“Before I met you tonight, I went to go see your family,” he said. “I wanted to let them know what I was going to ask you. And to thank them—for loving you as much as I do. For supporting us this first year. I’m not sure what to do with the cat videos that Kathleen sends me, but Mom and Midge seem to like them.”

I laughed, my body filling with a tingling awareness.

“They wanted me to let you know that depending on how things go, your dad’s gonna shut down the diner for a big party tonight. Alexis and Eric are making the playlist. Kathleen’s got cocktails. All of Tenth Street will likely show up, so you should prepare to do the twist with my parents.”

I turned my head. “A party? For what?”

Dean wasn’t standing there.

He was down on one knee, holding a very pretty ring.

For as long as I lived, I would never forget this moment. Would never forget the look of true love on Dean’s face.

“This ring belonged to my grandmother,” he said, voice trembling at the end. “When I told my parents I was going to ask you to marry me, Midge got this ring out immediately. She told me she was saving it for me. Apparently, they’d been waiting for me to ask for it since the day you moved back home.”

I laughed, wiping my eyes. “They must have strategized around the kiddie pool.”

His smile was adorable. “This is the grandmother who used to throw huge Pride parties for my parents, to celebrate them and their love. She was a lot like you. Bold and big-hearted. When I imagined slipping a ring on your finger, it was a ring worn by someone who would have celebrated who you are, Tabitha.”

Tears fell down my cheeks without me even realizing. Which was wild because I was smiling so much my face hurt.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said. “I want to tell stories with you and go on spontaneous adventures and build parks together and sit on our stoop eating water ice. I want to give in to pleasure with you, give in to a love that is loud and takes up space. No holding back. No hesitating. I love you—” He paused, swallowed. “Tabitha, I love you more than I ever thought was possible.” He raised the ring. My heart spun, nerves sparkling. “Will you marry me?”

I dropped to my knees in front of Dean, too emotional to stand. “Yes,” I said. “Yes. Yes. Nothing would make me happier, Dean Knox-Morelli, than marrying you and loving you forever.”

The ring would have slid on easily if not for the fact that we were both shaking too much. But the instant it was on, I fisted my hands in his shirt and kissed him for what felt like hours. Dean was laughing, kissing me back, and when I gripped his face his cheeks were wet.