The sun dips low over the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange, pink, and gold. The waves lap against the shore in a soothing rhythm, the kind of sound you don't realize you need until you're here, miles away from the chaos of everyday life. It's peaceful. Perfect. But none of it compares to the sight in front of me.

Valarie lounges on a beach chair under the shade of a massive umbrella, her heavily pregnant belly cradled in both hands. She's radiant, even more than usual, her auburn hair catching the light like it was made to glow. She's laughing at something Elias just said. Probably something ridiculous, knowing him. Declan sits on the sand beside her, his hand resting protectively on her knee as if the gesture alone could keep her safe. And maybe it does, in a way.

I sit back in my own chair, a drink in hand, and let it all wash over me. The warmth of the sun, the sound of Valarie's laugh, the low rumble of Declan and Elias's voices as they argue over some pointless bet they made earlier about who could swim faster. It's surreal, this life we've built. And it's ours.

The moment Valarie told us she was pregnant is burned into my memory like a tattoo I never want to fade. She was nervous as hell, pacing around the living room like she thought we were going to be anything other than thrilled.

Elias was the first to react. He dropped the beer he was holding. Not on purpose, but because he just froze in shock. "You're serious?" he asked, his voice rough like he'd swallowed glass. Then he smiled, wide and bright, and scooped her into his arms so fast we were all worried he'd drop her too.

Declan's reaction was quieter. He just walked over, knelt in front of her, and pressed his hand to her stomach like he could already feel the baby kicking. "You're gonna be the best mom," he said, his voice cracking in a way I'd never heard before.

Me? I cried. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'd been through hell and back in my own life, and I never thought I'd find this kind of happiness. And now we were bringing a little piece of it into the world. A baby girl.

Our daughter.

"Adrian, you're zoning out again," Valarie teases, her voice cutting through my thoughts like a gentle nudge.

I blink and turn to her, unable to stop the grin that spreads across my face. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how beautiful you look. It's distracting."

She rolls her eyes but doesn't hide the way her cheeks flush. "You're full of it."

"Completely," I agree, raising my glass in a mock toast.

Elias plops down on the sand beside Declan, his wet hair dripping onto Declan's shoulder. Declan shoves him, but Elias just laughs, stealing the drink out of his hand and taking a long sip. "We should make this a yearly thing," Elias says, gesturing to the beach. "Get away from everything for a while."

Valarie hums in agreement, her hand rubbing slow circles over her belly. "Next year, we'll have a little one in tow."

Elias's grin softens, and for a moment, there's nothing but quiet between us, the kind that feels full instead of empty.

I let my gaze drift to Declan, who's now watching Valarie with that same look he always gives her. Like she hung the moon and stars just for him. Then to Elias, whose walls have come down more in the past year than I thought was possible. And finally to Valarie, who's managed to bring us all together and make it work in a way none of us could have done on our own.

"This is it," I say, my voice quieter now. "This is everything."

Declan looks at me, his brows furrowing slightly, but then he nods. "Yeah. It is."

Elias claps a hand on my shoulder, the force of it making me jolt a little. "Who knew you were such a sentimental bastard?"

"Shut up," I mutter, though there's no heat in it.

Valarie shifts in her chair, wincing slightly as she adjusts her position. I'm up and beside her in an instant, crouching down to make sure she's okay.

"Relax," she says, her hand brushing against my cheek. "I'm fine. She's just kicking a lot today."

"She's gonna be a fighter, just like her mom. She'll come out punching," Declan says, his voice laced with pride.

"She'll have to be," Elias adds. "Look who her dads are."

We all laugh, the sound carrying over the waves.

As the sun sinks lower, painting the world in deeper shades of gold, I realize something. This isn't just a moment. It's a beginning. A new chapter in our lives, one that we're writing together, page by page, step by step.

And I can't fucking wait to see what comes next.