“I knew you’d love it. And we should be here for sunset.”
“Perfect.” She smiled at him. “Thank you, Alex. This is great.”
The waiter poured them each a glass of wine, which they sipped.
“So,” Grace said, “how’s work?”
Alex chuckled. “It’s been great, but you know that. Ever since we got the laptop back, it’s been smooth sailing. And did you hear the news?”
“About Boink going out of business?” Grace grinned. “I can’t say I was surprised. With the way Patrick ran things, the only strange thing is that it didn’t go belly-up sooner.”
“It took him a while to burn through all the money his dad lent him,” Alex said with a shrug. “But he finally flopped. I’m sure his dad will just give him another few million to try another business, though.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Hopefully he’ll move to a different sector. Better yet, a different city.”
“Or a different country,” Alex suggested.
Grace raised her glass to him. “Excellent idea. Let’s not talk about Patrick, though.”
“I agree.” Alex smiled. “Let’s talk about how great our lives are.”
“They are pretty great.”
And so, as they ate their salads, fish, and desserts of delicate cake with whipped cream and fruit, they talked about their lives. They talked about their twins—how smart little Ella was, how hilarious little Leo was. They talked about their friends—they now got together with Susie and Steve and their young children at least once a week for dinner. They talked about their families—Grace’s mother and Alex’s parents and sister. They talked about work—they both now had jobs they loved.
“Now let’s talk about us,” Alex said when they’d gone through every wonderful detail of their lives. By now, the sun was kissing the sea, sending streaks of purple and orange and yellow through the sky, and a cool breeze was in the air.
“What about us?” Grace asked.
“Well, it’s been more than a year since you gave me another chance.” Alex grinned boyishly. “I figured I should check in on how I’m doing.”
Grace laughed. “You’re a wonderful dad to our babies and a wonderful partner for me. You absolutely kept your promise.”
“Good.” Alex smiled. “Because I want to talk about what comes next.”
“What do you mean?”
“Grace,” he said, “you make my life so amazing. The day I met you, my life changed forever. I knew right away that you were an excellent coder, but the more I got to know you, the more I learned that you bring the same kind of magic to everything you touch. You’re not just great at coding and unbelievable at figuring out problems and fixing them—you’re also an amazing mother to our kids. You’re a wonderful partner to me. Whateveryou set your mind to, you do. I’ll never stop being impressed by you.”
Grace smiled. “Thank you, Alex. You know, you really impress me, too. I never thought you’d be able to put aside your work to spend more time with your family, but you’ve done that. Our kids get to see you every day—and I do, too. I’ll never take that for granted. Plus, even though you’re working less, your company is doing better than ever. That’s really something.”
“Hey.” Alex grinned. “We’re talking about how greatyouare right now.”
“Apologies for interrupting.” Grace sipped her wine and nodded at Alex. “Please, continue. I think you were saying something about how beautiful I am…”
Alex chuckled. “I hadn’t said that yet, but I was about to. You really are gorgeous, Grace. I love every inch of you, including that diamond mind of yours. Every day, you show me what matters most. You are the love of my life.”
Grace’s heart melted. She reached across the table to slide her fingers through Alex’s, and he squeezed her hand.
“Thank you for giving me that second chance,” he said.
“I think it was a third chance,” Grace managed, though she was smiling so widely it was almost hard to get the words out.
“Well, then, I suppose I’m asking for a fourth chance now.”
“A fourth chance?” Grace tilted her head. “Did you do something wrong?”
“I hope not.” Alex chuckled. Then, very deliberately, he rose to his feet… and dropped to one knee. Grace’s breath caught as hereached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. “The chance I’m asking for is a different one. A chance to keep proving myself to you. A chance to be yours, forever, and for you to be mine. A chance to be your husband.”
