All by Chance {Brollins}

/ Chapter 50 \

Rebecca and Colby held one of each of Danielle's hands, holding her up straight as the little girl walked down the dirt path in the forest clumsily.

They'd spent the entire day together in the cool breeze and the warm sun. The duo brought Danielle to the zoo for the very first time, which she absolutely adored, and brought along some snacks for a small picnic afterwards.

Colby set out their blanket while Rebecca hair-clipped Danielle's curls out of her face. They tried to keep the little girl still for a while, but once she crammed enough crackers in her mouth, the little girl was up and exploring around.

"Look, Dani, clovers." Rebecca pointed to an area close by, plucking a three-leaf one.

Danielle ran over to her mother and looked at it with wide eyes, babbling incoherently. "See if you can find one with four leaves. They're lucky."

Colby smiled when Rebecca turned towards him, placing the clover down gently. "You would know, wouldn't you, Leprechaun?"

"It does go along with the whole Irish thing ya know." She grinned, laying back with her hands behind her head.

"You're gonna hate me for what I'm about to say, but you're wrong." He laughed when she looked over at him skeptically.

Rebecca knew the chances were slim to none, but she decided to entertain his thought. "Oh, please do enlighten me."

"Well, it's just... you don't need to find a four-leaf clover to be lucky." Colby leaned back on his hands. "Three leaf clovers can be just as special."

She rolled onto her stomach, resting her head in her hands on her propped-up elbows. "Why's that?"

"They might say you get extra luck from finding a four-leaf clover." Colby plucked a different three-leaf clover out of the ground. "But I haven't found one yet, and I still consider myself pretty damn lucky."

He looked back over at her as she sat up attentively. "I've found everything I've ever wanted, all by chance. If I ever find a four-leaf clover or not, I can die happy knowing that I ended up with this."

Rebecca smiled as she looked down in her lap, trying not to buy into his sappiness. "Well, that was sweet. What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing that hasn't already been there as long as I've been with you." He smiled, reaching out for her hand and intertwining their fingers while looking back at his daughter, examining tree stumps.

Although they ran her through the wringer for the better part of the day, Danielle was still a ball of energy. Rebecca and Colby lay on their backs, next to one another, and she rested her head on his chest.

She looked up at Colby, noticing him looking back at her with a smile. "What?"

"Just admiring the love of my life." He whispered, and she moved her hand to lay over his heart, immediately tensing up.

"Jesus Colby." Rebecca sat up slightly, "Why is your heart racing?"

"I, uh..." Colby reprimanded himself subconsciously, making him grow even more nervous. "I am just so in love with you, and I don't wanna mess it up, because I mess everything up."

"Is that what all of this extra cheesiness is about?" He saw her shoulders relax, "Colby, you don't mess everything up."

She lay overtop of him, with her chin against her folded hands. "You may have your moments, but we all do. I mean, give yourself some credit. You did somehow manage to score both me and Danielle."

Rebecca laughed before placing a slow gentle kiss on Colby's lips. While he lay there with her hands cradling his face, as his hands held her waist, a wave of surety, washed over Colby and he knew without a doubt in his mind that he was making the right decision.

Some time passed, and the sun began to set, so they decided to pack up. While Rebecca picked some leaves out of their daughter's hair, Colby let out a shaky breath, reaching into his zipped pocket and pulling out the ring's box.

Colby swiftly got down on one knee and decided it was now or never. When Rebecca finally turned around she immediately froze, dropping Danielle's play backpack from her hands.

"Colby, oh my God?" The sound of her heartbeat began to flood her ears as her vision went blurry. "What are you doing?"

Colby smiled slightly, trying not to get choked up as she shuffled closer. "Well... I mean, I think this it's pretty obvious-"

"Oh my God." Rebecca's laugh was mixed with a partial sob. "Oh my God."

Watching her react suddenly made Colby second guess himself. "Is this a good, oh my God or-"

"Yes, yes, of course, it is!" She waved her hands in the air frantically before covering her mouth.

He laughed, "Okay, well, can I at least ask the question?"

Rebecca nodded quickly, forcing her mouth shut. "Mhm."

"Rebecca Quin, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. You make me grateful to wake up in the morning and live each day, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side."  Colby paused, seeing tears roll down her cheeks before they both laughed as Danielle tried to climb up his back. "And not to mention you gave me our beautiful little baby girl."

He knew there were a thousand things he could say, but he didn't want to risk messing it all up. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes." She immediately laughed through tears when he placed the ring on her finger before he stood up. "Of course, yes."

They instantly connected their lips together, holding one another as close as possible. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Rebecca smiled as she and Colby moved to hug one another, with Danielle grabbing both of their legs before she whispered. "Maybe happily ever after's do exist after all..."