Page 63 of Accidental Fire
Then I started to sing.
Nothing more to say
Only things to feel
No time left for doubt
Three words that can reveal.
We’ve wandered all our lives
Taken wrong turns left and right
Until the day you crossed my path
And I finally saw the light.
Words can hurt
Words can heal
Three words was all it took
To know your love is real.
Kit finally walked out and stood next to me, with an expression that made me smile. I stopped playing and stepped to the riser, grabbing the package. “I promised you this back when we met. Early Merry Christmas.” I handed him the flat, horribly wrapped package.
“Open it.” I strummed the chorus as I watched him rip off the paper and laugh. “Hold it up and open it, but don’t look inside.” I then turned to the audience. “This is where you help me out. On the count of three, read the words written inside, please.”
I turned to Kit and smiled. “Hold it up so the audience can see the inside, but don’t look.” I stopped playing, but Arlo picked up where I left off and quietly played the melody on the piano.
I slid the guitar around to my back and reached for the ring in my pocket as Kit removed the cellophane wrapper and held the album jacket up for the audience to see. I held up my fingers and counted out, “One. Two. Three. Take it.” I flipped off the mic andput it on the stage as the audience read the words written inside the jacket.
Will you marry me?
Kit froze for a second before he turned to see me on one knee with the ring between my thumb and index finger. “Will you marry me?” I asked him.
He laughed, wiped away the tear leaking from his right eye, and said, “Yes.”
I slid the ring on his finger before he picked me up and hugged me. “I love you, Riv. I’d love to be your husband.”
A quick kiss, and he put me down. I pulled my acoustic around and joined Arlo on the chorus.
Words can hurt
Words can heal
Three words was all it took
To know your love is real.
We stare into the future
The two of us, side by side
And when our time is over
It’s all been worth the ride.
And when our time is over
It’s all been worth the riiiide.
The crowd went wild as I stepped over to Coaster to trade guitars again so we could get on with the show. “Let’s rock!” I said as I took my place with the band and we got on with the concert.
When it was over, we’d given them a hell of a show, and the man I loved had my ring on his finger. Life didn’t get any better than that.
