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I scooped Anabelle from her arms, the precious little girl so small against my chest. I kissed her on the forehead as we left the office, making our way to the nursery. As we walked, I found myself glancing down at Ana over and over, noting the kiss of olive to her skin, along with her chocolate-colored hair. George, with his light hair and striking blue eyes, was taking after me. Ana, on the other hand, was all Emily.
After placing Ana in her nursery, we made our way over to George’s room across the way. Pearl was there, standing over George and brushing his blonde hair from his eyes.
“Sleeping well?” I asked.
Pearl turned her attention from George. “Just got him down for his nap. I swear, this kid would run around and play all day if he could.”
“That kind of energy’s going to serve him well.”
Emily and I stepped over to George. Even at a little over three, I could tell he was going to be a handsome young man. He opened his eyes sleepily, his blues radiant.
“Daddy?” he asked. “Can we go to the beach?”
I smiled. “Go to sleep, bud. We’ll talk about it when you get up. Love you, OK?”
“Love you too.”
Emily leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. By the time she stood back up, George was already out.
“I’ll finish up,” Pearl said.
“Thanks,” I whispered before the two of us took our leave.
Once we were out of the room, the task at hand, the issue that had been at the back of my mind for weeks, once again came to the forefront.
“Mind coming with me?” I asked Emily.
“Uh oh,” she said. “Am I in trouble?”
“Not at all. Come on.”
I took her hand, leading her into the master bedroom, and then out onto the balcony. The view was as striking as ever, the garden below us, the beach in the distance, the sun setting to the west. It was the perfect moment for what I had in mind.
Down below in the garden, Marianne was in the middle of painting a portrait of Roberto. We waved to them both, and they waved back. The two had been attached at the hip over the last week, with Marianne— the talk of the New York art world—wanting to finish her portrait of him for her next show before Roberto left in a couple of days to spend a month with his family.
“What’s up, babe?” Emily asked.
I took a deep breath, ready to begin.
“I’m not one for speeches,” I said. “Never have been. And more than that, I believe that the life we’ve shared together over the last few years has stood as more of a monument of our love than anything I could say. But there’s something missing. I think you know what it is.”
I reached into my back pocket, taking out the small, velvet box that I’d had in there. I popped it open, revealing the ring inside. She gasped at the sight of it, putting her hands over her mouth.
“I love you, Emily. I love you and I want you to be my wife.”
Tears formed in her eyes.
“I love you, too. And you’re damn right I’m going to be your wife.”
She threw her arms around me, kissing me hard as I slipped the ring on her finger. Once it was on, she yelled down forMarianne and Roberto’s attention, pointing to the ring on her finger.
“You better believe I’m telling Pearl!” Marianne shouted, her and Roberto rushing inside to come congratulate us.
“Looks like we’re going to have some company,” I said.
“Good.” Emily smiled. “We’ve got a lot to celebrate.”
“And even more to look forward to.”
The End
