He nodded eagerly, his excitement making my exhaustion worth it. Then, out of nowhere, his voice lit up with even more excitement.
"Mommy! Look! Daddy’s here too!"
I frowned. Jason? That wasn’t possible. He had told me he was handling “business.” That he was too busy to even call Noah for his birthday.
I followed my son’s gaze—and the world beneath me crumbled.
There, in the middle of the plaza, Jason was on one knee. Holding a ring. For Lily.
My younger sister. The one who had cried to me about her failed relationships. The one I had comforted after every heartbreak. The one who had sworn Jason was like a brother to her.
She stood there with wide, teary eyes, hands covering her mouth.
"Marry me," Jason said, his voice clear, steady. Like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Lily let out a shaky sob, nodding furiously. "Yes! Oh my God, Jason, yes!"
My entire family—my mother, father, aunts, uncles—stood around them, clapping. Clapping. As if this was something to celebrate. As if I wasn’t standing right here.
The ring slid onto Lily’s finger, and I felt something inside me snap.