Page 84 of Cowboy
My curiosity piqued, I open the envelope and pull out a stack of official-looking documents. As I begin to read, my breath catches in my throat.
Adoption papers. Legal documents naming me as Saoirse's adoptive mother and Ciarán as her adoptive father.
"How...?" I whisper, looking up at Ciarán with tears already forming. "I thought... the review process, the waiting period..."
"Travis pulled some strings," Ciarán explains, reaching across the table to take my hand. "And it turns out, when you help bring down one of the largest trafficking operations in Europe, people in high places are willing to expedite certain processes."
"These are real?" I ask, still not quite believing what I'm seeing. "This is happening?"
"All they need are our signatures," Ciarán confirms. "Well, and a judge's approval, but Travis assures me that's a formality at this point."
"Does this mean you're really going to be my mammy and daddy forever?" Saoirse asks, her small face alight with hope.
I look at her—this precious child who came into my life through the darkest of circumstances, who has shown me the meaning of resilience and unconditional love.
"Yes, sweetheart," I manage through my tears. "If that's what you want."
Saoirse nods vigorously. "I've been wishing for it every night."
I reach for her, pulling her onto my lap and holding her close. Over her head, I meet Ciarán's gaze. "Thank you," I mouth silently.
He shakes his head, dismissing my thanks. "There's one more thing," he says, his voice suddenly husky. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
My heart stops, then restarts at twice its normal speed.
"I was going to wait," he says, turning the box over in his hands. "Maybe plan something fancy. But this moment seems right." He looks up, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that takes my breath away. "The three of us, together, becoming a family in every sense of the word."
He opens the box, revealing a ring—not a traditional diamond, but a deep blue sapphire set in white gold, with smaller diamonds flanking it. It's stunning in its understated elegance.
"Caoimhe Mallee," he says, his voice steady despite the emotion I can see in his eyes. "I've loved you for what feels like my entire life. Through everything—separation, loss, finding each other again—that love has only grown stronger. Will you marry me? Make this family official in every way?"
Saoirse looks up at me, her eyes wide with excitement. "Say yes, Caoimhe! Say yes!"
A laugh escapes me, joy bubbling up unstoppably. "Yes," I say, the easiest answer I've ever given. "Yes, of course yes."
Ciarán's face breaks into a smile so radiant it's almost painful to witness. He slides the ring onto my finger then leans across the table to kiss me, Saoirse squished happily between us.
When we break apart, I can't stop looking at the ring, at the adoption papers, at the two people who have become my whole world.
"We're having a celebration at the clubhouse tonight," Ciarán says, taking a sandwich and finally relaxing back in his chair. "Everyone's waiting to hear the news."
"You were that confident I'd say yes?" I tease, wiping away the last of my happy tears.
He shrugs, a hint of that familiar cockiness returning. "I had a feeling."
Saoirse wiggles off my lap, seemingly satisfied now that the surprises have been revealed and accepted. "Can I wear my new dress to the party?" she asks, already moving toward the swing set.
"Absolutely," I tell her, watching as she skips away, secure in the knowledge that she belongs to us now, officially and forever.
As Saoirse plays, Ciarán moves his chair around the table to sit beside me, his arm draping comfortably over my shoulders.
"Happy?" he asks softly.
I lean into him, feeling the solid warmth of his body against mine. "Beyond happy," I say truthfully. "I never thought I could have this again. A family. A future."
"You deserve it all, Caoimhe," he says fiercely. "Everything good in this world."
I turn my face up to his, overwhelmed by the love I see there. "So do you."
