Their engagement was quiet, at least by their standards. No media buzz, no magazine covers, no red-carpet drama. Just a small, warm gathering at their beachside home. Only Amelia, Ben, and Maya were there. They toasted with champagne, smiling in a way that felt real like they had finally reached a moment that belonged just to them.

Leah called her father to share the news. His usual deep, controlled voice broke a little, full of emotion she hadn’t heard since her mother was sick. Jason, for his part, reached out to someone he hadn’t spoken to in a long time; his own father, Richard Walker. When he told him the...