“Yes! Yes, Alex!” she breathed out shakily.
Alex placed the vintage-style platinum ring on her finger, delicate scrollwork embellished the setting. The diamond was an emerald cut, and it sparkled in the candlelight.
As Alex stood up to his full height, Aria’s eyes tracked the movement, her eyes sparkling in wonder.
Placing his hands on either side of her face, he kissed her, transferring with it promises for their future.
“Aria, I can’t wait to make you my wife. To show you the power of my love and the strength of my feelings for you,” Alex said, making Aria blush furiously.
“And I can’t wait to be your wife.”
“I know I don't deserve you. But like I promised your dad, I will spend every day of my life showing you how much I love you.”
“My dad?You spoke to him?”
“I did. Corinna gave me his number. I told him that I wouldn't ask you without getting his blessing. He said he and your mom knew that this was true love,” Alex answered, holding her close.
“They’re right. This is true love.”
Dinner forgotten, Aria and Alex sat together on the sofa, listening the wind coming in from the open windows as it made the candles flicker. She was tucked closely beside him, his fingers playing with hers in a dance of touch.
“What are you thinking about, my love?” Aria asked, her head tilted to one side.
“Thinking about our new life together.” Sitting back and twisting so he could face her, he continued. “Let’s get married right away. I want to take you to see an albatross like you’ve dreamed of. I want to be the one to show you the beauty of this world. You can write your next book, your nexttenbooks, and I'll take pictures of everything we see! I want it all with you. We will have our home, our garden here when we get back, children when we’re ready. I’ve waited for you my whole life and if you’re ready, I want that life together to start right away,” Alex said, his eyes roaming her face.
Aria closed her eyes as if she were dreaming about what he proposed. When she opened them, she rubbed her nose against his before answering.
“I want those things, too, my love. All of it. Let’s tell everyone first and celebrate our good news with them. Give me a few days to think about how soon to have the ceremony.”
“I can do that, love. I won’t rush you. I just wanted you to know that I’m ready,” he said, before kissing each cheek, her forehead, her nose and then chin.
He could feel her cheeks pull up into a smile as he moved around her face.
“Are you stealing Mr. Darcy’s moves?” she said, her voice huskier than he had heard before.
“If they get a yes from you to get married sooner, then yes, unashamedly, I’m stealing his moves.”
They laughed and caressed, speaking words of love and adoration long into the night.
On their way home, they called both their families and friends, and promised them all to share the details as soon as they decided.
Maria and Sofia both cried at the news. The men were all excited and wished them well. In her usual flair, Corinna began making plans for the bachelorette party. Aria ended up hanging up on her when the details took a turn toward outrageous, making Alex laugh out loud.
“Have you noticed how she and Enzo have been weird when they’re together?” Aria asked when they were almost to her house.
“I have, and when I asked him about it, he just said I was seeing things.”
Shrugging, she said, “I guess we’ll see.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
When Aria wokeup on Saturday morning a few days after Alex proposed, she made a decision. There was one last conversation that she needed to have before making her decision about Alex’s idea for their honeymoon.
Grabbing a sweater, she got into her car and headed for the coast. She found a parking spot and looked around, listening to the birds chirping happily in the pine trees.
As she walked closer to their tree, she reveled in the feeling of peace that she felt in this place. The water was still and blue as the sky. The pine needles crunched under her feet as she walked, inhaling the fragrant orange blossoms nearby.
When she was still a distance from her special tree, she was surprised to see that someone was standing underneath it. She could see that it was a man, but his back was to her.
