Cedar waited in the posh restaurant in Seattle. She’d been to the Titans game that afternoon and watched as the team snapped up their third win of the season. All Teo’s talk about this being the year of the Titans was followed up by victory after victory.

She’d finally come clean with her parents, explaining about her misconception over the internship and how she’d accepted the nanny position which led to her and Teo falling in love. Her parents thought it was a great story and invited them for Thanksgiving. They had to decline—because of the Titan’s schedule—but invited them to Texas for Christmas. They said they’d look into flights. She wasn’t sure they’d make the effort to travel during the holidays. Oddly she was fine having them there … or not. She and Teo already had plans to see the zoo lights with Akoni, and Teo wanted to share several island traditions with her. Her life and heart were too full to hold a grudge if her parents didn’t show up.

Mrs. Park, Akoni’s new nanny, traveled with them to watch Akoni. She and Cedar stayed at a different hotel from the team. They didn’t want to attract too much attention with Akoni around. Keeping his child out of the press was a priority for Teo, and Cedar didn’t blame him one bit. Their romance had a round of brief publicity that made her more than a little uncomfortable. She admired the players for handling the pressure as well as they did.

Teo was so attentive, so wonderful, he swept away the green monster. His focus wasn’t on her alone—he was hyper-focused on football but when they were together, she was his one and only love.

As for Mrs. Park? Cedar adored her. She was low-drama and rolled with everything Cedar and Teo sprung on her. She was ultra-supportive of Teo and Cedar dating and would stay late so the two of them could go out to eat after a game or practice. She encouraged them to find time for just the two of them, stating that doing just that had made her marriage a happy one.

Which was how Cedar found herself alone at a table, wearing a long black gown and checking the door every twenty seconds for Teo. She tapped her phone to see if he’d sent a text, but nothing showed up. It wasn’t like him to be late. She drummed her fingers on the white linen tablecloth.

A man in a bow tie and a pressed white shirt stopped in front of her. “Miss?”

“Yes?”

“This came for you.” He handed her an envelope and a gift bag.

“Thank you.” She accepted the letter and opened it quickly.

She opened the bag to find a Tiny Titans Football Camp T-shirt. From the size of it, it must have been Teo’s shirt. She grinned, thinking of how she’d hauled Akoni around that day and he’d calmed her nerves with his big, soulful eyes and baby hugs. She brought the shirt to her face and breathed in his cologne and laundry softener smell.

A few minutes later, the same man appeared with a tray. On the tray was a stack of marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. Several wooden skewers poked up from a cup. In the middle of the tray was a small flame. The place card on the tray said:

People at the tables around her were starting to stare. A flame would do that. Her cheeks were turning pink from the attention, though she’d blame that on the fire if Teo teased her.

The server whipped a third card out of his pocket and brandished it to her.

She pressed the card to her heart and closed her eyes as tears stung. This man of hers was a wonderful man.

Someone cleared his throat, and she opened her eyes to see Teo on one knee holding out a ring. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, and his hair was still wet from a postgame shower. His eyes, so warm, so full of love and absolute devotion, were fixed on hers. “Cedar Bell, will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giggled like a fool. Teo didn’t even budge when she hit him—he was such a good blocker. He did laugh and smile and kiss her cheeks and her neck and her forehead.

“Miracle number four,” he whispered right before he kissed her. The whole room cheered, and they got to their feet and waved shyly.

They settled into their seats, and the server handed them skewers loaded with marshmallows before backing away. Cedar glanced down at the table and gasped. The three cards lay in order across the tablecloth. Meeting you. S’more. Love.

Meeting you is more love.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she had to dab the moisture away with her napkin. Meeting Teo had multiplied the love in her life by ten thousand. She scooped up the cards and tucked them into her purse. She’d frame them to hang on the wall when she took his last name as a reminder that miracles happen every day, and that the love they shared was her miracle.

The End

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