Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Rajiv appeared in the doorway—also in costume as Ryder—carrying the jar of cookie dog bones. The kids gasped and clapped as he distributed them, one to each child.
“These are very special dog bones,” I explained, my heart hammering as I walked over to Robbie, slipping the last bone from my utility belt into the dog bone jar. “Your teacher told us how much he loves making wishes, so we brought special dog bone cookies that you can make a wish on. We call them wishbones!”
Robbie grinned as he reached into the jar for the last one. “You’re the best,” he whispered, barely audible over the excited chatter of his students.
“I love you,” I said softly, dropping the Marshall voice.
“Now,” Nadine announced to the class, “everyone hold your wishbone, make a wish, and on the count of three break it in half to set the wish free!”
The kids held up their “wish” bones eagerly. Robbie looked down at his, and I saw his lips move silently as he made his wish.
“One!” the kids shouted.
My knees felt weak.
“Two!”
Robbie glanced up at me, love shining in his eyes.
“Three!”
Twenty-nine wishbones snapped in unison. Twenty-eight broke normally.
One went a little janky and released a diamond ring that tumbled onto Robbie’s desk with a soft clink.
The classroom fell silent except for a few gasps from the kids who were close enough to see what had happened.
Robbie stared at the ring, then at me, his face cycling through shock, understanding, and overwhelming joy.
I pulled off the Marshall helmet and dropped to one knee right there in front of his desk, in front of his kids, in his classroom where he’d built this beautiful life.
“Robbie Warren,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion, “you’ve been making wishes for as long as I’ve known you. But the truth is, you’re the answer to every wish I never dared make.”
Tears were streaming down his face now, and I could hear some of the kids whispering excitedly to each other.
“You’re my home, my peace, my adventure, and my best friend all at once. You make me want to be the kind of man who deserves someone as bright and beautiful as you.” I picked up the ring with trembling fingers. “So I’m asking—will you marry me? Will you let me spend the rest of my life making your wishes come true?”
The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds. Then Robbie nodded, tears and laughter spilling out of him at the same time.
“Yes,” he whispered. Then louder, “Yes! Of course, yes!”
The classroom erupted. Kids cheered and clapped and shouted congratulations they probably didn’t fully understand but felt anyway. I stood up and slipped the ring onto Robbie’s finger—a perfect fit, thank god—and then he was in my arms, kissing me in front of twenty-eight very excited third graders who thought this was better than any movie they’d ever seen.
“I can’t believe you did this,” he laughed against my lips. “In my classroom, with my kids—”
“With our family,” I corrected, pulling back to look at him. “If you’ll have me.”
His answer was another kiss, deeper this time, until the kids started making exaggerated “ewww” sounds that made us both laugh.
“Alright, pups,” Robbie said, turning to his class with red cheeks and shining eyes. “What do you think? Should I marry this silly puppy?”
The response was a unanimous, deafening “Yes!”
“Well,” Robbie said, looking at me with more love than I’d ever thought possible, “I guess that settles it.”
As Nadine helped clean up the mess from the cookies, and we posed for more photos and fielded excited questions from the kids about our “wedding”—which they all assumed would involve the entire Paw Patrol team—I felt that familiar sense of rightness settle over me. This was exactly how it was supposed to happen. Not grand or public or performative, but personal and meaningful and surrounded by the people who mattered most to the man I loved.
When we finally made our exit an hour later—after approximately a million more hugs and promises to visit again—Robbie walked us to the parking lot, still wearing his ring and still looking slightly dazed.
“That was perfect,” he said, reaching for my hand. “Absolutely perfect. How did you know?”
“Because I’ve been paying attention to you for over a decade,” I said simply. “I know what makes you happy.”
He stood on his toes to kiss me again, right there in the school parking lot, not caring who might see. The community had already made a point of accepting and embracing us; some people did it only because of our famous names, while many others welcomed us for who we truly were. Regardless, it hadn’t taken long for me to feel as at home in this community as Robbie did.
“I love you,” Robbie whispered against my lips, tugging the Paw Patrol patch off the costume over my chest and shoving it into his pocket. “I love you so much.”