Page 37 of Rekindled

We didn't quite put a name to what we had going on. We just knew we were committed to reconnecting to each other, that we wanted each other, and would make it a priority to be around as much as we could be. The rest of winter and all of spring and summer was much of the same thing. I invited her out to Maldives for a week, and we spent the time creating fresh memories on the private beach, surfing, snorkeling, and making love beneath the moonlight. Each time I was in Maven's presence, everything seemed like a dream. I centered my thoughts on her as we made the most of our time together. Whenever I returned to work after our getaways, I felt more refreshed and renewed.

My mother would ask me every day how Maven was doing and when she would see Maven again after the three of us vacationed at a bed-and-breakfast in Savannah, Georgia, over the summer.

I was feeling right at home at the Thanksgiving dinner table in Pennsylvania, surrounded by Maven's parents and extended family in late November.

By early December, I just knew what I needed to do.

An hour later, just as I was plating the prime rib, potatoes, and asparagus, Maven stepped out of the room wearing only an oversized tee, her hair up in a donut bun, thick tendrils framing her golden brown cheeks. She smiled as she stretched her arms high above her head.

"That was such a good nap." She moaned as she made her way over to me. "Did you get any sleep?"

I shook my head, turning to face her and pulling her into an embrace. I kissed her forehead then told her, "I wanted to make a little something for us to eat instead."

Maven balanced herself on the arches of her feet and gave me a kiss on the lips. She lowered her gaze to the food and inhaled the surrounding air. "It smells amazing in here."

"Only the best for you, you know that." I gestured with my head. "Grab the wine glasses on the island and follow me."

I led the way to the dining room and heard when she gasped at the simple set up.

"Aw," she cooed behind me. "Dinner by candlelight?"

I smiled to myself as I placed my plate down in front of my seat and did the same with hers.

"You didn't have to do all this, Kai," Maven insisted. I pulled out her chair, and she took a seat. "You know I would have been fine with some fried chicken and a biscuit in front of the fireplace, right?"

I chuckled to myself and she giggled.

"I'm serious!" She peered down at the plate, inhaled the steam streaming from the food. She licked her lips and looked up at me. "This looks exceptional."

"Well, I hope you enjoy it," I told her, taking a seat beside her.

She leaned in close to me and pressed her lips to mine. "I know I will."

As we worked on our meals while sipping red wine, we caught each other up on all that went down in business during the past weeks. Really, all of that was a distraction and a way to calm my nerves. Since getting back together, work was a focus and would always be a focus, but I was flexible these days. The joy I got from being in Maven's presence was unmatched. And for once, I was eager to put more than a name to our thing.

She moaned as she took the last bite of her prime rib, dotting the corners of her lips with her napkin. "Kai, baby, you did that. This meal was so good." Maven leaned into me and gave me a big hug. "My man can cook."

"Yeah," I replied, cleaning my mouth and turning to face her. "Your future husband knows his way around the kitchen."

She jerked her head back, then tilted her head to one side. "My... my what?"

I pushed my chair back, the legs gliding effortlessly against the wood floor. Her eyes followed me as I rose from my seat, moved my chair to the side and lowered down on one knee.

I watched as she took a breath when I dipped my hand into my jeans pocket and pulled out a tiny blue box.

"Oh my God." She clapped a hand to her mouth to cover. "Kai."

I wrapped my fingers around her left wrist and placed her hand into mine. "I would be an absolute fool to let another year go past without solidifying this beautiful thing we've cultivated."

She stuttered her inhale as she tried her hardest to gain her composure in front of me.

"When we reconnected last year in this very place, we without discussing it, didn't do it with labels. We just were. And although I love what we have and what we had in the past, I need more."

She pressed her free hand to the side of my face. "Are you sure you want this?"

I stared up into her eyes.

"Like,reallywant this?"

---