Page 94 of Capacity
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” I stood and motioned for Coco and Andrew to hurry up.
“I want to see your face here in front of me in twenty minutes, Lumi Foster.”
“Yes sir,” I laughed.
“I’ll turn that into a yes Daddy later on,” his voice was low and gruff. It made my knees turn to mush.
…
We all arrived at Knight’s place in twenty-five minutes and when I walked in, it sounded like the party was already going. I hugged my mother coming in the door and found Terrance in the kitchen quietly laughing and talking to the tiniest, most adorable girl I’d ever seen.
“Hey, T,” I grinned making my way to him. He stretched out his long arms for a hug then pulled back to look at me. I heard we have a lot to celebrate,” he said.
“Any day I’m above ground is a day to celebrate,” I told him. I flicked my eyes to the girl stuck to his side then back at him. “So um…wanna introduce me to your…”
“Daughter. Lumi, this is my daughter, Rivia.” My eyes grew wide and I nodded quickly. I was so glad I didn’t go with my first assumption. I’d heard Terrance talk about his newfound daughter, Rivia but I hadn’t met her yet. I don’t know what I was expecting but the woman in Knight’s kitchen wasn’t it.
I knew she was twenty-one but in person, Rivia looked like a teenager with big doe eyes and a dusting of copper freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was gorgeous. She clung to Terrance like she was afraid he’d vanish any minute if she moved from his side.
“Oh my goodness! Rivia, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” I swallowed my embarrassment and gave her a warm hug. “You have such a beautiful name.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes lit up in response.
“Hey, I see you met Rivia,” Knight said from behind me.
“Yeah, I was just telling her how beautiful her name is.”
I noticed her burrow deeper into Terrance’s side while I spoke to Knight. He tugged on my hand and I excused myself so we could go into the living room. “Why didn’t you tell me she was here? I thought she was Terrance’s…” I swept my gaze around the living room full of our family and friends and lowered my voice. “I thought she was his girlfriend.”
“They’re really close, that’s all.”
“That’s beautiful.” My smile brightened genuinely. It was good to see Terrence happy.
“You know what else is beautiful?” Knight touched my chin and turned me to face everyone in the room. He held me from behind and rested his clasped hands on my stomach. “All these people are here to celebrate with us.”
“That is beautiful,” I nodded.
“You know what else is even more beautiful?”
“What?” I said, a hint of laughter hanging on my voice.
“Your face after this moment.”
“What’s happening after this moment?” I quizzed, turning to look at him. My brows knitted together as I looked between him and everyone else. They were all staring at me with heart eyes and I had no idea why.
Knight dropped to one knee, holding my hands in his while he looked up at me. My heart stuttered in my chest, refusing to relinquish my next breath. I blinked rapidly forcing the tears back. I wanted to see every second of what was happening.
“Lumi Foster, you stole my breath away the moment I saw you in The Pour People. I gravitated toward your light and I made a promise to you that if you would smile for me, I’d go to my AA meeting and actually take it seriously. You smiled for me and it changed my entire life. I want to make you smile every day for the rest of our lives.” He pulled out a black box from his pocket and cracked it open revealing a beautiful diamond ring that glittered under the light. Everyone in the room gasped and gushed quietly. “Lumi, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” I squeaked. I covered my face with trembling hands as I watched him remove the engagement ring and hold it between his fingers. He took my left hand gingerly and slipped the ring on my fourth finger. Instead of kissing the back of my hand, he kissed the scar on my left wrist and only I knew that it meant he thought I was beautiful. It reduced me to tears.
I tried so hard to hold them back but it was no use. My stomach flopped when he stood to kiss my lips. I’d never get tired of staring up into his sapphire eyes and feeling my heart flutter.
“I love you, Knight,” I said quietly against his lips.
“I love you too, Lumi.”
Cheers and applause rang through the air and my smile grew bigger and bigger. Knight was right. Seeing everyone gathered around and celebrating life was beautiful.
