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“You want to know, but we are not going to tell you. You have to just wait and see.” I love the mischievous glint in his eye when he says it, but I don’t like surprises. It makes me nervous not knowing what is happening, but Lance isn’t normally full of them. The fact that he planned a surprise is a surprise.
“I need you to tell me,” I say, excited and nervous about where we might be going. “Please tell me. I don’t like surprises.”
“You will like this one,” he says. “I hope.” That doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I can’t sit still as I try to work out where exactly we are going. Lance is driving towards the big casinos of the strip—not somewhere he would usually take Nova. I want to ask again where we are going, but I doubt he has changed his mind about telling me.
We pass the fountains at the Bellagio. They never get old. I could watch the water for ages and still be enthralled every time. As we pass them, Lance turns into the main entrance of the casino. I look at him, but he is focused on driving, not giving me even a hint of what we might be doing here. He stops at the valet and gives me a smile. “Come on,” the door opens, and I climb out. Feeling very self-conscious, I am dressed for soccer practice, not the Bellagio—this is awkward. But Lance is also in casual clothes, so I tell myself it’s okay. Lance takes my hand and Nova holds his other hand as we enter through the main lobby doors.
“Mr. Cole,” a man in Bellagio uniform greets him as we enter, “We are all ready for you. Welcome.” This is some elaborate surprise. I can see people looking at us and the fact I am underdressed is even worse inside. When he looks at me, his smile is nervous, and he seems a bit shaky—which isn’t like him. He isn’t acting like him at all today really.
We follow the gentleman in uniform past the lobby, and through the people who are milling around in it, and those in and out of the high end shops that are dotted around.
“We hope you are happy with everything,” the man says at the doors to the conservatory. “Everything is ready and waiting, and there are staff inside to help if you need anything at all.” I am still in the dark about what is happening here, but Nova is just about wiggling out of his own skin with excitement, so it is obviously going to be something fun. The big double doors open, and we step inside a magical world of flowers and plants. The sky-high glass ceiling and colors are magical, and I am about to burst, looking up, that I don’t even notice what is in front of us as we walk into the center of the gardens. This must be what it was like for Alice in Wonderland with those giant flowers towering over her.
“Sienna,” Lance says, getting me back from my daydream. Shaking off my imagination, I quickly realize he is not holding my hand anymore. “I love you.” We are under a gazebo of flowers, and there’s a table set with extravagant decor behind him, and as I take it all in, he gets down on one knee.
“Lance,” I whisper, my hands covering my face to hide the shock, surprise, and threatening tears. “What are you doing?”
“He’s asking you to marry him,” Nova says obviously having known and had to hold this secret in. I look down into those deep blue eyes, and I already know I am going to say yes—if I can just get my brain to tell my mouth to talk.
“Sienna, I love you,” Lance says. “We love you, and I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” I have been struggling to imagine mine without them too. “Will you marry me, please? Come with us to New York, be a family with Nova and me.” I am nodding my head, wiping the happy tears off my cheeks. I want that—I want Lance—forever.
“Yes,” I say eventually, and he slips the most gorgeous ring onto my finger before he gets up and wraps me in his arms. Where I belong, it feels so safe and so right. I love him. So much. Lance kisses me. I am spinning in a whirlwind of colors and flowers and exploding joy. There’s no need for fireworks.
“Yassssss.” Nova’s happy little voice and his arms wrapped around the middle of the two of us only make it even better. My heart is full—no matter what happens or where we end up, I know that Lance and Nova are mine. There was a reason they chose me, and even if it broke all the rules when we fell in love.
“She said yes,” Lance says. “You said yes.”
“Of course, I said yes, I love you—both of you.” There was no chance I would say no. I love him, and I would move anywhere for him. New York or a new planet. “I can’t believe you let me come here in soccer clothes though,” I joke, “I hope there are no photos.” He laughs and I know there’s a camera hidden in here somewhere.
Lance holds my hand and leads me to the table, where there’s a bottle of champagne for us, and kiddies bubbly for Nova. The lights in the conservatory dim, and fairy lights light up the gazebo as we are served the most decadent dinner. “If I had told you to change, you would have gotten suspicious. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“It certainly was a surprise. I had no idea.” I truly was not expecting this. It’s all very romantic for Lance. We hadn’t even spoken about what would happen when they moved or mentioned marriage—I have to call my mom and tell them. I know she will be happy for me, and really sad that I am leaving Vegas. But I want to go. I am as excited as Lance to start fresh, together in a new place.
“Andie is coming to get Nova after dinner, and we are staying here tonight,” he says with a very sexy wink. “I had a few people keeping this secret.” I had no idea. None of them let anything slip, not even a suspicion.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I whisper, and Lance takes my hand in his.
“It’s real. You are the most real, amazing thing that ever happened to me in my life.” I am in a fairytale. This is pure magic.
