I walked over and made my coffee, then turned to the sugar, already prepared to find another note. He didn’t let me down. There it was.

Because I can’t imagine a life without you.

I wasn’t going to cry this time. I fought it back and tucked the note away. He was so getting laid when he got home. The really good wild kind he liked, with me bent over the bed. Maybe even a hell of a good blow job.

I walked over to the table and sat down with my coffee, and just as I pulled out the chair he surprised me again with a note on the seat. I really was predictable in the morning. He even knew which chair to put it on.

Because you and Micah and the other children we will have are my future.

Whoa. Okay. That was . . . wow. I reread it again, then tucked it with the others. We hadn’t talked about kids. Not ours, at least. We had spent a lot of time with his friends and a lot of time cuddled up talking about life. But we didn’t bring up the future a lot. I just knew I wanted him in it. He and Micah were my heart. They filled me up.

Micah’s door opened, and he stepped out looking like he’d been awake for a while. Weird. He was grinning like he had the best secret in the world.

“Well, good morning, handsome,” I said, opening my arms for him to walk into. He held out his hand instead, and in it was another note. Dewayne had given one to Micah, too.

Because from the time I was seventeen there was only one girl for me.

I sniffed and smiled at Micah. “Did Dewayne give you this before he left or last night?” I asked him, trying to figure out why Micah was up and dressed so early.

“This morning,” Micah replied.

Then Micah’s door opened again, and Dewayne stepped out of it. He wasn’t dressed for work at all. He gave me a sexy smirk and winked. This man was crazy. I loved every bit of his crazy.

“You’re here,” I said, and Micah moved over to stand beside me just as Dewayne got to me and held out his hand. Another piece of paper.

Because you’re mine. And I’m so f**king yours.

I started to laugh and held the note so Micah couldn’t see it. I didn’t need him saying the F word at school. But Dewayne lowered himself to the floor, and he was on . . . one knee.

Oh my God.

He held out his other hand, and in it was a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring.

“Because I want you to take my last name. Because I want Micah to take my last name. And because I’m nothing without you. Sienna Roy, will you marry me?”

This time I didn’t hold back the tears. I let them flow freely as I nodded, then shouted out my “YES!”

Dewayne stood and picked me up and spun me around in a circle while Micah cheered and laughed, watching us. I’d never expected this. I’d never expected him.

No one could have told me that this wonderful, beautiful man would love me like this. I wouldn’t have believed them. It was more than I could have asked for.

I couldn’t have written a more perfect ending to the story of my life. Because even with all those bad times and moments when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the good times and the moments of joy and the love was all so much more. They made it worth it. The journey may not be easy, but when you find the one to take it with, then you can do anything.