“And how does Sushi like living at Mrs. Tokushige’s?” Callum asks.

“Oh, he loves it.” Mom laughs as she tells us that he spends his days napping in the sun, then extensively bathing himself in the evening before gorging on food and falling asleep.

“That sounds exactly like how Chowder spends his days at Grace and Finn’s,” Callum says.

Mom’s pointed gaze passes between Callum and me. “How about you two? Enjoying the condo . . . all by yourselves?”

I fight off a cringe. Now I know how it must feel when Finn catches Callum and me making out, because I can barely handle her subtle hint for a grandbaby.

Callum’s face burns red as he studies the eggs he’s cracking.

I hold up my left hand at her. The shiny diamond on my ring finger glistens under the kitchen lights. “One step at a time, Mom. We’ve only been engaged for a month. We haven’t even planned the wedding yet.”

Mom shrugs, her gaze fixed on the cutting board while she speaks to me. “An adorable baby would be the best wedding gift to yourselves, don’t you think?”

Callum booms out a laugh while I roll my eyes. As annoying as Mom’s good-natured prodding for a baby is, it doesn’t come close to bursting my bliss bubble. I recall that perfect night when Callum proposed to me. He took me to dinner at Mama’s Fish House in Paia, then asked if I’d be up for a stroll along Baldwin Beach at sunset. Hand in hand, he walked me all the way down to the end of the beach, away from the crowds, just as the sun was dipping below the ocean horizon. And then he stopped, dropped down to one knee, and pulled out a black velvet box from his pocket. Inside was the dazzling square diamond from my mom’s engagement ring, set in a brand-new white gold band.

I couldn’t speak when I saw him on one knee, his eyes glistening before he could even get out the words I knew he would say. All I could do was cover my mouth with my hands to keep my sobs of joy under control.

“I already asked your mum, and she gave me her blessing,” he said, his voice shaky. “I wanted . . . I wanted to ask you to marry me here because this is where you dad is and I wanted him to be part of it too.”

I nodded yes before he could even get out the words. Because it was the most perfect, most thoughtful moment Callum could ever dream up. And he did it for me. And I knew without a doubt I wanted to spend forever with him.