the baby. Especially my dad, cancer-free for a few months now. He feels like a grandkid is his second chance at life, the possibility to “really live it up,” as he puts it.

“Oliver, you’ve outdone yourself with this place.” Nora’s mom gestures towards the house with a wine glass in hand. “It’s wonderful to see you both so settled.”

“Thanks.” I shrug. “But Nora is the one who picked it out.”

The sun dips lower, casting amber light across the lawn, igniting sparks in Nora’s hair and turning her skin golden. This moment, these people, they’re my anchor, reminding me what really matters. The work, the deals, the endless meetings — they’re just background noise compared to this symphony of domestic bliss.

“Hey, don’t hog him,” Nora teases her parents, tugging me by the hand towards the makeshift dance floor we’ve set up near the oak tree.

Music drifts through the evening air, a soft melody that wraps around us as I pull her close. Our feet move in sync over the grass, slow and unhurried. It’s like the world shrinks until it’s just us, here, now, swaying in the quiet comfort of our shared silence.

“Happy?” I whisper into her ear.

“Very,” she breathes out, her voice a thread weaving through my heart, stitching together every fragmented piece of my once solitary existence.

I spin her under the twilight canopy, our joy mingling with the fading day. Her parents laugh over a joke, and fireflies light up the yard.

On and on the evening stretches, somehow lasting forever and yet gone in a perfect moment. I watch Nora’s parents drive off, their car’s taillights flickering like distant fireflies before disappearing altogether. Nora and I stand side by side, hand in hand, in the quiet aftermath of our first big cookout.

“Seems like a success, doesn’t it?” Nora’s voice is soft with contentment, her eyes reflecting the twinkle of the backyard fairy lights we’ve strung up in the trees.

“Absolute perfection,” I agree, squeezing her hand.

The truth is, I’m stoked about more than just the successful social event. There’s an extra pulse of excitement thrumming through me — a plan I’ve been carefully crafting for weeks now.

“Hey, come here.” I lead her to the spot under the oak tree where we danced earlier, my heart kicking against my ribs like it’s trying to escape. “I want this feeling to last forever, you know?”

She smiles that radiant, heart-stopping smile that seems to reach right inside me and flip on every switch.

“Me too.”

I take a deep breath and let go of her hand, only to drop down to one knee. Her gasp is a sweet melody to my ears. From my pocket, I produce the tiny box I’ve been carrying around all day, flipping it open to reveal the ring inside — simple yet elegant, just like her.

“Nora, will you marry me?”

For a moment, Nora’s speechless, and I can almost hear the rapid beat of her heart matching mine. Then, her hands cover her mouth as she whispers, “Yes, Oliver, yes!”

The relief, joy, and love that flood through me are so powerful I feel faint. I rise, slipping the ring onto her finger, and her arms wrap around my neck as I lift her into a spinning hug, both of us laughing like kids who’ve found the key to the candy store.

Then, without warning, her body stiffens in my arms. “Oliver…”

“What’s wrong?” My voice is edged with sudden concern as I set her down gently.

“Uhm, my water just broke.” She looks up at me, wide-eyed and surprisingly calm, given the situation.

“Are you sure?” Stupid question, but my brain needs confirmation, even when reality is already soaking into the hem of her sundress.

“Pretty sure, yeah.” Her brow furrows in concentration. “Oh… wow…”

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