Page 51 of Big Pitch Energy

“There's my favorite son and daughter-in-law-to-be,” Mom said, immediately pulling us into a three-way hug.

“You know I’m your only son,” I said as we pulled back.

“And we're not even engaged,” Hope said.

“Yet,” Mom said with a pointed look in my direction.

We walked into the house, and Hope and Mom headed straight for the kitchen, already chatting. Ray set the bags down in the foyer, then followed me into the living room.

“How's the arm feeling?”

“Great. Tomorrow's start should be solid.” I glanced between him and Mom. “You two look disgustingly happy.”

“We are,” Ray said simply. “So do you and Hope.”

“Same”

We hung out for a bit before heading to a local seafood place. Nothing fancy, just good food and a quiet booth in the back.

Ray and I talked shop, while Mom and Hope planned a weekend trip to Asheville to hit the galleries and museums. It felt natural, like this had always been our family dinner table.

“Remember when you first told me about your Reiki sessions?" Ray asked. “I thought you'd lost your mind.”

“I thought it was crazy when Mom suggested it, but it worked.” I chuckled. “However it worked.”

Mom flashed a smug smile.

“Mom knows best.” She shifted her eyes toward Hope. “About everything.”

“I’ll never doubt that again.”

Later, we all headed back to the house. Ray and Mom headed straight to bed, leaving Hope and me to settle out on the deck. The night air was cool, and the steady rhythm of the ocean waves filled the silence between us.

Catching me looking at her, she smiled and said, “What are you thinking about?”

“Just this. Us. How we made it work when it seemed impossible.”

She snuggled closer and rested her head on my shoulder.

“You know what I realized? I spent so much time worrying about whether I could fit into your world that I forgot you might want to fit into mine too.”

“Starlight Shores was the first place I ever really felt at home, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else full time,” she said. “But you’re my home, too. Traveling and spending time here in Myrtle Beach has definitely kept things interesting.”

“Speaking of keeping things interesting…”

I kissed her forehead and slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

It had been burning a hole in my pocket all night. I’d thought about doing this back at the restaurant, but I wanted the moment to be just ours.

Hope's eyes went wide as I settled onto my knee in front of her.

“Sam…”

“Before you say anything, just so you know, Mom has no idea about this,” I said, my voice catching a little. “I was totally shocked when she called you her daughter-in-law earlier. Honestly, I’ve been carrying this around for two weeks, waitingfor the right moment.” I chuckled softly. “I’m still not sure if this is the moment, but here we are.”

I reached out, took her hand gently, and looked deep into her eyes.

“Hope Keller, I love you. You fixed my arm, my head, and my heart. You showed me that love isn’t about finding someone who fits perfectly into your life. It’s about finding someone worth rebuilding your whole life around. Will you marry me?”

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