Page 110 of Loco

Kairo stepped forward and opened his box with a shaky but determined hand. Inside was the ring—simple, elegant, perfect.

“Will you marry me?” Roque asked.

My eyes burned, my heart was racing, and my whole body felt like it was holding back tears, laughter, and joy all at once.

“Yes,” I whispered. Then louder, with a breathless laugh, “Yes.”

The kids squealed, Kaida nearly knocking over her brother as she jumped in place. Roque stood and caught me just as I reached him, his arms wrapping around me tightly, with the puppy squirming between us.

I kissed him right there, with the kids giggling, a puppy barking at our knees, and a ring still waiting to be slid onto my hand.

It was imperfect, chaotic, andcompletely us, and it was everything I’d never dared dream of finding. At this stage in my life, I realized that imperfection was our perfection, and I loved it.

Then Kaida came forward and opened her box, showing me the necklace with the three names of my new world. The feeling of being complete reached a new level.

Epilogue 2

Sayla

The Best Kind of Forever

The sky above the Townsend ranch stretched wide and blue, scattered with soft, lazy clouds and warmed by the afternoon sun. Rows of wooden chairs sat beneath strings of fairy lights and swaying oak branches, and every seat was full—friends, family, and familiar faces who had stood beside us through the most challenging parts of our lives. Wildflowers were everywhere, and it was like the day had decided to bloom just for us.

I stood under a simple arch draped in soft linen and eucalyptus, Kairo gripping my hand on one side, Kaida swinging from my other, barefoot and happy in her flower crown.

Roque stood across from me, looking at me like he had the day he proposed—with that quiet steadiness that grounded me even when I didn’t know I needed grounding.

He looked calm, whereas I looked like I might cry. That realization made me dread seeing our wedding photos later.

And between us stood Hurst Townsend, in a clean button-up and worn boots, glasses perched on his nose as he flipped through the hand-typed script he’d written himself. Ned stood beside him, arms crossed, grinning like he was holding in a hundred comments.

“All right,” Hurst drawled, clearing his throat dramatically. “We’re gathered here today—God help us—to witness Sayla Du Plessis willingly marry this man right here,thisman—” he gestured at Roque with exaggerated caution “—Roque Edwards. Sayla…” he tilted his head, eyes narrowed, “…you are here willingly, aren’t you?” When I confirmed I was, he pressed, “And you’re sure?”

The crowd laughed. “Still sure.”

Hurst nodded, turning to Ned. “Governor, she says she’s sure.”

Ned raised a brow. “Let’s keep checking, it could be nerves.”

Hurst held his hands up. “Fair enough. We’ve got a bit of ceremony to get through, so there’s plenty of time for her to come to her senses.”

Roque shook his head, trying not to laugh.

Kairo looked up at me, confused. “Why they ask that?”

“Because they’re silly,” I said, brushing his hair back. “And because they love us.”

That seemed to satisfy him.

The vows came next. Roque’s were quiet and steady, the kind of words that didn’t try to be poetic but landed with weight andwarmth. “You didn’t just love me, you found me and helped create a world for me and the kids to thrive in. And I want to spend the rest of my life being the safest place foryou, the way you’ve been for us.”

I kept thinking about how awful the photos would look if I cried, and it managed to deter the ugly crying that wanted to burst out of me.

I went next. I told him how I hadn’t just found a partner, I’d found a family. How I’d never planned for this, never expected this kind of life, but now I couldn’t imagine anything without them in it. I promised to keep showing up and love them as fiercely as I had from the start.

“Still sure?” Hurst asked again, tugging a handkerchief from his pocket as he dabbed his eyes. “We’re at the point of no return, sweetheart.”

“She’s sure,” Roque answered for me, his voice rough.

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