“Oh hey,” Serena said, catching Emily’s eye. “I was wondering where you guys had gone off to.”

Emily and Daniel looked at each other coyly. Caught red-handed.

Emily found that she was suddenly tongue-tied, like a naughty child who must own up to stealing cookies from the jar. She looked at Daniel for help, but he looked worse than her, with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face.

Serena frowned. Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously and a small smirk appeared on her lips. Clearly she could tell they’d been up to something.

“Hmm,” she said, pacing up to them like a detective. “Snow in your hair. Sand on your jeans. My guess is you’ve been to the beach.” She tapped her chin. “But why?” She paused for a moment, and then a look of realization flickered into her eyes. Gasping, she grabbed Emily’s left hand, searching for confirmation for the thought that had hit her. At the sight of the ring, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

“Oh. My. God! You’re engaged!”

Emily felt the heat rising into her cheeks. It was the first time she’d heard someone say the word “engaged” in relation to her and it felt so bizarre. All those years of wishing for it and dreaming about it, and she was finally here, in that abstract state of “engagement.”

She nodded quickly. Serena squealed and pulled them both into a clumsy embrace, elbows and arms flailing.

“Am I the first to know?” Serena asked when she let them go, the excitement in her tone growing.

“Yes,” Daniel confirmed. “But can you get Chantelle? I want her to know before the rest of them.”

“Of course!” Serena exclaimed.

With misted-over eyes, she took one last adoring look at Emily’s ring before bounding away, a giddy spring in her step. Emily let out a noise that was somewhere between a nervous giggle and an embarrassed groan.

Daniel squeezed her hand reassuringly. It felt as though he was simultaneously congratulating her for having survived one person’s reaction while boosting her in anticipation of the next reveal, the one that was far more important.

Emily took a deep breath. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. This was it. The big moment.

The volume of the party grew louder as the dining room door opened a crack. Then Chantelle’s face appeared, peeping timidly around it. Emily heard Serena’s voice from the other side, encouraging Chantelle into the hallway.

“Go on, it’s nothing to worry about!”

Chantelle stepped fully out of the room and Serena closed the door after her, muffling the sound of the party-goers’ merriment once more. Emily found the quietness suddenly stifling.

At one end of the corridor stood Chantelle, looking terrified. At the other end stood Emily and Daniel, their nerves just as palpable. Emily beckoned to the child and Chantelle scurried toward them.

“Am I in trouble?” she said, her little voice quivering. “Serena said you needed to speak to me.”

“Goodness, no!” Emily cried. She reached for Chantelle and pulled her into a bear hug. “You’re not in trouble at all!” She stroked Chantelle’s soft, blond hair. “It was just that Daddy and I want to tell you something. Nothing bad.”

Chantelle pulled out of the embrace and frowned up at Emily, her blue eyes betraying her skepticism. She was only seven years old but had already learned to be suspicious and distrustful of adults.

“Are you sending me back to Tennessee?” Chantelle said boldly, tipping her chin up with fake nonchalance.

“No!” Daniel exclaimed, shaking his head. If it hadn’t been such a sad statement to make, it would have been comical. Seeking to end Chantelle’s sense of doom as immediately as possible, Daniel crouched down so he was eye level with his daughter, took both her hands in his, and then, with a large breath, exclaimed, “Emily and I are getting married.”

There was a moment of hesitation as Chantelle took in the news. Then the fear melted from her expression and her eyes widened with astonishment. A huge grin spread across her face.

“Really?” she squealed, gazing at them in wonder.

“Yes, really,” Emily said.

She held out her hand so Chantelle could see the ring. Chantelle’s eyes grew even wider as she stared as though in disbelief at the beautiful ring sparkling on Emily’s finger. Chantelle held Emily’s hand tightly.

“I thought…” she stammered. “I thought you were getting rid of me. But actually, it came true.”

“What came true?” Emily asked curiously.

“My Thanksgiving wish,” Chantelle said. She was still clutching Emily’s hand, and her grip tightened. “I wished that you would get married so that we could be a family forever.”