Months had passed and spring was finally arriving. The low chill of winter was fading from the air, and Ashley awoke ready to start her day. But when she placed her arm on the side of the bed where Scott slept, she felt nothing but a cool indentation.

Where on Earth is he? she thought, rising and stretching her limbs amid the sun streaming in through the bedroom window.

Ashley stepped into her slippers and left the bedroom, the smells of breakfast food cooking filling the air.

"Hi, Ash!" said Olivia, setting down her iPad and beaming a broad smile at Ashley as she walked in.

"Hey, kid," said Ashley, mussing her hair as she walked past her and to Scott.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she planted a kiss on his cheek as he flipped a pair of pancakes on the griddle.

"My favorite," said Ashley, looking at the pancakes with a hungry eye.

"I know," said Scott, his smile warm.

In the months that had passed, Scott and Ashley not only made their status as a couple official, but their business partnership as well. Through weeks of negotiation, Scott and Ashley secured funding for his software venture, and the product was sold to a buyer for a sizable fee, in addition to royalties on future sales. With the money from his software secured, the two went into business together as fifty-fifty partners, branching out into a real estate firm that was now in the process of making investments in properties all over the city. With Scott's capital and negotiation skills, and Ashley's keen eye for finances, the two were already set to have a very, very profitable year.

Ashley moved back in, of course, and the previous two months had passed for the two of them like a blissful dream. Olivia was ecstatic, and she and Ashley continued to bond as they had before she moved. Scott was pleased to see Ashley be the female figure in Olivia's life that he knew she'd needed, and before too long, he began to think of the long-term plans for him and Ashley.

"So, any big Saturday plans?" asked Scott, piling the pancakes onto a plate and setting them in front of Olivia.

"I don't know; I was thinking about taking this one to the park, if you'd like to come."

"Sounds great to me," said Scott.

They ate their breakfast in perfect domestic bliss before finishing their morning routines. Soon, they were ready to head to the park. Once, there, the three took a long stroll along the coast, the Golden Gate Bridge large and grand in the distance, a wispy fog shrouding the land on the other side. Though the day was warmer than it had been, Ashley still held Scott close, her eyes closed in happiness as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Olive ran here and there, chasing the birds that landed on the sand, the gentle hush of the waves a calming sound to Ashley's ears. Scott's arm wrapped around her waist, Ashley took sweet delight in the joy she felt at the three of them being together.

Finally, after a time, Olivia approached the pair, a look of mild frustration on her face.

"Listen, Dad," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you gonna do it or what? I mean look-"

She gestured to the Golden Gate Bridge, the calm waters of the bay, the cloudless blue sky above.

"- if you're waiting for a better time, I don't think you're gonna get one."

"Hmm?" asked Ashley, turning her head to Scott.

"I, ah," he said, his face reddening- an uncharacteristic mood for him. "Well, I was going to wait a bit, for the sun to go down some, but I suppose this is as good a time as any."

He reached into his jeans pocket, Ashley's heart beginning to race with glee as she realized what was about to happen.

"I can't think of a time that I've been happier than these last few months we've spent together. When you left, it only made me realize how much joy you'd brought to my life, and how I want nothing more than to share the rest of my life with you."

He slipped the small, black box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a gorgeous, shimmering diamond ring.

"Ashley Wilson," he said, his gorgeous blue eyes wide in anticipation. "Will you marry me?"

Ashley's eyes filled with tears and her hands shot to her lips. She was so overjoyed that she wasn't sure she could speak. But she managed the words.

"Of course!" she said, the tears streaming down her face as she threw her arms around Scott.

Ashley then opened her arm, bringing Olivia into the hug. Happiness overwhelmed the couple, both realizing that while the future was uncertain, there's nothing that either of them wanted more than to spend it at each other's side.

THE END