“Just Relax,” Layla said. “He’s not going to kill you.”

I bounced Travis up and down in my lap as we sat parked in a parking space near the beach house. It felt a little strange being in the passenger side while Layla was doing all the driving.

“Jus rewax, Daddy!” Travis mocked.

“I am relaxed. I mean as relaxed as I can be. Just your grandfather doesn’t like me too much.”

After my race with Dimitri, Layla and Travis spent the rest of their time in California with me, and I decided that I’d fly back to Miami with them immediately. The plan was to stay with them for a week like we discussed, just to make sure that living together didn’t suddenly get weird, but as the week passed, the three of us had grown inseparable.

After returning to Miami, Layla told her dad via phone call that she was planning on moving back to The OC, and he basically blew up on her over the line. She had avoided him since then, but I insisted that I didn’t want her to leave on a bad note, insisted that there were no broken bridges on any corner of our little family.

When we arrived to the front of the beach house, Layla’s dad opened the door before we even had a chance to knock, and while his initial face was set in a frown, as soon as he made eye contact with Travis, he smiled with delight.

“Hey Travis! Did you miss Grandpa?” he asked.

“Ay Grandpa!” Travis leapt out of my arms, then ran to hug his Grandpa on the leg. After a quick squeeze, he ran back to me and grabbed onto my hand.

It touched me every time he wanted to be close to me, and even though we hadn’t known each other for a long time, I already felt like our father and son bond had grown as strong as any. I cared about him just as much as I cared about Layla.

“Dad, I think you’ve met Mason,” Layla said.

Her dad gave a slight nod and stared at me like he was burning a hole in me.

“And Mason, this is my Dad, Will.”

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Fox,” I said and held out the hand that Travis wasn’t holding.

Her dad reached out and shook my hand, and I could feel that he purposely squeezed me tighter than what was necessary. “Come on in,” he said.

We all entered the beach house, and Dad took a seat on the living room recliner, while the rest of us sat on the couch.

“As I told you on the phone, I’m moving back to California with Mason,” Layla voiced.

Mr. Fox groaned. “Yeah, you told me. And what do you want me to say? I’m not happy, but you’re 22 years old and living on your own now. I can’t do anything about it.”

“Mason insisted that we come to talk to you in person. He doesn’t want any bad blood between us.”

“Mr. Fox, you raised a fine daughter,” I started. “I can only imagine how hard it was after losing your wife.”

“You don’t know anything about my wife,” her dad said menacingly. “My wife was a good woman, and she would never approve of the kind of things you’re doing—street racing and sleeping with High School women.”

“Dad—“ Layla snapped.

“Actually, I had given up street racing until Layla came back to California. She helped made me realize that it’s a part of me and something that I’ll probably always be involved in. Still, I don’t have any plans to continue racing myself, since I have a business to run and a son to take care of.”

Dad rolled his eyes and puffed air between pursed lips.

“And as far as Layla goes, we got together because we knew we were right for each other. She might have been in High School, but when you put it into perspective, there’s only a 4-year age gap. It doesn’t seem weird at all now. And I formally want to apologize for the whole sneaking out, seeing each other behind your back. That wasn’t appropriate.”

“And cheating on my daughter?”

I glanced at Layla and was a little shocked that her dad believed that as well. “I never cheated. That was all a misunderstanding.”

“It’s true, Daddy. He didn’t cheat.”

“And as I was saying before,” I began again, “without Layla’s mom, I know it was hard for Layla, and I know it must have been hard for you as well.” I placed my hand on Travis’s leg. “Growing up without a father would be just as hard for Travis. Layla and I want to give him a life where both of us are involved, and hopefully we can have Grandpa there sometimes as well.”

Dad rubbed his fingers against his palms and stared off at the wall.

“Dad?” Layla asked after several seconds of silence.

“We just hope to have your blessing, Mr. Fox.”

Another few seconds of silence passed before her dad finally spoke solemnly. “I guess I wouldn’t mind getting another house in California and keeping the beach house for vacations. I don’t like the idea of being too far from Layla and Travis, and there’s a lot of rain out here anyway.”

It almost felt like Layla and I let out a sigh of relief at the same time. The tension eased in the room immediately.

“That would be great,” I said.

Her dad took a deep breath and then glued his eyes on me. “I want you to promise me you’ll take care of her. I don’t want to see my daughter hurt, and Travis deserves a good life.”

“Actually, Mr. Fox,” I pushed away from Travis and stood up from the couch, pulling a small box out of my jacket pocket. “I want to make it clear to both you and Layla and that I’m 100% invested in this.”

“Mason?” Layla asked, jolting her head back a little bit.

I turned towards her and dropped to one knee. “Layla—“

“Mason, what are you—?”

“I know how close you and your Dad are, so I only thought it was fair that your dad be here to grant us approval while I asked you this.”

“Mason?” she asked again. Her body started trembling a little, and she lifted Travis off the couch and into her lap as if she were protecting him from something.

I pulled the diamond ring from the box. “Before I met you, I never felt so connected to anyone in my life, and after you left me I never had those same feelings again. It was only when you came back that I was sure that I was totally and completely in love with you and have been for a long time. And Travis here… What an amazing blessing. I would love more than anything if we’d promise to spend our lives together and make me as happy to be your husband as I am to be Travis’s father.”

Her chin was trembling. “Mason… I—“

I held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Before you answer, I just want to just say that we don’t have to do it tomorrow, don’t have to do it this month or this year even. But I want to do it. I want you to be my wife, Layla. Will you marry me?”

Layla’s eyes were wide, and she grabbed her chest as she was panting. Travis looked backwards, staring at her, trying to figure out why exactly his mommy looked like a ghost.

“I will…” she stuttered and held out her hand towards me. “I mean, yes.”

I smiled and grabbed her hand, stopping right before I slid the ring on her finger. “So long as your Dad will accept it?” I said as I turned my gaze back towards Mr. Fox.

His eyes were just as wide as Layla’s, but then he gave a smile and a quick nod. That was all that I needed from him.

I slid the ring on Layla’s finger, and she stood up with me as I rose to my feet. I kissed her shamelessly, even with her dad watching. “I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too.”

I turned to give Travis a peck on the cheek. “And I love you too, kiddo.”

“I love you, Daddy!” Travis squealed and then started another bought of random laughter.

It was the first time he said that, and the tingle that rushed through made me want to die. Right at that moment, I felt like the luckiest guy in the universe.

I had an amazing, beautiful girl, an incredible son, and from the looks of it, I’d soon have a pretty great father-in-law as well.

What more can one man ask for?