Page 73 of All of Me

“I’m sure,” I say firmly. “And with all due respect, sir, I plan to ask her to marry me whether I have your blessing or not, but I’d prefer to have it.”

Edward doesn’t respond right away. He takes another long sip of his beer, his gaze drifting toward Callie, who’s still seated on the other side of the patio. She’s holding a picture up to the light, her face glowing with contentment.

When Edward speaks again, his voice is quieter. “You really love her?”

“With everything I’ve got,” I say without hesitation.

He sets his bottle down on the table between us, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Then you have my blessing,” he says finally. “But if you ever hurt her or those girls, you’ll answer to me.”

“You have my word,” I say, my chest loosening with relief.

Edward nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Good. Now, go sit with her. She’s been stealing glances at you for the past ten minutes.”

I glance over at Callie, and sure enough, her green eyes are flicking toward me, a soft smile playing on her lips. She’s sitting on the edge of the patio chair, the Polaroids from our thrift shop trip spread out on her lap, the fading sunlight catching in her hair. The sight of her like this, content, unguarded, is beautiful, and I realize, not for the first time, just how lucky I am.

I stand, my heart feeling lighter than it has all day, and make my way to her side. She looks up at me as I approach, her smile widening, the kind of smile that makes everything else fade away. The weight of the conversation I had with Edward, the nerves that had my chest tight all afternoon, all melt into the background.

I sit down next to her. She holds up a Polaroid of us from earlier in the day, the two of us grinning like kids in front of the thrift shop. “I love this one,” she says, her voice warm.

I lean closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Me too,” I murmur.

Her smile deepens, and she tilts her head toward me, her eyes sparkling with pure joy. “You know, this is the same spot I was in when we met nine months ago,” she says, her voice soft with nostalgia.

“Really?” I ask, glancing around, taking in the weathered patio chairs and the soft glow of the string lights Shelly turned on earlier.

She nods, her gaze drifting to the yard where Sara spent the afternoon playing with her stuffed alligator. “Right here,” she says. “It feels… full circle, doesn’t it?”

I take her hand in mine, my thumb brushing over her knuckles as her words settle in my chest. Full circle. It’s been nine months, but it feels like a lifetime, like every decision I made before meeting her somehow led me to this moment.

“Yeah,” I say softly. “It does.”

She leans her head against my shoulder, her warmth grounding me as I replay the conversation I had with her dad. Edward hadn’t made it easy. He’d been sharp, protective, every bit the father trying to make sure his daughter was safe. But in the end, he’d given me his blessing, and it had meant more to me than I realized it would.

Now, sitting here with Callie, her hand resting in mine, I feel the pressure of what’s coming next. I’ve known for months that I wanted to marry her. I’ve been thinking about it since Christmas, when I watched her rocking Ruby to sleep with Sara curled up beside her. It wasn’t a flashy moment, but it was perfect—just like her.

“Do you remember what you thought the first time you saw me?” she asks, her voice pulling me from my thoughts.

I chuckle softly, tilting my head to kiss the top of hers. “Yeah,” I say. “I thought you were way out of my league.”

She laughs, leaning back to look up at me. “You did not.”

“I did,” I insist, my grin widening. “And then you smiled at me, and I was a goner.”

Her laughter softens, and she brushes her fingers over the back of my hand. “You’ve changed my life, you know.”

My throat tightens at her words, and I pull her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’ve changed mine too, Callie. In ways I never expected.”

The moment stretches between us, the air thick with something unspoken but understood. Her eyes search mine, and I know she can feel it too—that this is more than just a quiet evening on the patio.

I squeeze her hand gently, my heart pounding in my chest. “Callie,” I murmur, my voice steady despite the nerves swirling inside me. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

Her lips part slightly, her expression shifting to curiosity. “What is it?”

I don’t answer right away. Instead, I reach into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the small velvet box I’ve been carrying all day.

The moment is almost here. I can feel it, and I know now exactly how I’m going to do it.

The backyard is quiet, the hum of the day settling into a soft stillness. The stars blink to life in the clear Louisiana sky, and the string lights cast a warm, golden glow over the patio. Callie sits next to me on a blanket I laid out on the grass, her hand resting in mine as we lean back against the folded picnic chairs.

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