A quarter of a year passed almost unnoticed. Looking back, Cassian struggled to remember when exactly Emily, Kyeongtae and Dayoon had stopped feeling like people he visited and started feeling like home. Perhaps there had never been a single moment.
Perhaps it had happened through hundreds of ordinary evenings instead. Shared dinners. Long conversations. Movie nights that ended far too late. Coffee in the kitchen before work. Wide smiles exchanged across the dining table. The four of them had slowly built something that none of them ever needed to force. It simply fit.
Cassian had become more than Emily's partner. For over two months now, he and Dayoon had also shared a relationship that had grown just as naturally as every other connection inside their small polycule. Emily had been right. Love had never asked to exist in only one place.
One evening, Cassian invited Emily to his house. She accepted right away, as always. The familiar rooms felt different now. Not emptier, just temporary.
After dinner, they stayed in the living area where so many of Cassian's thoughts had once begun. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They simply looked through the large windows into the dimly lit garden.
Then Cassian reached into his pocket. Immediately, Emily looked at him. He took a slow breath.
"I've never been very good at planning speeches," he admitted with a faint smile.
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"I noticed."
Cassian laughed softly.
"I only know one thing."
He stepped closer.
"I don't want to imagine a future that doesn't include you."
For the first time that evening, Emily's expression changed. Barely, but enough. Cassian carefully opened the small box in his hands.
"Emily Martin..."
His voice remained steady.
"...will you marry me?"
Silence. The city seemed impossibly far away. Emily looked at the ring, then back at him. For several long seconds, she simply stared. When she finally answered, her voice sounded almost unfamiliar.
"...Yes."
Before Cassian could react, tears gathered in her eyes. She blinked them away almost immediately. Old habits. Not quickly enough though, because he had noticed them. Without saying anything, he stepped forward and embraced her. Emily allowed herself to lean into him. Just for a moment. Then she smiled.
"You know," she said quietly, "there's one condition."
Cassian laughed.
"Of course there is."
"Now that we're engaged..."
She looked toward the distant skyline.
"...you'll move in with us."
She didn't need to explain why. Four careers. One household. One future. It simply made sense.
Cassian smiled.
"I already assumed that."
Emily nodded once.
"I know."
The following evening, another celebration unfolded. This time, it was Kyeongtae who stood nervously before Dayoon. Unlike Emily, Dayoon never attempted to hide what she felt. So when she realized what was happening, her eyes widened immediately. Before Kyeongtae had even fully finished asking, she laughed through gathering tears.
"Yes!"
She threw her arms around him without a second thought. Kyeongtae, usually so composed, laughed into the embrace. Across the room, Cassian exchanged a knowing glance with Emily.
Several weeks later, all four of them sat together around the dining table in the house that now belonged to all of them equally. Dinner had almost finished when the conversation drifted somewhere unexpected: Children.
Emily rested her hands on the table.
"In my family," she began carefully, "children have always been... important."
Cassian listened.
"So important," Kyeongtae continued, "that every generation carries a responsibility toward the next."
Neither of them explained further. They didn't need to, because Cassian understood enough. Emily looked around the table.
"If we're going to build a future together..."
"...we should build it fairly," Dayoon finished with a gentle smile.
The conversation lasted well into the evening. There were questions. Ideas. Occasional laughter. Moments of thoughtful silence. Eventually, the four of them arrived at a plan that somehow reflected everything they had slowly become.
Two children would be carried by surrogate mothers: Cassian x Dayoon, Emily x Kyeongtae. Meanwhile, Emily herself would carry a child with Cassian and Dayoon would carry one with Kyeongtae. No connection would stand above another. No love would weigh more heavily than the rest. Each relationship would become part of the family they were creating together.
When the discussion finally ended, nobody questioned the decision. It simply felt right. Emily leaned back, looking around the table. For the first time in many years, she allowed herself to imagine the future. Not the one expected of her, but the one they had chosen together.
And before long... they began turning those dreams into reality.
"Happy Winterfest," Rosie said eating breakfast. "You headed to your parents today?"
"Yeah, Dad is harping on me about not visiting them enough," Billie yawned. "Don't know what he's freaking out about, I barely moved out. Did he think I'd just be over there all the time?" She paused and frowned. "Actually, you and your mom are usually glued at the hip. How's the separation been?"
"Oh, it's fine, it's not like she's very far away from us," Rosie said. "I miss her, though. I'm really looking forward to seeing her today. And Blair, but mostly Mom."
"No judgement here, sis. I have no idea what a step parent situation works. From where I'm sitting, you have both a terrible one and a great one. Just depends on the zip code."
Rosie rolled her eyes. "I hope Lily isn't there. I just want a mellow Winterfest."
Penny was ecstatic to see her daughter. She held onto her longer than Rosie may have wanted, but Rosie endured it. It was nice to have a Mom hug again, anyways.
"Don't do you go that long without seeing me again, kid," Penny said. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Mom. I miss your cooking, for sure. Billie is trash at it and I'm not much better."
Penny laughed. "Yeah, B said you tried but failed to make food."
"You spoiled her, don't blame me."
"I should have taught you to cook more before you left. Come over and I'll teach you."
"Promise. I'll come over on Friday nights, how does that sound?"
"You'd better. So, how's boyfriend?"
"Robin is fine, you know his name."
"Nah, boyfriend is fine."
"Penelope Harper you tease too much," Blair said coming in from outside. "Leave her alone or she'll never tell you anything."
Penny held up her hands in surrender and kissed her wife's cheek. Rosie hugged her step mother, thanking her for coming to her rescue.
"You see, this is why I can't bring Billie over here," Rosie said. "The two of you teaming up would humiliate me for life. I could never leave the house again. Not without a paperbag."
Penny looked at the clock. "Well, I'm out of time to tease, anyways. Your room is still there, go ahead and change. We'll be down shortly."
Rosie was stunned when she came back downstairs. Penny and Blair were in coordinated outfits. Penny didn't even do that with Rosie when she was a baby. She raised an eyebrow to her mom.
"Don't start," Penny said. "Blair wanted to."
"Aren't we cute?!" Blair said. "I promised it would just be this one time. Winterfest is a great time to be a little extra."
Rosie smiled and made a mental note to tell Robin coordinated outfits were completely off the table.
It was time to face the truth. I’ve been battling nauseous and fatigue. I’m late for my period. Caleb says I smell different, not sure how that factors in, but my gut tells me it’s something. I haven’t forgotten that we still need to talk about James and I need to pass on Dakota’s request but this morning, something else jumped to the front of the line in importance.
Rahmi had given me some pregnancy tests as a sort of “gag gift” before the wedding. Well, I needed some of them this morning.
After I did my business on three of them, I sat them aside on the ledge by the toilet. I washed my hands and went back to sit down on the closed toilet to wait. I set an alarm on my phone to let me know when it was time to look at the tests.
I waited and prayed. Time seemed to trickle by slowly. I thought about what if I’m not pregnant. Why was I getting sick? What could be wrong with me? But what if I am pregnant? What if I am and I lose another baby? Even though Annalise said my blood type is compatible with Caleb’s – I worry.
My alarm went off. I read all three tests. All three tests said the same thing.
“CALEB!!” I yelled, running out of the bathroom. He appeared almost instantly.
This time, I was somehow quicker than him to say something “I’M PREGNANT!!” I declared loud enough the neighbors probably heard me. I flung myself at him in happiness.
Somehow, the moment I told Caleb my fears went away. I feel like everything is going to be okay with our baby. OUR BABY! I can’t believe it!
Deep down I’ve had this nagging feeling that it would never happen. But it has! I wish my parents were here so I could tell them the happy news. I miss them in moments like this. But I know they would be over the moon happy for us.
