92. Happiness

River didn't speak for a few moments.

Marry Riley? What the hell was Alexander Torres thinking suggesting that?

"You want me to marry your daughter?" he repeated lamely.

"Yes."

"You want me to become your son-in-law?" River stammered, his voice filled with disbelief and confusion. It seemed like an impossible scenario, one he never would have imagined in a million years.

"Trust me, I am not so thrilled about it either," Alexander suggested.

"Then why did you suggest that?" River mused.

Alexander sighed heavily, the weight of his words settling over the phone line. "Because my daughter loves you, Foster. And despite everything that's happened between us, I want her to be happy."

River ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. The idea of marrying Riley, of becoming a part of the Torres family, was surreal.

He couldn't deny the pull he felt towards her, the way she had managed to get under his skin and make him feel things he thought he'd never feel again after losing Ellie. But th