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Second chances are rare, so when you get them, holding on is pretty much the only option. It’s the opening of the newly renovated Rothwell Gallery which now extends over half a block. We’ve signed some upcoming international artists and Lucia has been discovering many new, talented young artists in our own town. When I purchased the gallery, I made her my partner, and it worked out fantastically.
Pacing in front of my display, my eyes rest on my newest piece.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor, man.” Dylan groans, snatching a champagne flute from a passing waitress. “Just relax.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t the one whose future is hanging in the balance.”
He laughs, “Bro, you are such a pussy sometimes.
I glare at him, but my attention quickly drifts to the front of the gallery where the double doors are being held open. My heart thuds in my chest at the sight of her in a red cocktail dress. One I painstakingly chose for just this occasion. She laughs at something Marcella says and when our eyes meet her smile widens.
Every time Ash smiles at me, it feels like everything is alright in the world.
I meet the ladies halfway, pulling Ash into my arms. “You look exquisite.”
She tips her head, and I cover her mouth with mine, kissing her with all the love and desire consuming me. The fact that she was here, still mine, was something I would never take for granted. I have spent every fucking day trying to prove to her that she was right to forgive me, and I intend to continue proving it to her every single day. She hasn’t run for the hills, instead, she’s been at my side, my anchor, my safe place.
“Alright lovebirds, we have a gallery to open,” Marcella says from behind us. I turn to my sister with a playful smirk.
Marcella and I have gotten closer. In a turn of events, she’s now running our father’s company with an iron fist. It’s in her blood. She and Ash are so young in the business world, but even fresh out of college they’re already making strides. I couldn’t be prouder.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Lucia announces. “We want to thank you for being here tonight for the opening of the new Rothwell Gallery. The evening as you’ll discover is full of surprises. Before we begin the formalities, I believe our owner and artist extraordinaire has an announcement to make.”
Ash grins at me, and I place a quick kiss on her lips. “I love you,” I whisper before stepping onto a smaller podium next to my newest piece.
I clear my throat, my eyes on the woman I have come to love more than my own life.
“My art has always been an extension of myself. I’ve expressed in it, everything from heartache to hope, and this piece is no different.”
Lucia presses a button on a remote and the curtain covering my painting lifts slowly. It’s a depiction of a woman standing in front of a painting in a gallery much like the one we’re in. The scene is painted in black and white, save for her crimson dress. A man is on bended knee in front of her, a blue velvet box in his hand.
Ash’s gasp is audible when she looks down at me. “That is me…that’s us.” Tears fill her eyes.
I remove the ring from the box. “Asher Hawthorne. You continue to bring color to my once bleak existence. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I promise to keep doing it every day. I love you. I will always love you. Will you marry me?”
She covers her mouth, tears streaming down her face. “Yes. Yes. Of course, I will.”
After slipping the oval diamond on her finger, I stand, scooping her up and spinning her around.
“This is it, baby girl. This is forever,” I say, kissing her lips.
Asher Hawthorne burrowed her way into my soul the day we met, and I am forever hers.
THE END
