The morning sunlight filtered through the kitchen window, casting soft golden hues across the marble countertop. Raina stood barefoot, pouring orange juice into a glass, while Liam hummed to himself at the table, scribbling something with his crayons.
Cassian watched the scene from the doorway — quiet, content, a man who had once thought love would slow him down, only to find that it had become his purpose.
"You're staring," Raina said without turning.
"I am," he admitted, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Because this — you, him, mornings like this — is everything I didn't know I needed."
She smiled, leaning into him slightly. "And what are you thinking about?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded envelope, placing it on the counter.
Raina blinked. "What's this?"
"My formal letter of delegation. I'm stepping back from the daily operations of Drake Holdings."
She turned to face him, shocked. "You're… resigning?"
"Delegating," he clarified. "I'll remain chairman. But the day-to-day stress, the travel, the long nights — I'm done letting it take more from me."
She stared at him, emotion rising. "You're doing this for us?"
"I'm doing it for me too. Because I don't want to miss any more moments like this. I want to be here. With you. With Liam."
Liam looked up. "Did Daddy quit his job?"
Cassian chuckled. "Not quit, buddy. Just changed it a little."
"Cool," Liam said. "Can we go to the park now?"
Cassian grinned. "Best boss I've ever had."
That weekend, Cassian surprised them with a trip — not extravagant, not international. Just a quiet weekend in the countryside, where the air smelled like pine and the stars didn't have to compete with city lights.
Raina hadn't been back to that cabin since college. It was the same one they had once visited together during simpler, younger days. She had forgotten how peaceful it was.
On the second night, after Liam had fallen asleep near the fireplace, Cassian and Raina sat outside on the wooden deck, wrapped in a shared blanket.
"You remember this place?" he asked.
"I remember how we used to dream here," she said softly. "Before the world got loud."
He turned to her, expression serious. "What if we start dreaming again? Together."
Raina looked at him, her heart already thudding faster — and she knew. She saw it in his eyes.
Cassian pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it slowly.
"I don't have a grand speech. Just this… You, Liam, this life — you're my second chance. And I don't want to waste it."
He held the ring out to her. "Raina Summers, will you marry me — not because we need to fix anything, but because we're already whole again?"
Her eyes welled with tears. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."
He slid the ring onto her finger, and she leaned into his kiss, warmth blooming between them like spring returning after a long winter.
The wedding was small — intentionally so. Just close friends, a few family members, and one excited little boy in a navy-blue suit who kept asking if he could be the one to say, "You may kiss the bride."
Raina wore a simple lace dress. Cassian wore a tailored grey suit. The ceremony took place under a canopy of lights in the backyard of their home.
As they exchanged vows, there was no mention of the past — only the future.
"I don't promise you perfection," Raina said, voice trembling, "but I promise you honesty, laughter, and the kind of love that stays even when things get hard."
Cassian took her hand, eyes unwavering. "I wasted time chasing everything but what mattered. You showed me what *home* means. And I'll spend my life making sure you never forget how loved you are."
Liam handed them the rings — upside down, of course — and everyone laughed. The moment was light, warm, and filled with grace.
They kissed to the sound of clapping and a child's shout of "Finally!"
Later that night, Cassian stood in the doorway of Liam's room, watching his son sleep, arms wrapped around his stuffed dinosaur.
Raina came up beside him.
"He called me 'Daddy' in his sleep," Cassian whispered, emotion tightening in his throat.
Raina leaned her head on his shoulder. "He means it."
"I know," he said. "And it scares me how much I want to be enough for him."
"You already are," she whispered.
He turned to her, kissed her temple. "This… this is what I was chasing all along."
They stood in silence for a moment.
Raina smiled. "You ready for tomorrow?"
He raised a brow. "What's tomorrow?"
She slipped a small envelope into his hand — inside was a sonogram.
Cassian's eyes widened. "You're…?"
She nodded, grinning through happy tears.
"Looks like we're getting another shot at firsts."
Cassian pulled her into his arms, stunned, breathless.
"Then let's do it right — from the very beginning."