Page 161 of From Nowhere

We laugh at Lola’s strong reasoning.

“And when I have a baby brother or sister, I’m going to teach them how to fly.”

I stiffen, waiting a few seconds to sneak a peek at Maren. Will Lola ever stop embarrassing me? Putting me on the spot? Planning out my future?

“Are you rescuing another cat?” I laugh it off.

Lola releases our hands and turns toward us, walking backward. “When you get married, Maren will have a baby. She’s going to want her own, ya know. That’s what Dakota’s mom said.”

“Dakota? Your friend from school?” Maren asks.

“Dakota, the bane of my existence,” I mumble.

“Twins would be cool,” Lola chirps, spinning in a circle. “Then I could have one to hold all the time, and you two could share the other one.” She beams.

I’m so out of my depth, it’s impossible to formulate a real reply. Maren and I haven’t talked about kids other than Lola. And I haven’t proposed, even though she’s surely expecting it since I called dibs on proposing.

“Hi, Sean!” Lola runs toward the security guard she’s befriended at the entrance to the building.

“Sorry. She has no filter.” I take Maren’s hand, but I can’t look at her.

“It’s refreshing,” she says. “Some people think I don’t have one either.”

“You love your job, and—”

“I want whatever you’ll give me, Ozzy.” Maren steps in front of me, so I stop. “I want to fly planes and put out fires. I want to braid hair and go to softball games. I want to show Lola that she can do and be anything in life. That’s what her mom did. Right?”

I nod.

“We have a home. A cat. A tree house. A curly-haired blond. We watch Disney movies and eat doughnuts on the weekends. Every week, I have a girls-only lunch with Lola, your mom, and Ruth.Anythingyou’re willing to share with me, to give me, I’m in.” She grabs my shirt and kisses me.

“Stop kissing. I’m hungry,” Lola calls. “Gah! You’re always kissing.”

I don’t stop kissing Maren, but we grin.

The next two months fly by with Lola turning eleven, Thanksgiving, and a wedding.

Fitz and Jamie have a holiday wedding, with ten inches of new snow and a very excited junior bridesmaid. They asked Lola to be the flower girl, but she thought junior bridesmaid sounded better—because Dakota’s mom said eleven was too old for a flower girl.

Maren is the maid of honor. And I’m the guy tasked with keeping Will from getting drunk and sleeping with a doctor named Everleigh Reichart and breaking her heart for a second time.

Everything goes as planned, until the bouquet is tossed, and Lola catches it and gives it to Maren. “Now my dad has to marry you.”

For the record, I have a ring in my pocket, but there’s no way I’m letting the women in my life tell me when and where I’ll propose.

“If you catch the bouquet and give it away, the person you give it to is cursed to a single life with cats and knitted toys for the rest of her life,” I say.

Lola wrinkles her nose and opens her mouth while Maren laughs and hands the bouquet back to Lola. “You’d better keep it. I’m hoping to one day meet my Prince Charming.”

Lola rolls her eyes. “Duh. He’s right in front of you. And he even got a—”

I cover her mouth with my hand. She’s the best, but also the worst. Lola can’t keep a secret. I knew letting her pick out the ring was a mistake.

“Go find Will.” I point across the dance floor. “He’s talking to the dark-haired lady, but he owes you a dance.”

Lola huffs. “Fine.”

Maren bites back her grin.

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