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"You absolutely bitch."

She laughs through a tear.

I wipe it away with my thumb.

"I want your mama glaring at me and your daddy threatening to kill me every other week. I want all of it."

Another tear rolls down her cheek.

"And maybe we're supposed to wait six months. Or a year. Maybe there's some rule about how long you're supposed to know somebody before you ask them to spend their life with you." I shake my head. "But when you know, you fucking know."

Her lips tremble.

"And I know."

"Jagger," she whispers.

"I love you, Lainey. I love our daughter. And after watching that video, knowing you were lying there wishing you could find me while I was out there wishing I could find you…" My throat tightens again.

Fuck.

I'm not crying twice in one morning.

I clear it. "I'm done wasting time." I open the box.

Lainey sucks in a breath. "Oh, my God."

Charlie reaches for the ring.

"Yeah, baby girl. Daddy's doing it."

Lainey lets out a watery laugh.

I hold up the ring. The diamond catches the glow from the Christmas tree spilling through the bedroom door.

Tears pour down Lainey's cheeks. She whispers, "Sweet Jesus."

"I'm taking that as approval of the ring."

"Jagger!"

I grin, but my hand shakes when I reach for hers.

"Darlin', I can't promise I'm never gonna piss you off. Pretty sure we both know that's impossible."

She laughs.

"I can't promise I won't spoil Charlie rotten."

"You definitely will."

"Probably gonna spoil you too."

"You already do."

"Good. Then we're on the same page." I rub my thumb over the back of her hand. "But I can promise you that you'll never have to wonder if I'm coming back. You'll never have to look for me again. And you'll never have to raise our girl alone."

Her chin trembles.