The search had been relentless, each passing moment weighed down by dread. But finally, after what felt like an eternity, I found her sitting in an old, forgotten building, looking tired but safe. Relief flooded through me, so intense that my legs almost gave out.
“Dad?” Hadassah’s voice was small, confused, but not afraid. She looked up, her wide eyes meeting mine.
I let out a shaky breath, running over to pull her into a hug. “You’re safe,” I whispered, the tension in my body dissolving. “You’re okay.”
After making sure she was unharmed, I grabbed my phone and called Isiah. The sound of his voice, cracking with worry, made my heart ache. “Harrison? Did you find her?” he asked, his voice barely holding together.
“I found her,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my face. “Come meet us. Now.”
When Isiah arrived, his eyes were red, and he looked like he’d aged years in just days. The moment he saw Hadassah, he rushed to her, pulling her into an embrace so fierce it seemed to knit them back together. Tears streaked down his face as he whispered, “Thank you, thank you.”
Then, turning to me, his eyes full of gratitude, he said, “How did you find her? And what about Kermit?”
I took a deep breath, feeling the ring box in my pocket. “That’s the thing,” I said, shifting nervously. “Kermit was me. It was all... it was meant to be a plan, to show you how much we can get through together, and I didn’t expect it to go so far. But through all of this, I realized one thing—I don’t want to spend another day without making us official.”
Isiah’s eyes widened as I dropped to one knee. “Isiah, will you marry me?”
There was a heartbeat of stunned silence before Hadassah, who had been listening in shock, let out a surprised laugh. “Dad, seriously?”
Isiah’s expression melted from surprise to joy as he nodded, tears streaming down his face. “Yes, Harrison. A thousand times, yes.”
We stood there, the three of us tangled in laughter, tears, and the promise of something better ahead. The weight of fear lifted, replaced by love.
