Their third date was at a food truck beside the river. It was perfect. They moved slowly. By autumn, Damon had a drawer in Cassandra’s apartment. By Thanksgiving, Cassandra and the twins spent weekends at his house.

The following Christmas Eve, they boarded a flight to Denver together. Luke remembered the red crayon. “This is where Daddy found us,” he told a flight attendant.

Damon corrected him gently. “This is where I was lucky enough to be found.”

Near gate B12, beneath a paper snowflake hanging from the ceiling, Damon stopped Cassandra. This time, he did kneel. Travelers moved around them. Luke bounced excitedly.

Violet covered Eleanor’s eyes, because she believed the elephant deserved a surprise. Damon held out the same scratched ring.

“I once believed loving you meant earning enough money to protect you from every problem. You taught me that love is staying when problems can’t be fixed.”