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“I did. If I’m being honest, I couldn’t understand you back then, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, of all the guys you could’ve been with, you chose to spend your time with me.”
“Because I liked you,” she admits.
“Why?”
She glances across the table at her parents and asks discreetly, “Are you sure you want to talk about this right now?”
“Yes. I’ve decided we should no longer hide our feelings for each other. We’ve done that in the past and look where that got us.”
“You’re right,” she agrees. “In answer to your question, there was just something about you that spoke to me, and I always loved that feeling. I woke up every morning thinking about you and went to bed at night with you on my mind. That’s just the way it was for me.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“Because every ounce of available time I had, I spent with you. I just assumed that you knew.”
“Even the time you didn’t have, you spent with me. Remember when I crashed your backyard sleepover?”
Her mother laughs. “I remember that.”
“Do you remember, Tessie? All your girlfriends were telling you to send me home and you wouldn’t. You let me sleep in your tent.”
She smiles. “Sure did. You were my pillow that night.”
“More like a full body pillow,” I say, correcting her. “You slept on top of me.”
She nods. “I did.”
“And I held you all night,” I say, locking eyes with her.
“I always felt safe with you,” she admits.
“Likewise. That’s why it hurt me so much when you went away.”
We hold each other’s gazes after this trip down memory lane.
Amos clears his throat and says, “Well, you’ve found each other now. Make the most of it.”
“I intend to, Amos. In fact, since you brought it up, I would like your blessing—yours as well, Sylvie.”
“Blessing for what exactly?” Amos asks.
“Now that I have Quintessa, I’m never going to lose her again. One of the reasons I insisted on coming here tonight is to ask you both for permission to make Quintessa my wife.”
Quintessa gasps and covers her face with her hands. I don’t need their blessing to make her mine, but I would like it very much.
Sylvie is near tears herself as she reaches across the table, trying to reach Quintessa.
Amos says, “You had my blessing from the start, Essex. Just be good to her because she loves you.”
“I know. I love her just as much, and I give you my word I’ll be good to her.”
With that, I get up, take the velvet box out of my pocket and get down on one knee on the floor next to Quintessa. She’s still sobbing and hiding her face.
I say, “Tessie, look at me.”
