I felt a chill, even though I was in a hot shower, when I realized that this could be my life. Luke and me, Dylan and Calla—every day. It was happening already. Everything I’d ever wanted was within my reach. But no matter how hard I kept trying, I couldn’t erase the fear that something would ruin it all.

Luke

I couldn’t wait to put the ring back on Lily’s finger where it had always belonged. I had rushed straight upstairs to do that, leaving the donuts in my truck to bring in after I saw her. As I walked back through the house, I passed Dahlia feeding Calla in the kitchen and Asher sipping coffee at the counter. I spied Jude and Levi through the kitchen windows, sitting on the patio that surrounded the pool, also drinking coffee. But no Dylan yet. I crossed through the kitchen into the living room and saw Rose eating a donut, with a weird look on her face.

“You left donuts in your truck,” she said. “So many donuts.”

“Yeah, I got enough for everybody. Is something wrong?” I prompted.

“The kids found them. I guess they saw you drive up through the window, and I guess you rushed off to see Lily. Is she in the shower, Luke?” She smirked and looked down at my shirt. It was a little damp in front.

I pulled it off. It was a plaid button-up; I had a T-shirt on underneath. “Yeah, I saw Lily. We’re going to have news later. Stick around, okay?”

“Good news? I almost feel bad about what you’re about to find in your truck.” She laughed and darted past me to the kitchen. “I need coffee. You’re gonna need it too.”

I rushed outside to my truck. I heard giggling and saw tiny people sitting in the bed of the truck. Dylan sat in the back seat, passing donuts through the rear slide window to the kids in the truck bed. They were covered in chocolate icing, and whatever the other white kind of icing is. God, the sprinkles were everywhere. I had bought five boxes of donuts, a dozen in each. Icing smeared my seats, the steering wheel, the windows, it was everywhere.

“Donuts good?” I asked.

Maddie whirled with big eyes, Dylan turned from his knees to stare at me, the rest of them froze, except for Mikey, who was the only one brave enough to answer.

“They’re good. But you forgot the kind with the cream inside,” he said.

I was thankful for small favors by that point. What kind of mess would they have made with cream-filled? We all looked up as Rose walked up to the truck armed with a package of baby wipes and a roll of paper towels with a bottle of cleaner hooked on the waistband of her jeans.