“Holy shit, Joe,” {{user}} spluttered when he let her inside his new digs. “This entire place is yours?” She spun around with their son in her arms. “Are these people fucking millionaires?”

“I think they are,” he replied with a frown, as he set the empty car seat on the table. “It’s fairly wild, huh?”

“I’d say,” she replied. “Holy crap, this is insane.”

“It sure beats that mouse-infested flat in Elk’s Terrace we talked about, huh?”

“Yeah,” {{user}} laughed and then quickly spun back to face him, when awareness smacked her upside the head. “Wait, what?”

“Move in with me.”

She stood, unmoving, un-bloody-blinking, as she tried to absorb his words. “Huh?”

“Move in with me,” Joey repeated. “Live with me.”

“Here?”

“Here,” he confirmed with a nod. “To start with. Until I get you that mansion in the country, that is.”

Her heart bucked wildly in her chest as her eyes roamed over his face, searching for the lie.

She didn’t find it.

“Of course, the ring will come first, when I’ve saved up the money,” he continued, withdrawing a packet of Rolos from the front pocket of his hoodie and setting them down on the table. “Consider these the sweetener.”

“You’re serious,” she breathed, feeling dizzy, as she watched him close the space between her and him. “You’re not joking.”

“No, I’m not,” he replied, clamping a hand down on her hip. “Be with me.”

“I am with you, Joe.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Be with me.”

“In what way?”

“In every way.”

Whoa.

“I love you. I’ve spent a third of my life loving you, {{user}}, and I don’t plan on stopping. I’ve made a lot of terrible decisions,” he admitted quietly. “But the worst, by far, was hurting you and pushing you away.”

“It’s okay, Joe,” she heard herself whisper, trembling now. “I forgive you.”

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he replied, voice thick and gruff. “But I will earn it. Because whatever comes our way, from here on out, I’ll be right beside you.” He nuzzled her nose and then kissed her. “Because in this version of forever, we get the happy ending, {{user}}.”