Page 103 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Dad,” Cal said, patting his father on the back. “Seriously. All your help with Asher and your support has meant the world to me. I’m eternally grateful.”
Nick looked for a moment like he might tear up. Then he got himself under control and nodded at the table. “Should we dig in?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’m starving.”
I moved to go to the table, but Cal caught my wrist and held me in place. “There’s something I want to do first, Lina.”
“Oh,” I said, looking up at him. He looked so serious again. “Okay. What is it?”
Still holding my hand, Cal went down on one knee.
“Cal,” I breathed. “What are you doing?”
“Lina Nelson,” he said. “You’ve changed everything for me. We had a rocky start when we were kids. I blew it, and I lost you, and you got as far away from me as you could. Then life brought us back together in the craziest way I could ever imagine. And I can’t help but believe that it was fate. Do you remember on prom night, when I put your corsage on, the question you asked me?”
I nodded. My heart fluttered. “I asked you if you believed in soul mates.”
“And do you remember my answer?”
“You told me soul mates were things of fairy tales, not real life.”
Cal nodded and ran his finger over my knuckles. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pale blue ring box. He popped it open. A dazzling diamond ring sat inside and caught the fading sunlight streaming down upon it. It was the most radiant diamond I had ever seen, and it was cut in the shape of a rose, with the main gem haloed by the petals of diamonds.
Cal whispered my name, and my eyes flicked from the ring to him. “Lina, I was a fool. Because soul mates are real, and I know now that you’re mine. You’ve always been mine. My soul mate, my world, my flower. And I never want to let you go again. I want to spend the rest of my life making sure you’re happy every single day. So, with that being said.” He pulled the ring out of the box and held it up. Asher came and stood beside him, and Cal wrapped his arm around his son.
“Will you marry us?” they asked in unison.
I nodded fiercely as tears streamed down my cheeks. “Yes. Yes. So many times over, yes!”
Cal slid the ring on my finger. I dropped to my knees and threw my arms around his shoulders. He held on to me as I sobbed, burying my face in the groove of his shoulder as Asher wrapped his arms over my back and hugged me tight.
“I love you, Lina,” Asher said.
“I love you too, Ash. You’ve both just made me the happiest woman alive.” I leaned back on my heels and cupped Asher’s face in my hands. “I am so lucky to have found you both.”
“What about me?” Nick asked.
I laughed and got to my feet to give him a great big hug. “And you, of course, Nick.”
“Welcome to the family, daughter-in-law. You should have run while you still had the chance.”
I laughed and hugged him tighter. “You’re never getting rid of me, old man.”
“Old man?” Nick exclaimed, chuckling deeply.
I smiled around at all of them. “Well, should we eat? And toast to new beginnings?”
“And new memories,” Cal said.
Nick opened the bottle of wine and poured us all a glass as Cal poured a cup of chocolate milk for Asher—my soon-to-be stepson.
We all lifted our glasses in unison.
“To Lina,” Nick said.
“To family,” Cal chimed in.
“To us,” I said.
