Chapter 19
Ethan came home from college for Thanksgiving.
He walked through the door with a girl.
Beautiful. Smart. Studying engineering too. Her name was Maya.
And from the way he looked at her… we knew.
This was it.
She was wonderful. Kind. Funny. She fit right in. She laughed at Grace’s terrible jokes. She listened to Lily talk about marine biology for an hour. She helped me in the kitchen. She even survived Daniel’s “interrogation” over dinner.
When they left to go back to school after the long weekend, Daniel and I stood on the porch watching them go.
“Our boy is growing up,” Daniel said.
“Our boy is in love,” I corrected.
“Even better.”
Christmas was chaotic and perfect.
Ethan and Maya came home. Lily brought her boyfriend, Jake. Grace insisted on being Santa’s helper and made everyone wear reindeer antlers.
We had twenty people for dinner—Clara and her whole family, Agent Carter and his wife and kids, our closest friends, the security team who’d become like family.
The house was full of laughter and noise and love.
After dinner, when everyone was sitting around the fire, drinking hot chocolate, Ethan stood up.
He looked nervous.
“Uh… can I have everyone’s attention?”
The room went quiet.
He took Maya’s hand.
“Some of you already know,” he said. “But for those who don’t… Maya and I are engaged.”
He held up her hand. There was a ring on her finger. Simple. Elegant. Perfect.
The room erupted.
Everyone cheered. Clara cried. Grace screamed and ran to hug them.
Daniel stood and clapped his son on the back.
“Welcome to the family, Maya,” he said. “You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
Maya laughed.
“I think I do,” she said, looking at Ethan with so much love it made my heart ache. “And I couldn’t be happier.”
Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Ethan found me in the kitchen, cleaning up.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, baby.”
He leaned against the counter.
“Remember when you and Dad got married?” he said. “I was ten. I thought I’d never be old enough to get married. That it was a million years away.”
“Time flies,” I said, drying a glass.
He was quiet for a moment.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” he said. “For everything. For taking me in. For loving me like I was your own. For teaching me what a good marriage looks like. What a good family looks like. I never would have had the courage to ask Maya if I hadn’t grown up watching you and Dad. You make it look easy. Even when I know it’s not.”
I put the glass down. I went to him and hugged him. My tall, handsome, brilliant boy.
“You’re going to be amazing,” I whispered. “You’re going to be the best husband. The best father. Because you’ve had the best teacher. Your dad. And you have the biggest heart of anyone I know.”
I pulled back and looked at him.
“Maya is a lucky girl,” I said. “But we’re the lucky ones. We get you. Forever.”
He hugged me again.
May you like
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, baby. Always.”
