Moving to her side, I wound my arm around her waist and set my head on her shoulder. “Thank you. I hope you know how much I truly appreciate you.” She pressed her cheek to mine. “I know that, Dakota. And I hope you know how much I love you and want the best for you. The only thing I ask in return is that you keep chasing after joy, and don’t you dare ever stop. And I’ll be right here with you every step of the way.” I gulped around the knot that suddenly felt heavy at the base of my throat. “I won’t.”
