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“Because,” Brennon said, leaning closer and putting his left hand up at the side of Katy’s face, “I get to come to you everyday now. And I love that. I love the way you’ve not only changed me, but what you’ve done to my apartment.”
“Oh, please.” Katy rolled her eyes. “I haven’t done anything to your place.”
“The pink flowers in the bathroom.” Brennon noticed Katy look away like a caught, guilty little girl. “But that’s okay. I used to hate pink, but not now. Anyway, this stuff has been on my mind all day...all week really. I think your family is starting to change how they feel about it. And mine too. I told you my dad wants to take us out to eat, but I don’t know if I’m ready for all that just yet to be honest.”
Katy laughed.
Brennon leaned in and kissed Katy passionately. They stared into one another’s for a few long, sweet seconds before Brennon grabbed Katy by the hand and pulled her on down the trail.
“So, how far down this trail are we going, Brennon?” Katy asked, smiling. “If a snow drift blows up and buries us in snow, how are going to get out?”
“As long as I’m buried with you, Katy, I don’t really care,” Brennon said.
“Oh, so I guess you’re turning into the modern-day Shakespeare with some of this stuff you’re saying now,” Katy said. “That was cleaver too. I give you that.”
Brennon chuckled. The trail continued winding down the slope. A few minutes later, Brennon and Katy came to where it dead-ended, which was at the bank of the river. Brennon smiled as Katy pulled away and stepped up to where the water barely swished up onto the icy bank and touched the tips of her shoes. The moon, slightly to the right of where they stood, rested directly above the bend in the river. Katy smiled.
“This view is so beautiful, Brennon,” Katy said. “I’ve never been to this part.”
“Yeah, I thought I would bring you here at night,” Brennon said. He then pointed toward a makeshift trail that disappeared into the darkness of the woods. “We used to go up that trail to a little clearing and grill and just hang out… me and my friends when we were teenagers.”
Katy nodded. “Sounds fun. I wish I did stuff like that when I was a teen.”
“Yeah,” Brennon said.
A strong breeze whipped through the woods. The naked trees swayed side to side; the sound of howling wind soon followed. Katy turned her back to the wind then buried her face the collar of her coat before leaning in closer to Brennon. Brennon graciously reciprocated, wrapping his arm around Katy’s back and pulling her close to him as he smiled.
“Okay, I was doing okay until the wind blew,” Katy said, chuckling. Finally, she could turn back around. Again, she stepped up to the edge of the bank. The presumably ice-cold water rushed up over the muddy rocks. This moment felt so surreal in so many ways – in the snowy woods, down at the edge of the river; downtown on the other side. Katy would’ve never in a million years imagined herself being out here, especially at this time of night.
“Okay, well, I’ll get to the real reason I brought you out here, then, Katy,” Brennon said, reaching into his coat’s inside pocket.
Katy abruptly turned her head and had opened her mouth to say something. Before she could force any words out, Brennon had pulled his arm out of the inside of his coat. In his hand was a small black box – a ring box. Snow flurries fell from the sky; a slight breeze pushed snow off of the bare branches reaching out over them. Moonlight managed to penetrate the arriving clouds enough to reflect on the river. Katy lifted her right hand and covered her mouth in disbelief.
“Brennon?” Katy said. “You’re not, are you? Brennon, what are you doing?”
Brennon smiled, holding the ring box in his hand and looking into Katy’s eyes. He then bent one knee and knelt down as best he could without pressing his knee into the snow mud under he and Katy. “Katy, I thought I would bring you out here to ask you something.”
Katy nodded and wiped her tearing eyes. This was so unexpected – so unreal. “Yes, Brennon? Yes?”
Brennon chuckled, picking up on just how excited Katy was. It only made him smile harder. “Well, first, let me say that this is what I went and met with your father for breakfast this morning. To ask for his blessing in having his daughter’s hand in marriage. He gave his blessing, Katy.”
Katy nodded. She was now on the verge of breaking down in tears. Hearing that her father had finally come around and put his feelings aside for the sake of his daughter’s love evoked an emotion so strong inside of her that she hadn’t even noticed the wind blowing once again. Her anxious face was enough for Brennon to go on without her saying anything.
“Katy, I thought I had loved before,” Brennon said. “And maybe I did...maybe. But, I’m here tonight, on the river, in the snow with you. And I can honestly tell you that you are the love of my life. I know what people might think about you and I having a relationship, but maybe there’s some reason for that.” He cleared his throat and opened the box, pulling the ring out. “Katy, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
At this point, Katy’s eyes watered so heavily anything outside of her peripheral was a snowy blur. At a loss for words, for many reasons, she nodded her head anxiously. She then extended her left hand and allowed Brennon to slide the ring onto her hand. “Yes, Brennon! Yes! I will marry you.”
Brennon slid the ring onto Katy’s hand then stood up. Strong passion forced them upon one another. There, they kissed. Katy imagined her life as Brennon’s wife; Brennon was already looking forward to coming home for the rest of his life, every day to a woman who had changed him in so many ways. The snow picked up, now accumulating at their feet. A heavy cloud had moved out of the way just enough for the moonlight to shine down on the river's bank. When Katy and Brennon parted lips, they looked into one another eyes then hugged one another, Katy’s head resting on Brennon’s shoulder. They both looked toward the skyline.
“I love you, Katy,” Brennon said.
One last tear strolled down the side of her face as he eyes fixed on the high rises. “I love you too, Brennon.”
Chapter 15
“Okay, let’s not overdo that,” Linda insisted. “Seriously, let’s not overdo the mascara. I don’t want my daughter looking like something from the Adams family on her wedding day. Let’s be careful and stick to the colors and tones we already have go
ing.”
