Page 39 of Two Hearts Reunited

She laughed, transferring the roast beef neatly onto a tray and covering it up, leaving the remains in the pan on the stove.

“Okay. We’re good to go for gravy in about an hour,” she said, washing her hands in the sink and drying them on a paper towel. “Let me get your gift too. It’s there in a bag on the kitchen table.”

“Open mine first,” he said softly, handing her the gift bag.

She peeked inside, reaching into the bag and pulling out the wrapped box inside. “It’s from the gift shop at the Inn?”

He smiled. “It is.”

She carefully unwrapped the box, folding the paper back up and putting it inside the bag.

Inhaling a deep breath, she opened the box.

Tears filled her eyes when she looked up at him. “Is this a mystic topaz?”

“It is,” he replied.

“You remembered,” she huffed out softly.

“Here. Let me have that,” he said, gently tugging the ring from the box, and reaching for her left hand.

Tears were running down her face.

“I know it’s too soon to ask serious questions. We need to get to know each other again. But…” When he slipped the ring over her finger, it was a perfect fit. “Even when I’m not here with you, I’ll still be with you. Alright? I don’t know how we’ll manage when I return to Afghanistan.”

“If other women are brave enough to get through it, Eric, I can too,” she said gently in an unsteady voice. “This ring is so beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.”

He tugged her into his arms for a moment, kissing her sweetly.

“Now, you need to open mine before your parents arrive,” she said, reaching for a package on the table and handing it over. “Here.”

When he unwrapped the package, he was surprised to see the picture that had been taken of the two of them at Christmas, years ago. She’d had the silver frame engraved with their names along with the year the photo had been taken.

“How did you manage to get it engraved so quickly?” he asked, definitely emotional.

“I have my sources here in town,” she answered, obviously pleased by his response.

“I should show you something,” he said, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.

He gazed into her eyes when he brought out the well-worn photo that he’d been carrying with him since high school.

“Oh, Eric,” she said, staring at it in disbelief. “You’ve had that same old picture all this time?”

“I have. I take it everywhere I go,” he admitted, searching her eyes.

Stepping into his arms, she clung to him, and Eric just stood there, holding her.

Until he heard honking outside in the driveway.

Kissing her mouth, he gently disentangled himself, reaching for her hand.

When his mom walked into the kitchen, she did a double take when she saw Anya.

“Anya?”Mom smiled widely as she approached, tugging her into her arms. “I’m so glad to see that you’re home where you belong.”

Eric realized that his mom couldn’t have said anything better to put Anya at ease.

Chapter Twenty

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