#cfb

Easter morning in the Manning house is loud. It always has been.

There’s no such thing as a quiet holiday when you’ve got siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and at least three people arguing over who burned the biscuits. Arch is used to it, the chaos, the overlapping conversations, the constant movement.

What he’s not used to is watching someone else fit into it like they were always meant to be there.

He leans against the kitchen doorway, coffee in hand, barely even aware that he hasn’t taken a sip yet. Because his eyes are stuck on you.

You’re standing at the island with May and Heid, laughing about something, he doesn’t even catch what. May’s showing you how their mom decorates Easter cookies every year, and Heid is trying (and failing) to sneak frosting off the tray without getting caught.

“You’re definitely the troublemaker,” you say, nudging Heid lightly.

Heid grins. “You caught on quick.”

“And you’re the favorite,” you add, pointing at May.

May gasps dramatically. “Finally, someone sees it!”

Arch huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

It’s easy. That’s the first thing he notices.

There’s no awkwardness. No hesitation. You’re not trying too hard, and you’re not holding back either. You’re just being you. And somehow, that works perfectly here.

Like you’ve known them forever. Like you belong here. His chest does something weird, tight, but not in a bad way. More like something settling into place. His mom walks up beside him, following his line of sight.

“She’s doing alright,” she says casually.

Arch nods, a little too quickly. “Yeah. I mean-yeah, she is.”

His mom hums, clearly noticing more than she’s saying.

And Arch looks back at you just in time to see you laugh again, head tilting back slightly, sunlight catching in your hair through the kitchen window.

And it hits him, soft, but undeniable. This feels right. Not in a big, overwhelming way.

A thought that slips in without asking: She could be part of this. For real.

He exhales slowly, finally taking a sip of his coffee. And for the first time that morning, everything feels…steady.

Y/N POV:

I was nervous. Like, really nervous.

Meeting your boyfriend’s family is one thing. Meeting this family, big, loud, close-knit, and very much involved in each other’s lives. Is something else entirely.

But somehow it’s not as scary as I thought it would be.

May is easy to talk to. She’s funny and welcoming and immediately pulled you into helping with breakfast like you’d been doing it for years.

And Heid? He’s exactly the kind of brother you expected Arch to have, teasing, a little chaotic, but sweet underneath it.

“You’re gonna need to learn how to dodge questions,” Heid tells you, leaning closer like he’s sharing a secret. “Our Aunts get intense.”

You laugh. “Good to know. I’ll stay near you for protection.”

“Smart choice,” he says, nodding seriously.

May rolls her eyes. “He’s the worst person to rely on.”

“I’m offended.”

“You should be.”

I laugh again, feeling the last bit of my nerves fade.

Because this feels good. Normal. I glance across the room and catch Arch watching me from the doorway, my smile softens.

He looks quiet. Not in a bad way. Just observing.

I raise an eyebrow slightly and mouth what? He just shakes his head, a small smile tugging at his lips, like he doesn’t even have the words.

And something about that makes my heart flip.

Arch POV:

The Easter egg hunt is chaos.

Kids running everywhere, bright plastic eggs scattered across the yard, someone already arguing about who found the most and it hasn’t even been five minutes.

I stand off to the side with my uncles, half-listening to whatever they’re saying.

Because, again, my attention is somewhere else. Y/N.

One of my younger cousins, Caroline, grabs Y/N’s hand and tugs her toward the far end of the yard.

Y/N POV

“Come on! You have to help me!”

“With what?” I ask, already letting her drag you along.

“The good eggs! The ones with money!”

I gasp dramatically. “Oh, those are serious. Okay, yeah-we need a strategy.”

Arch POV:

I chuckled under my breath.

Of course you’d take it seriously.

But then it becomes something more.

She crouches down next to Caroline, pointing toward a cluster of bushes. “Okay, if I were hiding eggs, I’d put them somewhere sneaky but still findable. Like…there.”

Y/N POV:

Caroline narrows her eyes. “You’re good at this.”

“I like winning,” I whisper.

She grins. “Me too.”

And then we both take off running.

Arch POV:

I watch her as she helps the kids, not just Caroline, but a few of the younger ones who start following her around like she’s been assigned as their official team leader.

She’s laughing, cheering them on, clapping when they find eggs like it’s the biggest accomplishment in the world.

Y/N POV:

At one point, one of the little girls asks me to do a cartwheel. And I don’t hesitate.

I hand my basket to one of the kids, step back and do a perfect cartwheel across the grass.

The girls lose it, cheering and immediately trying to copy me.

“Okay, okay arms up first!” you say, helping one of them position her hands.

Arch POV:

I felt something in his chest hit harder this time.

Not soft, not quiet.

Clear. Loud. Certain.

I’m not just noticing how well you fit anymore. I’m seeing how she shows up. How she care. How she gives your attention fully, like nothing else matters in that moment.

She’s not doing it to impress anyone. She’s not even looking around to see if anyone’s watching. She’s just there for them.

And suddenly, everything clicks into place.

The laughter. The ease. The way she walked into my family and didn’t try to change herself to fit, she just did.

And somehow, that made everything fit around you instead.

My mom nudges me. “Arch, you've done nothing today but stare at her.”

I can’t even speak because the only thing running through my head is ‘That’s her. That’s the girl I’m gonna marry.’

Y/N POV:

I’m out of breath by the time the egg hunt slows down.

I end up sitting in the grass with a few of the kids, helping them count their eggs and trade candy like it’s some kind of high-stakes negotiation.

“I’ll give you two chocolates for that one,” Caroline says seriously.

“That’s a bad deal,” I whisper. “You can get at least three.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

“Trust me.”

Arch walks over just in time to hear that.

“You’re teaching them how to hustle now?” he asks.

I look up at him, smiling. “I’m teaching them confidence.”

He shakes his head, but he’s smiling too.

There’s something different about him, though.

Softer. But also more focused.

“Hey,” he says quietly. “Can I steal you for a second?”

I nod, standing up and brushing grass off my jeans.

“Don’t let anyone scam you,” you tell Caroline before walking away.

“I won’t!” she calls.

I follow Arch a little further from the group, my heart picking up slightly.

“What’s up?”

He doesn’t answer right away. He just looks at me. And for a second, I feel that nervousness creep back in.

“Arch?” you say softly.

He exhales, running a hand through his hair.

“I-uh…” He laughs a little, like he doesn’t even know where to start. “You’re really good with them.”

I blink. “The kids?”

“Yeah. But also, my family. All of it.”

I smile gently. “I was nervous, you know.”

“You were?” he says, genuinely surprised.

“Yeah. I just didn’t want to mess anything up.”

He shakes his head immediately. “You didn’t. You-” He stops, exhaling again.

And then he just says it.

“You feel like home.”

My breath catches.

The world around you fades a little, the noise, the laughter, everything.

“You…what?” I ask softly.

He steps a little closer, his voice quieter now.

“Watching you today, it just…clicked. Like…this is it for me.” He pauses, searching your face. “You’re it for me.”

My chest tightens, emotions rushing in all at once.

“Arch…”

“I know it sounds fast,” he says quickly. “I’m not-I'm not trying to rush anything. I just…needed you to know.”

I don’t even realize I’m smiling until he relaxes slightly.

“Okay,” you say softly.

“Okay?” he repeats.

“Okay,” you nod. “Because…for what it’s worth” I take a breath, steadying myself, “it kind of feels like that for me too.”

His shoulders drop, relief and something brighter flooding his expression. And then he laughs, quiet and disbelieving.

“Yeah?” he says.

“Yeah.”

And just like that, everything feels settled.

Arch POV:

Later that afternoon, I found my mom in the kitchen, cleaning up. I lean against the counter.

“She’s special,”  my mom says before he even speaks.

I let out a short laugh. “That obvious?”

“Arch,” she says, giving me a look. “I raised you.”

I nod slowly.

“Yeah,” I said. “She is.”

My mom watches me for a second.

And then soft, but sure-

“Well,” she says, turning back to the sink, “we’ll find her a nice ring.”

I freeze immediately.

“Mom-” I started, half-laughing.