*THE ACCIDENTAL FAMILY*

__EPISODE 12: "The Proposal"

__EPISODE 12: "The Proposal"

*SUNDAY. 3 WEEKS LATER.*

Everything was different now.

And nothing was.

We still burned pancakes.

We still fought over who got the last bottle.

We still kissed in the kitchen at 2AM.

But now we said "I love you" in the morning.

And we didn’t flinch when people stared.

Damian was acting weird though.

Nervous.

Distracted.

Painting more.

Talking less.

I thought it was Victoria.

Or the board.

Or grief.

I was wrong.

---

#### *5:00 PM: THE SETUP*

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He was in a suit.

I was in jeans and one of his t-shirts.

"Nowhere. Stay here."

"Damian—"

"Trust me."

He disappeared upstairs.

Came down 10 minutes later.

With Leo on his hip and Luna in a carrier.

And Mrs. Delgado.

"Mrs. D is taking the twins for the night," he said.

"Why."

"Because I need you to myself."

My stomach dropped.

"What did you do."

"Nothing. Yet."

He took my hand.

Led me upstairs.

To the nursery.

The lights were off.

But the room was glowing.

---

#### *5:15 PM: THE ROOM*

He’d done it.

He’d finished the wall.

Not just my stars.

His too.

The entire nursery was a night sky now.

Stars. Moon. Clouds.

And in the middle, painted in gold:

_Home_

Under it, smaller:

_For Leo, For Luna, For Aria_

I covered my mouth.

"Damian..."

"Don’t cry yet."

"I’m gonna cry."

"I know."

He set the twins’ carrier down.

They were asleep.

Safe.

Then he turned to me.

No suit jacket.

Sleeves rolled up.

Paint on his hands.

Eyes scared.

"Aria Carter," he said.

"Oh no."

"Don’t 'oh no' me."

"You’re gonna ruin me."

"Good."

He got down on one knee.

I stopped breathing.

"When I hired you, I gave you rules," he started.

"Rule 1: Don’t get attached.

Rule 2: Don’t talk to me.

Rule 3: Don’t touch me."

He smiled. Shaking.

"You broke every single one.

And I’m so glad you did."

He pulled out a box.

Not a ring box.

A small wooden box.

Handmade.

Inside: A paintbrush.

With yellow paint dried on it.

The first one. From the mural.

And a ring.

Simple.

Gold band.

Small star set in the center.

"I’m not good at speeches," he said.

"I’m better at painting.

But I need to say this."

He looked up at me.

"Eliza gave me the best gift.

Two babies.

And permission to love again."

"You gave me the courage to take it."

Tears were streaming down my face.

"The twins chose you the second you held them.

I chose you the second you yelled at me about the cribs.

And I choose you now."

He held up the ring.

"Aria, will you marry me?

Will you be their mom?

Will you be my wife?

Will you keep painting stars on my walls for the rest of our lives?"

I was sobbing.

"Yes. Yes. Yes."

He slid the ring on my finger.

Stood up.

And kissed me.

Not gentle.

Not hesitant.

Like he’d been waiting a year to do it right.

We were both crying.

Laughing.

Crying again.

"Is this real?" I whispered.

"Check the ring."

"It’s real."

He rested his forehead against mine.

"You just agreed to be stuck with me forever."

"Best decision of my life."

The monitor crackled.

Leo: _Dada?_

Damian laughed into my hair.

"He called me Dada."

"I heard."

---

#### *6:00 PM: THE CALL*

He called Mrs. Delgado first.

"She said yes."

I heard her SCREAM through the phone.

Then he called Victoria.

Put it on speaker.

"Damian, what—"

"I’m getting married."

Silence.

"To her?"

"To Aria. And she’s going to be their mom."

Click.

He hung up.

"She’ll come around. Or she won’t."

"I don’t care," I said. "I have you."

---

#### *8:00 PM: DINNER*

Just us.

On the floor.

In the nursery.

Under the stars.

Under the word _Home_.

Takeout.

Wine for me.

Water for him.

"I quit my job," I said.

"I know."

"You’re marrying a broke artist."

"I’m marrying the woman who saved my life."

He took my hand.

Kissed the ring.

"I love you."

"I love you."

---

#### *11:00 PM: THE PHOTOS*

We took pictures.

Terrible ones.

Selfies.

Me with paint on my face.

Him with the ring on my hand.

The twins sleeping under _Home_.

He posted one.

Caption: _She said yes._

Within 5 minutes: 2 million likes.

Comments:

_"WE WON"_

_"THE NANNY WON"_

_"CRYING"_

_"Victoria is seething"_

He turned his phone off.

"Don’t care. Not tonight."

---

#### *12:00 AM: HIS ROOM*

We went to his room.

Finally.

For real.

No fear.

No grief in the way.

Just us.

He laid me down.

Brushed hair from my face.

"I love you," he said. Again.

"I love you," I said. Again.

We didn’t rush.

We didn’t hide.

We just... chose each other.

After, he held me.

Tracing the star on my ring.

"I’m still scared," he admitted.

"Me too."

"But not alone."

"Never alone again."

---

#### *MONDAY MORNING: THE ANNOUNCEMENT*

Headlines everywhere:

_BILLIONAIRE CEO ENGAGED TO NANNY_

_HALE PROPOSAL GOES VIRAL_

_FROM MURAL TO MARRIAGE_

We didn’t read them.

We were busy.

Packing up the guest room.

Moving my stuff into his room.

Permanently.

Leo pointed at my ring and said "Mama?"

Damian and I both froze.

"Yeah buddy," Damian whispered. "Mama."

Luna grabbed my finger.

Wouldn’t let go.

---

#### *THAT NIGHT: THE VOWS*

We didn’t wait.

City Hall.

Wednesday.

Just us, Mrs. Delgado, and a judge.

Vows:

Damian: "I vow to choose you. Every day. Even when it’s hard. Especially then."

Me: "I vow to love you. And them. And to keep painting stars until the walls run out."

He kissed me.

Mrs. Delgado cried.

The judge said we were legally terrifying.

_And they lived._

---

*END OF EPISODE 12*