Gently, as though shifting her too much would cause undo harm, Beau moved to cup her cheek and brought her in for a soft kiss. Regardless of whether or not he wanted to be trapped (he did, for the record), they were bound together for life. Even if she wound up despising him, even if he no longer could stand the sight of her, they would always be forced to interact because of their kid.

"I love you," he told her earnestly for the second time ever. Beau hadn't wanted to scare her off with repeated mentions of it, but now seemed like a good time to remind her. "I eventually would have asked you to marry me anyway, and in a much more romantic way, mind you. This just speeds up the timeline, that's all."