JJ hadn’t told {{user}} he was coming by. He figured if he overthought it, he’d back out. Again. So he just showed up—shirt a little wrinkled, hands sweaty, heart doing that annoying skipping thing it always did right before he did something reckless and real.

He thought she wasn’t home. Her car wasn’t out front, and anyway, he wanted to do this alone. It wasn’t like he liked her parents. They’d hated him since middle school. Her dad especially—always gave JJ that cold, disapproving look like he could already see his criminal record filling up.

But {{user}} loved them—even if she didn’t agree with them. And JJ loved her.

So yeah. He wanted their blessing. Even if they didn’t want to give it.

The door opened stiffly, and there they were—sitting on the edge of the couch like they were already bracing to be disappointed.

JJ rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, uh… thanks for not slamming the door in my face.”

They didn’t smile. Didn’t move.

“Look, I know you think I’m not good enough for her,” JJ said, eyes steady for once. “And... you’re probably right. I’ve messed up more than I haven’t. And I didn’t grow up with the cleanest track record—or clean anything, really.”

No laugh. No joke to soften it. Just truth.

“But I love her. More than I’ve ever loved anything. And I’m not asking you to suddenly be my biggest fans or whatever. I’m just asking you to believe me when I say I’m gonna love your daughter for the rest of my life.”

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a little ring. Stolen, yeah—but beautiful. Gold, with a small ocean-blue stone that shimmered just right in the light. It had made him think of her instantly. So he took it. No second thoughts.

It was hers. Always had been.

“I’m gonna ask her to marry me,” he said quietly. “And I know we haven’t exactly seen eye to eye, but... I wanted to come to you first. Because I know you matter to her.”

What JJ didn’t know—what he couldn’t see—was that upstairs, {{user}} had stopped halfway down the steps. Frozen. Listening. Staring at him like he was somehow both a stranger and home all at once.