Page 71 of Rose
The final note of the song faded into the breeze, replaced by soft background music that drifted gently on the wind. William held both of Ahzii’s hands, steady and firm, eyes locked on hers like she was the only thing that existed. Then, slowly, he dropped to one knee, his movements deliberate—reverent.
From the pocket of his tailored suit, he pulled out a velvet box and opened it, revealing a ring so stunning it stole her breath.
A six-carat radiant-cut diamond gleamed at its center—flawless, brilliant—set in platinum and surrounded by a halo of rare pink diamonds. The pavé accents along the band sparkled under the sunset like stars waking up to witness this moment.
Ahzii’s eyes widened, glistening with fresh tears. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
But it wasn’t the diamond that undid her—it was his words.
“From the moment I walked into your shop and fixed those cameras…” he began, his voice low but clear, filled with emotion that gripped her chest and refused to let go. “I knew I wanted to do more than just repair what was broken—I wanted to love you, protect you, and pour light into every part of you that’s ever felt dim.”
Her lips parted, tears falling freely now.
“You were art before I ever touched you,” William continued, voice trembling with vulnerability. “But loving you… loving you has been the greatest masterpiece I’ve ever been a part of.”
He took a breath, eyes never leaving hers. “I vow to keep choosing you, to hold you through every storm, and be your calm when the world gets too loud. I don’t just want forever with you—I want to make forever feel like home.”
His voice cracked slightly, raw and real.
“Will you marry me, Ahzii Rose?”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, baby! Yes!” she cried out through her tears, laughing and sobbing all at once.
William slipped the ring onto her finger, his hands steady despite the emotion in his eyes. Behind them, Kyre broke into cheers, wiping at her face with both hands, and even A’Mazi clapped—his smile soft, his own eyes shining with unspoken pride.
William stood, sweeping Ahzii into his arms as if she weighed nothing, spinning her around beneath the golden glow of the setting sun. He kissed her deeply, softly, with a reverence that silenced everything else.
“Happy birthday, Beautiful,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you forever.”
“I love you too,” she said back, voice thick with love and truth. “Forever... and even after.”
Their eyes closed as their lips met again—this time slower, fuller. They stood wrapped in each other, completely consumed by the kind of love that doesn't ask for permission.
Only presence.
Only forever.
Tears mixed with the sweat streaming from her forehead as her feet pounded the pavement, lungs burning with effort—but it wasn’t the run that had her gasping for air. It was the grief. She wasn’t running for fitness. She was running toward something that no longer existed. Running back to that day. Back to that love. Back to him.
But the faster she ran, the further it all slipped away.
Today was her birthday—but it felt like just another day in Hell. Two years ago, on this very day, the man she loved more than life dropped to one knee on a sun-kissed beach and asked her to marry him. And without hesitation, she’d said yes. That day was the beginning of everything. Of laughter. Of light. Of forever. Williamhad been her center—her peace. And when she said yes, she promised forever wouldn’t be long enough.
But forever ended way too soon.
The ring bounced softly against her chest with every stride, suspended from the gold chain she never took off. She used to wear it on her finger, smiling every time it caught the light. Now it was a weight. A memory. A ghost of what she lost.
She was thirty today. A milestone. But instead of waking up to William’s voice, kisses from her daughter, and breakfast made with love, she was running—trying to escape the suffocating ache inside her chest. Trying to run back to a time when everything still made sense. Trying to outrun the loneliness that wrapped around her like a noose.
“I vow to keep choosing you, to hold you through every storm, and to be your calm when the world feels too loud.”
The words echoed in her mind, ripping her open all over again. She could still hear his voice—smooth and sure—singing their song, promising a future that was stolen too soon. She could still feel the Miami breeze brushing her skin, the warmth of his love soaking into her soul like sunlight. She could still see the look in his eyes—full of reverence, devotion, and truth.
She begged for that moment back. She begged to feel that safe again.
But no matter how fast, or far, or hard she ran, she couldn’t get there. That place was gone.
