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Jonathan releases his hold on me and points to the mailbox, “Look, it’s still here. I wonder if our journal is still there too?”
I jump out of his arms and skip towards the box and open it up, but feel disappointed when I see a new journal inside. “Shoot, it’s a new one and not ours. That would have been so cool.”
“Well, I’m sure they filled it up. You better make sure you leave a note though. I’m sure we aren’t the first ones here to write in the new one. You wanna go first this time?”
“Sure, let’s see…here we go.”
“What’s the last entry say?”
“It says…Oh,My God…Jonathan…”
“What’s it say, baby?” he asks again.
I turn around to face him and find him on his knee with a ring box in his hand.
“Well, read it to me.”
Barely able to see through the puddle of tears forming in my eyes, I read aloud what it says in the book.
“Emily Grace Jacobs, my Gracie. I will love you always and forever and wherever I may be. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife, and dancing endless dances in the dark with me? Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”
I put the journal back in the mailbox, walking back to him and join him on the ground, down on my knees. I take his precious face in my hands and give him a sweet loving kiss.
I pull back, look him in the eyes and say, “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting six years for you to ask me that.”
I see the look of confusion and then relief color his expression. As those dimples that I love so much make an appearance, he asks. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes, it’s a yes! Of course!” I yell.
“I love you so much!” He plants a big sloppy kiss on my face, puts the ring on my finger and then yells at the top of his lungs, “She said yes!”
At first, I think he’s just professing his love for the world to hear—like he once said he would do as he laid in a hospital bed—but I soon realize it is much more than that.
From out of nowhere on the other side of the trail, familiar faces start popping into view. First I see Devon and Mick, followed by Liam, Kate, Cami, Gabby—and oh my God Sam and Steph!
I feel like I might be losing my mind for a minute when my mom and Ireland appear, and my baby girl starts running my way. The next faces I see belong to Robert and Fiona. Everybody I love is here, except for Alex. She’s hosting a big event at home but she texted me a bit ago to check-in. Now I know why.
“What is happening? How did they all get here? Did Ireland and my mom walk the trail?”
“Mommy, I took a four-wheeler on the trail. It was so much fun! Uncle Mick isn’t a very good driver though!”
“Come here, sweetheart. What are you doing here?” I say as I pick her up and swing her into my arms. I won’t be able to do this much longer, she is growing up so fast. “What are all of you doing here?” I say to the group that contains all my favorite people.
“We wanna watch you get married, mommy,” my sweet girl proclaims.
I turn to look at my new fiancé to get some clarification and I think he’s actually blushing. Jonathan Kelly doesn’t blush. What the hell is going on?
“Baby, did you mean what you said when you said you had been waiting six years? Because I was thinking why put it off another minute? I was hoping we could get married here, tonight, on the beach where we became an us. What do you say? Too much?”
It should be too much. The old me would have run for the hills—except we’re already at the top of a hill and there isn’t anywhere to run.
I don’t want to run.
This is where I want to be.
Looking around at all the faces of those I love the most, with Ireland in my arms—there is nothing I want more than to marry this man, here in San Clemente, where it all started.
“It sounds perfect,” I say. “I can’t wait to become your wife, so why not tonight?”
