Page 31 of Going for Three

“I can’t breathe,” I admitted before shooting to my feet.

Somehow, I found the willpower to rush to my spare bedroom. I kept moving until I was standing in front of the sculpture I had done of my belly during this week’s private lesson. I heard Kinga’s feet shuffling across the floor as he followed me. He paused in the doorway.

“Wow. What is this?” he questioned.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the sculpture, but I answered him. “It’s an art gallery filled with my work.”

He gasped. “Can I come in?”

I nodded with a sniffle. “Yeah. Just close the door behind you.”

I heard the lock snap into place as he followed my instructions. The dimly lit room was suddenly injected with the scent of his cologne. I felt his heat move from one side of the room to the other, taking it all in. This was my sacred place, my secret garden where I came to plant and water my seeds.

Moving to the wall, I turned on my sunset lamp that cast a beautiful, orange ombre rainbow across the room.

“You did all of this?” he finally asked, coming closer to my position in front of the sculpture.

I nodded, lifting my head to look around the room. “Yeah. It’s where I come to escape the noise and remember who I really am. You’re the first person I’ve let in here.”

I shuddered when his hand slid across my midsection to anchor me to his defined chest.

“Why me?”

There were so many reasons I could’ve replied with, so I wasn’t in a rush to speak.

“Um… Well, I know you don’t only see me, but you care about me, too. We’re both known for being one way, but when we’re together, the truth is revealed. I see the real you, and you see me, too.” I took a deep breath then released it in a prolonged exhale. “I ran in here because it just all became too real. Becoming a mother is going to change everything, and I don’t know if I can handle it… if I’ll be any good at it…”

Kinga’s lips landed on my neck. When he spoke, his voice tickled my skin. “You’re going to be great at it.”

I swallowed through the wave of emotion bubbling inside of me. “How do you know?”

He came to stand beside me with one arm still on my waist while the other hooked my chin. I was drawn to his genuine gaze filled with admiration and awe. The softness of his usual rugged features made me feel safe and secure. So, the tears I was trying my hardest to hold hostage began to trickle down my cheeks.

“You just said how. Because I see you, Charmony. It’s a gift to see the woman everyone else is too blind to see. I’ve told you before my craving for you isn’t about what you look like. It’s about your heart. You’re a sweetheart with a compassionate and caring soul. You give me a safe place to escape to when my world gets too loud. I will always be grateful for that. So, don’t think I’m just here for the baby because it’s not the truth. I’m here for you, Charmony… all of you.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know how to let you do that because sometimes I don’t even know who I really am.”

He was quick with his rebuttal, filled with conviction. “That’s not true. Look around this room. This is the real you. You know who you are in private, and it’s time you learned how to be her in public too… for you… for our baby… for us…”

I blinked away my tears as each one of his words felt like a bullet of hope being unloaded into my chest.

“Us?” I repeated softly.

He nodded then shocked me when he dropped to his knees.

“Yes… us. I’ve been thinking long and hard about what I want my future to look like. Every time, the same image appears in my mind. I see you sitting courtside with our son or daughter and a big rock on your finger. No one even questions if you’re good because your aura says it all. You’re well taken care of and fiercely loved by me.”

His words sounded and felt like beautiful keystrokes of a piano. I covered my mouth in shock. I couldn’t believe this was happening right now.

“So, it feels like the perfect moment to ask you if you’ll be my wife? And, before you think this is just some spontaneous choice, let me show you it’s not.”

He reached into the pocket of his joggers and pulled out a tiny ring box. I gasped when he flipped it open, exposing a three carat, oval-cut diamond with a hidden halo setting. The band was fourteen karat rose gold with micro pavé diamonds. There was a quiet luxury to the ring that fit me perfectly.

“Oh my God, Kianis!” I shrieked, jumping up and down. “Are you kidding me?”

He shook his head. “I’m really not. I want this, Charmony. I want you. I want our baby. I want to be a family more than I’ve wanted anything else in my life. That’s saying a lot, considering I thought basketball was everything to me, but the last few months have shown me time and time again that it’s you. There’s an inscription inside.”

I silently cried as I watched him pull the ring from the box then place it down beside him. He twisted it so that I could see.Romans 8:28…

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