AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I have never seen so many flowers in my life.
We walk in a relaxed silence and come around the huge fount
ain in front of the Portico that leads to the actual palace. It’s a beautiful building made of pink marble and grey dappled stone.
Simon lets me go as we step on black and white tiled Portico, when suddenly I hear the strains of my favorite piece of classical music, “The Girl with Flaxen Hair.”
I turn around to share my excitement with Simon, but I find myself alone.
For fuck’s sake!
Did he keep walking and not notice I’d stopped? So much for slowing down. I sigh and start toward the open doors at the side of this amazing portico. I notice the music grows louder as I walk.
I step onto the parquet floored room and see a trail of rose petals on the floor. I gasp and look around, desperate for Simon to see this.
Have we walked into someone else’s private event?
“Simon?” I call out, starting to feel anxious. I see the trail of flowers extends all the way down the long portrait lined hall.
I get no response and decide to follow the trail of rose petals.
The music grows even louder, and I am now sure I’ve stumbled into someone’s event. I pull my phone out of my pocket to call Simon and see where the hell he has disappeared to. There is no reception.
“Shit,” I grumble to myself. The rose petals lead me into a room, the source of the music. I recognize the room as the famous room of mirrors that was once part of the Empresses apartments.
Right now, the room is occupied by a string quartet. And sitting in one of those famous blue and white silk chairs is a grinning Simon.
I step toward him as he stands up, his grin growing even wider with every step I take.
Not wanting to interrupt the quartet, I wait until I get closer to him before I hiss, “Why did you run off? I looked up and you were gone.” He kisses me, but doesn’t say a word.
“What is going on?”
Still nothing, but he pushes me into one of the chairs while he remains standing just as the quartet finishes the final strains of the song.
“That was your favorite song, right?”
“Yes, but—” I’m confused and my answer is hesitant.
“This is your favorite city, right?”
“Yes, it is.” The gleam in his eyes is making me feel even more nervous than I was before.
“Roses are your favorite flower, aren’t they?”
I can only nod. My throat is tight with emotions as I realize what he is saying. I clear it to ask him, “Did you do all of this for me?”
He nods, and his smile grows even wider.
“Why?” I croak.
And this is when my mother, sisters, nephew, Henry, Kyle, Cara, and Louis all file into the room. They are all smiling at me, and I think I am going to have a stroke.
“What’s going on?” I look back at Simon, and he drops to one knee in front of me.
I gasp, tears pricking my eyes as he grasps my hand and presses a kiss to it. Then he starts to talk.
“Addie, before I met you, I didn’t even know people like you existed. Your heart is boundless in its capacity to love. You are so brave, and you’ve made me want to take chances and have hope.”
