Page 123 of The Secrets We Built Together

"She did hang the moon," Xander said seriously. "So did you."

Amelia wriggled between us, clearly tired of being squished, and we both laughed. I set her down on the blanket, where she immediately went for the edge of the blueprint, trying to stuff it in her mouth.

"No, no, strawberry," I said, gently redirecting her. "That's our future you're trying to eat."

Xander grabbed the teething toy, offering it to her instead. She accepted the trade with a happy gurgle, rolling onto her back and kicking her legs in the air with newfound energy.

"I need to remember to call Delaney tonight," I said, watching Amelia play. "She's been texting me nursery ideas all week. I think she's nesting."

"How much longer now?" Xander asked, absently arranging the snacks from the cooler.

"About a month, if the baby cooperates," I replied. "She's already eight months. Trace says she's been having Braxton Hicks contractions, and her ankles are swollen to twice their normal size. I promised I'd help her finish setting up the nursery this weekend."

"We can bring dinner when we go," Xander suggested. "I'm sure cooking is the last thing she wants to do right now."

I nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. "That would be perfect. Plus, it'll give us a chance to tell them about..." I wiggled my fingers, the new ring catching the sunlight.

Xander smiled, reaching out to take my hand, his thumb brushing over the ring. "Trace is never going to let me hear the end of it. He's been telling me to make an honest woman of you for months."

"As if I wasn't the honest one in this relationship from the start," I teased, remembering how our fake engagement had begun.

"I can see us here," he said softly, gazing out at the empty field that would soon hold our dreams. "On the porch in the evenings, watching the sunset. Amelia running through the yard with the dog we'll inevitably get."

"Toby," I supplied with a grin.

"Definitely Toby," he agreed. "Christmas mornings in the living room. Summer barbecues with everyone over. You painting in your studio while I work in the office. Growing old together, surrounded by everything we've built."

I rested my head on his shoulder, my heart so full it felt like it might burst. "It sounds perfect."

"It will be," he promised. "Because it's ours."

We sat there until the sun began to dip toward the horizon, talking about our dreams, our plans, our future. Amelia crawled between us, exploring the blanket with newfound confidence, occasionally pulling herself up against our legs to stand for a few wobbly seconds before plopping back down on her padded bottom. She finally exhausted herself and fell asleep between us, her little face peaceful, one hand clutching her bunny and the other resting on my leg.

As we packed up to head home – to the cottage that had begun as a temporary solution and become the first home we'd shared– I took one last look at the field where our house would stand. Empty now, but full of promise.

Just like my heart had been, before Xander and Amelia filled it to overflowing.

"Ready?" Xander asked, Amelia sleeping against his shoulder as he reached for my hand.

I twined my fingers with his, the new ring catching the light. "Ready."

And I was. For whatever came next. For this beautiful life we were building together, step by step, day by day, dream by dream. Instead of the secrets we built together, we had something real, something whole, and it was only going to get better.

Chapter 44

Blake

Iwas having an out-of-body experience.

At least, that's what it felt like watching Delaney put the finishing touches on a gigantic "Congratulations" banner while Amelia sat on a blanket nearby, happily gnawing on a teething ring. The evening sun filtered through the windows of Delaney and Trace's farmhouse, casting everything in a golden glow that felt almost magical. Like the universe was putting a spotlight on exactly how much my life had changed.

"Do you think it's crooked?" Delaney asked, backing away from the wall with her hands on her hips, her eight-month baby bump prominent beneath her floral dress.

"It's perfect," I assured her, though I honestly wouldn't have cared if it had been hanging upside down. Everything felt perfect today.

I twisted the ring on my finger, still not used to the weight of it. The simple solitaire diamond caught the light, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the wall.

"You're doing it again," Delaney said, nudging me with her elbow.

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