Page 59 of The Fake Family Deal

I don’t think he really cares either way, though. The Ellis I met, nearly two years ago now, was an unhappy, unsatisfied man who thought he would only ever feel peace if he found more success in his career.

But ever since I moved in, I’ve seen a whole new man. Just like he promised, he’s better than he ever was.

He’s so good with Levi, too. Every time he screams in the night, Ellis tells me to stay and rest. It’s been like a miracle. All those sleepless nights I lost over Lila, they all feel worth it now.

“I heard someone say cake,” comes a voice, then Ellis rounds the corner to the kitchen, Levi in his arms.

“Daddy!” squeals Lila, going to attach herself to his leg instead.

“Hey, pipsqueak. Did you tell Mommy that I want cake yet?”

“Yes, she did,” I say, shaking my head. “And I’m telling you both, we have to wait. The guests aren’t even here yet. It’s hardly a birthday party without anyone here, is it?”

Levi stares at me, not understanding in the slightest that this is all for him. He’s a funny kid. He has a sense of humor that Lila never did. She loved to keep to herself and find her own amusement. Levi thinks it’s funny to roll on the floor and cause a scene.

He’s going to be just like his father.

“Ah,” says Ellis, putting Levi down, “but that’s thepartycake. What about theprepartycake?”

“Ellis,” I scold, but don’t really mean it.

He walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a box, and I fold my arms, watching in amusement.

He does this all the time — hides little gifts all over the house to give to me. He told me, once, as he gave me a ridiculously pretty necklace, that he wants our family to be everything he never had.He wants to be a dad his kids can trust; for us to be parents who love each other and don’t fight. To be happy.

I told him that I want the exact same, and it’s true.

Carefully, he lays the box down on the counter and he gestures towards it. “Open it.”

Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I do. Inside is a colorful cake, with loopy writing on top. I read it out loud to myself, trying to decode it. “Marry… me… Marina… Oh!”

The second the penny drops, I clap my hand over my mouth, my knees feeling weak and unsteady. Ellis swoops in to catch me. “Whoa, steady.I’mthe one supposed to be on the floor.”

With that, he elegantly sinks down onto one knee and pulls a ring box from his pocket. “I love you so much. Let’s tie this family together forever.”

“Do you even have to ask?” I say. “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”

He jumps to his feet, slides the ring onto my finger, and takes me in a deep kiss. Love blossoms inside me all over again, a deep comfort that I’ve kept feeling in the year since Levi was born. We truly are a family.

And as I stand here, with my kids and my husband-to-be, I know I’ve found it. This is what true happiness feels like. This is what we’ve both been searching for.

The End

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