Page 139 of The Genius
“What’s wrong? Couldn’t you at least give it a chance? Think of the positives: you wouldn’t have to work two jobs and you would finally have time to write that book you talked about.”
I rose up to my full height again. “What about the robots you’ve been working on?”
“I’ve been dragging it out, but I could wrap it up within a month if you’d come with me.”
“How long would we live in the Motherlands?”
“I don’t know. How about we stay until we get tired of walking barefoot in the sand and wearing shorts all year?”
“You’re not talking a few weeks or months, are you?”
“No, probably not.”
“Wait – so we would have the baby there?”
Shelly interlaced our hands. “Yes, and you’ll have all the time in the world to be a dad.”
Images of lying in a hammock with my son or daughter taking a nap on my chest made me interested. “I’m not joining some family unit. It would still be you, me, andour kids, right?”
“Kids? You said that in the plural.”
I squeezed her hands and moved nose to nose. “Because I’m hoping we’ll have more than one.”
“You’re hoping we’re having twins?”
Placing a soft kiss on her lips, I whispered, “I’m hoping you’ll want to have more children with me after this one. I love you, Shelly, and I’m serious about wanting everything with you.”
Shelly kissed me back when I intensified my lips’ pressing against hers.
“I want nothing more than to go up there and ask Khan to wed us. If I had a million dollars, I’d pay it all for that moment of seeing their faces when they realize that we’re a couple.” My excitement was radiating from me and made her smile.
Without losing eye contact, I kneeled down in front of her. “Shelly Brainy Summers, I know I’m asking you to break a promise to your mom, but will you please, please, please, do me the honor of becoming my wife tonight?”
This wasn’t the first time I’d asked her to marry me, but it was the first time I’d done it right; and after her impulsive plan to volunteer for a tournament, I knew she had to be open to marriage.
“I want to say yes.” Shelly lowered herself to settle across from me, on her knees as well.
“But?”
“But I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“I’m not going to be easy to live with. I’m quirky, impulsive, and people say I lack social filters.”
“Shelly, you don’t have to explain.”
“And working is everything to me. I want my children to come along on adventures to different parts of the world and explore cultures and different ways of living.”
I had a soft smile on my face. She wasn’t saying no and that was a good sign. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I might be distracted sometimes.”
“Then I’ll pull you back to earth. I’m good at that.”
“We can come back here and visit if you want, Marco, if you get tired of the heat or miss your friends.”
“I can live in a cabin by the beach.”
