AllFreeNovel
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“No take-backs.”
“I love you, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” She smacks her lips on his and he loses balance and they both fall to the ground.
“I promise I’ll give you a great life.” He tucks her hair behind her ear.
“You’ve given me everything I could ever want.”
He looks at her quizzically.
“You gave me your heart and two healthy babies. That’s enough for me,” she says.
He places his hands on her cheeks and kisses her until I clear my throat.
“Marla and my dad are babysitting tonight, so I plan to show you exactly what your future will be—orgasm style.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Babies! You guys already have two,” I holler, not sure why they think people can’t hear them. “And one is fussy.”
Fisher gets up on his feet and holds his hand out for Allie.
“You got all that?” Fisher asks Noah.
“Yeah.” Noah smiles. “Congratulations.”
“Let me see!” I practically run over to Allie. “Wait until everyone finds out I got to see Fisher propose. They’re going to be so jealous.” I take Allie’s hand so I can see the ring. “This was your mom’s?” I ask Fisher while admiring the ring. I’ve never seen one like it before.
“Yeah.”
“What?” Allie asks quietly, her emotions obviously choking her.
Fisher gets Laurie out of the carrier. She’s started squawking her displeasure. “We all picked an item of jewelry from my mom’s collection to pass on to our significant other someday. I picked that ring a long time ago.” He walks over to Allie with Laurie in his arms.
“But you said…”
“Weird, right? When I went over to get it from Dad today… I didn’t even remember exactly what it looked like, but it’s perfect for you. Like it was destiny or something.”
I want to ask if someone has taken over Fisher’s body. Is this what love does to someone? Makes them believe in destiny and fate and rescuing hearts?
Allie nods and more tears spill from her eyes. “It is.”
“I guess my younger self knew something I didn’t.” He kisses her temple. “Let’s get these family photos over with so we can get a room.”
“Deal.” She kisses him and grabs Axel.
Noah apologizes the entire time he’s taking their pictures, but watching him work—the way his finger clicks, the perfection as he maneuvers the lens, walking around them, squatting, standing on a bench—you just know he’s seeing things behind that lens that others wouldn’t, which makes him a genius.
Once they’re finished, I say goodbye to everyone and walk back up to the inn. Noah jogs to catch up to me.
“Love, huh?”
I side-glance him. “I never thought I’d see Fisher fall so far, so fast, but it’s nice.”
He nods, swinging his bag up his shoulder. “I can see how if someone was a wedding photographer, they’d really believe in love.”
“Do you not?”
He shrugs. “There’s no reason for me not to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, my parents are still married. My grandparents were married until my grandpa passed. There’s no deep dark reason to why I wouldn’t. But would I ever find someone who would make me want to give up my career?” He shrugs again. “Seems impossible.”
“Isn’t true love supposed to help you reach your dreams?” That’s what I would want.
“How could she do that when I’m barely around? And what kind of true love am I if I ask her to drop her own life to follow me?”
I nod, understanding exactly what he’s saying. If someone asked me to give up my inn because their life was somewhere else, I’m not sure love would be enough for me to do it either.
After all, unlike Noah, I did witness a love disintegrate and crumble under lies and deceit. I watched my mother give up all her dreams for love and try to reinvent herself years later after the ugly side of love had reared its head.
