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“Wow, Ames. This is gorgeous.” He gives me a bright smile, then leans in for a kiss. “Thank you. I can’t wait to wear it. Even if I’m less excited to go back to work and leave my girls at home.”
“I’ll put pictures of us all over your office and send more every day, but honestly, I’m loving this time just the three of us, so I don’t want to think about that right now.”
He chuckles. “Fair enough. Your next present,” he says, tapping the box.
I pick it up. It’s long and thin, and once I have the wrapping paper off, it’s obviously a jewelry box. I flip it open to reveal a beautiful necklace. Though as I look closer, I realize it’s not just a necklace, it’s a locket.
Carefully pulling it from the box, I lift it up and open it, finding two pictures already inside. On one side is a picture of me with my parents when I was about six. On the other is a picture of Miles and me with Emmie when we were still in the hospital after she was born. Tears fall down my cheeks as I look at the pictures side by side. “Thank you,” I whisper. “This is…”
He pulls me closer and kisses my head. “So you’ll always have the people who love you most right by your heart.”
I shake my head, unable to get out the words to thank him for such a thoughtful gift. “I love you,” I whisper.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ames.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day.” We share a tender kiss, then I wipe my eyes and he puts the locket on me. I will proudly wear this every single day.
My heart flutters. Speaking of things to wear. I pick up the final present and hold it out for him, but before I let him take it, I say, “Technically, this is a present for both of us, and it comes with some rules.”
“Rules?”
“Open it first, and then I’ll explain.”
“Okay,” he says, a little uncertain, but mostly intrigued.
My heart pounds as he pulls the paper off, revealing the ring box. He glances at me, then pulls the top off, and his mouth drops open.
Miles
Holy shit.
I’m pretty sure I’m staring at an engagement ring.
Is she proposing to me?
I turn to her with wide eyes, unable to hide my shock and confusion. There’s excitement in there, too, but since she said there was more to explain, I don’t want to get my hopes up or jump to conclusions.
“What is this?”
She swallows and shifts on the couch, turning to face me, and takes my hand. “This—these, there are technically two rings together—is my mother’s wedding ring. Engagement and wedding ring. After her diagnosis, I switched them out for the twenty-fifth anniversary ring my dad had given her. I set this aside, thinking I’d give it to my child one day.” She takes a breath, cheeks heating. “But then my world spun around and everything changed. I realized I didn’t want to save this ring for someone else. I wanted to wear it myself. So…” She squeezes my hand tighter as my heart hammers so hard I can barely think. Barely breathe. “This isn’t me proposing to you. This is me telling you I’m ready. There’s no pressure. You can use this whenever you’re ready.” My eyes light up, and she smiles. “Well, sort of. That’s where the rules come in. There are two. The first is that you can’t use it tonight. And the second is the reason for that… I haven’t gotten a lot of the things I’d hoped for in life. I’ve lost and struggled and given up on many things, but I want this. I want you to propose to me when you’re ready in whatever way I know you’ve dreamed of. I want a cheesy, romantic, heart-melting proposal. Whenever you’re ready.”
She looks at me tentatively, waiting for my response.
Holy shit is still rattling around in my brain, but that is not the correct thing to say right now.
Instead, I close the box, set it on the coffee table, then pounce on her, wrapping her in my arms as I kiss her like there’s no tomorrow. She wants to marry me. My girl is finally ready to truly be mine.
“I fucking love you,” I mutter against her lips. “And I would propose to you tonight, right fucking now, but you deserve more than that. You deserve something incredible. So that’s exactly what you’ll get.” I kiss her again. “When the time is right.”
Resting my head against hers, I look into her eyes. Eyes overflowing with happiness and love.
“I didn’t think I’d have this. God, I love you,” she breathes, cupping her hands around the back of my head and pulling my lips back to hers. She shifts on the couch, shimmying down and pulling me so I’m lying over the top of her as we kiss. I feel like a teenager again, hormones raging and heart racing as we make out on the couch. Except I never did this as a teenager. Sometimes I wonder if I missed out, but mostly I’m grateful she’s the only one I’ve done this with. I had fun with plenty of girls, but the only one I’ve had something real with is her. And that means everything.
I lose myself in our kiss. Time might as well stop because Amelia is the only thing my mind and body register. The way she feels, the way she tastes, the way her tongue twists with mine, the way she moans against my lips.
My senses are filled with her. She hooks one leg around mine and pulls me closer. I’ve never felt more at ease than I am right now. Like I know exactly what her heart is feeling because I feel it too as the beat of hers syncs with mine.
I remember Joel saying that Sarah sometimes asks him to kiss her to sleep. I never understood it before. How could you fall asleep while kissing? But tonight, I understand. I could fall asleep like this because of how happy and relaxed I am right now.
