Page 183 of Love, Rekindled

But all good things come to an end, and she pulls away, shaking her head. “Wait a minute...you bought a house. A beautiful mansion, and you want me to move in with you? Don’t you think that’s moving really fast?”

Oh, dear Calliope. You have no idea how fast I can move.

Without hesitation, or a moment’s fear—and my mind flashing back to the beautiful girl I pushed on the tire swing and told boldly that I loved her—I pull the black velvet ring box out of my pocket.

Calliope’s eyes bug out of her head.

I open it slowly...with a flourish, and I know she’s not only dazzled by the moment but by the size of the diamond nestled inside. Four carats pack a whopping punch.

I sink to one knee, wincing slightly at the bite of concrete through my jeans. “Poppy...I love you so much, and there’s been a lot of bad in my life lately. But finding you again...loving you again...has made everything infinitely better. There’s no life without you in it, permanently by my side. So, please say you’ll marry me, and that you’ll move into this house with me, and that we’ll have kids one day.”

Calliope just stares agog at me, her eyes cutting from me to the ring to the house, then back to me again. “This is so fast,” she mutters.

“No, it’s not,” I say firmly as I move to a standing position and take the ring from the box. I grab her hand, slide it easily onto her appropriate finger, and watch her as she stares down at it. “We’ve known each other for a lifetime. Loved each other for years. Made mistakes, fell apart, and found each other again. No one knows me the way you do, and no one will ever know you half as well as I do. And if there’s anything I’ve learned over the last few weeks, it’s to never live life on the verge of regret. We have nothing to lose. Let’s do this, Poppy.”

She touches the ring with the tips of her fingers, twisting it slightly. Then her head tips up, and she smiles at me. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

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