Page 44 of The Way Love Heals

“Good.”

The rest of the ride was filled with silence. We made it to our destination, and I was excited to see the Maven Falls waterfall up close. It had been a while since I’d been there. While the distant view was beautiful, it didn’t have anything on the up-close view.

The waterfall rushed down against beautiful gray stone that surrounded most of the area, along with tall trees that were full of green leaves in the summer and red, orange, and purple in the fall. I’d never seen such clear, blue water. The body it fell into was miles long, separating the park and hiking areas. I was so engrossed in the scenery that I didn’t realize where Nyle was taking me until the strum of a guitar caught my attention.

My mouth hung open at the sight of a small band playing next to a closed-off picnic area. The R&B tunes they played immediately had me rocking to the beat and humming the words.

“Go head and let them hear you blow,” Nyle encouraged, grinning.

“I believe this is what you wanted all along.”

“Well, is it working?”

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “It is. This is extremely thoughtful, Nyle. How long did it take you to pull this together?”

“Not long at all. When the idea came to me, I got on it right away. I have a few connections, so the process was smooth.” He stopped in his tracks and turned toward me. “I just wanted to show you my appreciation. You deserved to be loved out loud, and what better way to do so than at the most beautiful place in the city.”

Nyle engulfed me in those strong arms, and we slow danced to the band. I noticed other couples close by take advantage of it and do the same. With my head resting on Nyle’s chest, I could feel my heart swelling more and more. Amid his storm, Nyle showed me I was the sunshine through it. I could only pray I continued to be that for him.

“I love you, Nyle.”

“And I love you, Brittish. If you can’t tell, today has been a good day for me. Surprising you with this has kept me going. It’s kept a smile on my face and pep in my step.”

“Mine too,” I admitted. “I couldn’t stop telling the girls today how anxious and excited I was to see what you had planned. I even told AJ about it. He told me to call him and tell him about it.”

“Make sure you do. How is he and Zaina doing?”

“They’re holding up. Her grandfather’s funeral was this past Saturday, so she’s been down. AJ said he and Asher have been doing what they can to make her feel better.”

“I’ve been praying for them.”

“I know they appreciate it.”

Once the song was over, Nyle and I sat on the fluffy blanket covered in a full spread. He poured each of us a glass of champagne, prayed over the food, and fixed our plates.

Taking my plate from him, I joked, “Now, I’ve never seen seafood at a picnic.”

“Well, you have now. It was Brielle’s idea. She said I should do something different outside of the normal finger foods.”

“Awww. You recruited your sister for help?”

“And Nannie. They gave me a few ideas and helped me find everything.”

“That was sweet of them.” I took a bite of my food and did a little dance from how good it was. “Whoever cooked this threw down, for real.”

Nyle agreed in between bites. “Hell yeah. It’s seasoned perfectly. I’m not big on seafood, but I could easily put this in rotation.”

“You and me both. So, my parents want to meet you.”

“I’m down. Just let me know when. It’s only right since you’ve met my family, and I already met your brothers.”

“Oh, Daddy wasn’t happy about that.” I playfully rolled my eyes and smirked. “He thought I set it up. I just knew he was ready to get into my ass about it.”

“I feel him. I don’t have kids yet, but if I have a daughter, I know she’s going to be my best friend. I’d want her to come to me before you or AJ, so I’d be salty if she had a boyfriend and I met him after y’all.”

Slowly, I put my plate down and stared at Nyle. “You can picture that with me?”

“And so much more. I’ve told you, Brittish. I see a life with you beyond what I’ve been able to comprehend for years. What? You can’t?”