His eyes soften, his thumb coming up to skim along my temple.

We’ve had four visits with a specialist on the East coast, the best of the best according to Rolland, who went searching the second he learned I had optic nerve damage.

The specialist confirmed for Royce what I already knew, there was no fixing what I had, no outrunning the inevitable, but he did say I had more time with my sight than expected, which was good. And even better, the doctor shared there may be a way to prolong it with experimental medicine, so after the babies, we’ll do what we can to try.

“Didn’t you torture my brother enough last time he was here?”

“Nope. I wanna piss in a fresh cut right now.” He tugs me closer. “Let me.”

He grips my wrist, bringing it to his lips before flipping it over to look at my ring.

He’s remembering the day he tricked me into marrying him.

I walked outside in one of his hoodies and a pair of leggings ready for what was supposed to be movie night to find the entire family, my brother included, sitting on the grass at the edge of Zoey’s garden, Royce and a freaking priest a foot in front of them.

I was shocked, and then I was married.

Let’s not forget how I almost passed out when Royce slipped the ring on my finger, and not just any ring, but a custom white gold one.

A silver one.

Spearing from one side to the next are two stars that almost meet in the middle, one slightly raised over the other, each with small diamonds trailing their path, designed to look like shooting stars in the sky.

It’s perfect, more meaningful than anyone else could understand.

We were lonely souls, floating around in the dark sky, and like shooting stars, we fell.

And right into each other.

I might not make sense in logical terms, but the sentiment behind it does where we’re concerned.

So, yeah. I’m a married, knocked up eighteen year old college student and I couldn’t be happier about it.

But hold on...

I pull back, studying Royce. “How do you know where to find Bass? He still hasn’t told me where he is.”

“Come on now, Tink. I know how to find a man.”

Suspicious, I narrow my eyes. “How?”

“Follow the puss, and it shall lead to the punk,” he grins proud.

A chuckle leaves me. “So the blonde whose name I don’t even know?”

“The blonde,” he confirms. “Now, no more talkin’. Let’s go. Bass needs to hear, in person, how I’m the manliest man of us all, not that we’re surprised.”

With a laugh, we do exactly that, and not just me and Royce.

The whole damn family.

Exactly as it should be.