The room was silent, the only sound being the faint hum of the storm against the windows. You stood there with your arms crossed, watching Mattheo lean against the mantelpiece with his tousled hair and lazy smirk.

You took a quiet step closer. Your voice dropped to a whisper, soft enough to be meant for him alone. “Happy birthday…”

Mattheo’s eyes found yours instantly. “There is something else you can do for my birthday,” he murmured, his voice teasing.

You let out a quiet breath that might’ve been a laugh, though you felt too tired, too full of new life, to play along in the usual way. “I had a baby two weeks ago,” you said, your tone half incredulous, half fond. “I think I’ve done enough celebrating for a while.”

He laughed under his breath. Then he pushed away from the mantelpiece and crossed the space between you in three slow steps. “Not that,” he said softly.

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in his voice. “Then what?”

Mattheo’s smile softened... not his usual smirk, not the mask he wore for everyone else.

He reached for your hand, his thumb brushing the inside of your wrist where your pulse fluttered. “Marry me.”

Your eyes flickered to his, searching for the joke - the smirk that usually followed his provocations - but it wasn’t there. Instead, there was a sincerity so deep it almost startled you.

He glanced past you to the small bassinet tucked near the sofa. Your son was sleeping in it, a tiny bundle wrapped in a pale blue blanket.

Mattheo’s gaze lingered there for a moment before returning to you. “We already made a life together,” he murmured. “Maybe it’s time we make it official.”

You swallowed, the lump in your throat a strange mixture of laughter and tears. “You really know how to pick your moments,” you said softly.

He grinned again. “I’ve had this ring since the day I found out,” he said, slipping his hand into his pocket. “I figured I’d wait until you could stand long enough to hear me out.”

You held your breath as he opened his hand to show you the ring.

"So... will you marry me?" Mattheo whispered.