Catcher Block never thought of himself as a family man. Marriage, kids, and all the domestic trappings seemed like a distant world—one he was content to observe from afar, preferably from behind the wheel of a sports car or the plush leather seats of a swanky bar. But then she came along.

Nicole was nothing like the women he usually pursued. She was an artist with a fascination for the morbid, her canvases painted with shadows and truths most people would shy away from. What started as casual, no-strings-attached hookups turned into something deeper. Slowly, Catcher found himself captivated—not just by her art, but by her sharp mind and unapologetic authenticity. For the first time in his life, he wanted more than fleeting fun. He wanted something real.

He wanted a family.

The thought blindsided him. He, Catcher Block—the man who once vowed never to settle down—was imagining Sunday mornings in a sunlit kitchen, kids’ laughter echoing in the background, and Nicole by his side as his wife. The idea filled him with a strange sense of longing.

But there was one problem: Nicole wasn’t the type to leap into domestic bliss. Marriage and a white-picket-fence life weren’t on her agenda—especially not when the proposal seemed to come out of nowhere. Catcher wanted it all, but Nicole? She wasn’t as willing to dive into the deep end of commitment without a solid plan.

And for the first time in his life, Catcher wasn’t sure how to get what he wanted.