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Popping the lid, he holds it up to me while he takes my hand. “We’ve talked about the future, but we haven’t talked about getting married… I love you, Charlotte. I fell in love with you eight months ago, and it’s only grown stronger since you came back into my life. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life by your side. Will you be my partner? The mother of my children? My best friend? And most of all, will you marry me and become my wife?”
Tears have been running down my face from the moment he got down on one knee. Sobbing, I whisper, “Yes,” crying even harder when he tugs me into his arms. “I love you.”
I feel him smiling against my neck before he places a tender kiss there. “Let me put your ring on.”
Pushing me down so I’m sitting on the coffee table, he sits opposite. I take the tissues Derek passes me and wipe my tears. At least I can see the beautiful, square cut diamond ring now.
“This,” he pauses, “was the ring my mom wore from the moment my dad proposed to her, until the day we lost her, when she gave it to me.” He pauses, needing a minute. “Apart from my mom, you’re the only woman to have worn it,” he adds, slipping it on my finger. His words tell me more than anything else could about his past relationship with Emma.
“It’s beautiful and you have no idea what it means to me to wear this ring.” I cup his face in my hands and bring him closer, sealing our engagement with a kiss.
“It’s set on platinum and it looks perfect on your finger.”
“I’d have to agree,” Derek adds.
I glance at him and notice the tears on his face. Leaving Tanner, I wrap myself around his dad. “I hope you know that I love your son so much and I’ll always treasure this ring so that one day I can pass it on to your grandchild.”
He pats me on the back. “Now don’t go saying things like that, otherwise, I’m going to be embarrassing myself in front of your family.”
I frown. “My family?”
He nods and holds up a small tablet device. “Thought they’d want to witness your engagement.”
My mouth drops as I take in the image on the tablet. Sitting in the frame are my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even grandpa’s old dog, Rufus. Not a dry eye in the house.
Tanner wraps an arm around my midriff, pulling me back against him. Smiling, I turn my face up to his and grin against his lips as he claims mine in a sweet kiss. “I love you,” he breathes against my lips. “Talk to your mom,” he urges.
“Stay with me.” I grip his hand and accept the table Derek passes to me.
“I’ll go and find us something to celebrate with.”
Taking the tablet from my hands, Tanner greets my parents, bringing me straight in on the conversation. “She’s one in a million,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
“I’m glad you realize that,” Dad answers. “We’ll talk when you arrive in a few days.”
I roll my eyes, laughing, “Leave him alone, Dad. It’s taken us eight months to finally be together, I don’t want you scaring him off.”
“I’ll talk to your dad, Charlotte.” Tanner briefly tightens his arms around my stomach. “I love you, nothing will scare me off. I promise.”
Dad’s lips twitch at Tanner’s declaration and I smile as mom reaches up and slaps a big wet kiss on Dad’s mouth.
“Oh God! Mom, stop mauling dad in front of us,” my brother Joshua groans.
Mom smirks. “I can’t wait for your brother to find the woman,” she says to me. “Your dad is still as handsome as he was the day I met him,” she adds softly, reminiscing.
Dad holds her in the same way that Tanner holds me, and he looks at her as though she’s his world. She is, but it always makes me happy to see them like this.
“Are you happy, honey?” Mom asks.
“I’ve only been existing these months that we’ve been apart, so yes, I’m happy. I’m happier than I ever remember being. He’s my soul mate, Mom. I need him to breathe.”
Tanner sighs heavily into my neck, kissing a tender spot, he stills though when Mom asks, “What’s on your forehead?”
Before I can answer, Tanner admits, “It was my fault.”
“It was an accident.” I give him a brief kiss on the lips before turning back to my parents. “I saw Tanner arrive home, so I got up and went to the door. Except, before I could open it for him, he opened it, not realizing I was behind it.” I touch the bump. “I’m fine, but exhausted with Tanner insisting he’s at fault. It was an accident and it’s never going to be mentioned again.”
“Stubborn just like her mother,” Dad mutters, and gets a gentle elbow in his side for his trouble. “I wouldn’t be without her though.” He grins.
