Page 102 of Champagne Nights

“So this is why you canceled our plans with Charles and Lexi.” I placed my hand on his cheek.

“Do you forgive me?”

“I do forgive you, Mr. Klein.” My lips brushed against his.

Central Park was a blanket of white and truly a sight that I would never take for granted, from the covered pathways to the snow-topped trees and the lightly snow-covered street lamps that glistened from afar. I held on to Ethan tight as he wrapped his arm around me, taking in the beautiful scenery that could easily be a picture on a Christmas card. I was so happy and so in love with him, and tonight was the perfect date night. He took something he knew excited me and turned it into something I would never forget.

The carriage stopped when we approached Shakespeare Garden, and Ethan climbed out. Holding his hand out to me, I placed mine in his, and we began to take a stroll.

“I thought maybe you’d like to see Shakespeare Garden covered in snow.” He smiled.

“It’s so pretty, Ethan. Thank you for doing this for me.” I laid my head on his shoulder.

“You’re welcome. I’d do anything for you.” His lips pressed against my head.

We approached the area where we used to sit every Saturday morning before it got too cold to come anymore, and Ethan took his glove-covered hand and wiped away the snow from a bench.

“Have a seat,” he spoke.

As soon as I sat down, he took hold of both my hands and got down on his knees.

“Aubrey, I just wanted to tell you that I love you so much and couldn’t imagine my life without you. You have taken me to a whole new level of living. My world was so dark before I met you, and you drove that darkness away with one smile. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, both inside and out. I’m a changed man because of you, and I’m who I’m supposed to be. I’m the man who is going to love you for the rest of your life. Will you marry me, Aubrey?” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small blue velvet box, opened the lid, and held up the most beautiful diamond ring I’d ever imagined.

My hand flew to my mouth in shock as my heart pounded out of my chest.

“Yes! Yes, Ethan. I will marry you.” My eyes filled with tears.

With a smile, he placed the ring on my finger and brought it up to his lips, then picked me up from the bench, kissed my mouth, and swung me around.

“Do you know how happy you’ve made me?” he asked with excitement.

“I hope as happy as you’ve made me.”

“I love you so much, Aubrey, and I promise to love you forever.”

“And I promise to love you forever, Ethan.”

Our lips locked tightly together as we stood under the light snow that trickled down from the sky and gently landed on us, and our first passionate kiss as an engaged couple would never be forgotten.

Ethan

Aubrey and I were married seven months later in Central Park. She was a stunning bride, and I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my entire life. She lit up my world so brightly and gave me the most precious gift of all: her love.

Shortly after we were married, we opened up a school in Manhattan called Klein School for the Blind. It was divided into two sections. One section was for children and their education, and the other was for people who had lost their sight at a later age and needed help learning how to live their daily lives as a visually impaired person. With the help of my astounding tech team, we continued to develop new technology to make the lives of those who couldn’t see easier and the world a better place to live.

Aubrey, my company, and the school were everything I needed in life. Or so I thought until the day she told me that I was going to be a father and later when I held my daughter in my arms for the first time. She was the spitting image of her mother, right down to her cute little button nose. They were my existence, and I thanked God every day for putting me in Aubrey’s path. If it weren’t for her, I would still be a lost soul in a dark world, living a life with no meaning.

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