Page 26 of Someone to Remember
He has his music app set to a classic rock playlist and sings along to Foreigner as we get closer to the parking area for the hiking trail.
The first few times we came here together, I experienced memories of Jim that left me feeling triggered for a few days afterward. Tom encouraged me to talk about it rather than trying to bury the pain, and I was surprised to find that it helped to share my grief with him. It was as if he relieved some of the burden simply by listening to me talk about the things I remembered and how I still ache for Jim. I appreciate that Tom is never threatened by the fact that I’m still in love with the man I lost so tragically.
After we park, we don waistbands that hold water bottles and basic first aid supplies. We sun-screened before we left the house and have more with us to reapply later.
Tom tugs my Capitals ballcap down to shade my eyes. “Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
He takes my hand to lead the way to the trailhead and holds on most of the way up, except for when we pass others on the trail and drop to single file, after which he immediately reaches for my hand again.
His love, and that of my close friends and family, has made me happy to be alive again, which wasn’t the case after I first lost Jim. For a long time, I didn’t think I’d be able to go on. The ordeal of his illness, followed by the trauma of his death, sucked the life out of me. When I look back at that time now, it existsin this odd, cloudy place in my mind. I can’t quite make out the details, but I vividly remember the raw, unrelenting pain that came with thinking my life was over because his ended.
In many ways, Tom is the best thing to ever happen to me because he’s shown me that’s simply not true, as much as it might’ve once seemed like it.
As the trail gets steeper, we double down on making the climb to the summit, where the spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley makes it worth the effort.
“Ah, look at that. So, so beautiful.”
Tom kisses me. “Yes, you are.”
“Sure I am, in all my sweaty, red-faced glory.”
“If I say you’re beautiful, you aren’t allowed to argue with me.”
“Is that another new rule?”
He’s always making funny rules for us, such as never go to bed without kissing him three times—at least—and morning sex before coffee on the weekends.
“I believe I’ll be adding that one to the list.”
I’m gazing at the gorgeous scenery, and when I glance at him, my witty retort dies on my lips when I see that he’s dropped to one knee.What is happening?
He takes my hand and gazes up at me with all the love he’s shown me every day since we first reconnected, years after high school, where we first became aware of each other.
My eyes are full of tears as I notice we’ve attracted a crowd of other hikers who are watching us. “Tom…”
“My sweet Lexi, I love you so much, and I love the life we’ve created for ourselves. You saved me in every possible way, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you. Will you marry me?”
After Jim died, I said I’d never get married again, but Tom has changed my mind about a lot of things, including remarriage.
“Yes,” I say in a whisper as I fall to my knees to kiss him. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
A cheer goes up from the onlookers.
“I got it on video for ya,” one of them says.
Tom gathers me into a tight hug. “Thanks for saying yes.”
I laugh even as tears spill down my cheeks. “Thanks for asking.”
“I wasn’t sure if I should, but I figured it was worth a shot.”
“It was perfect and thank you for doing it here.”
“I had a little talk with Jim before I asked you. I told him I’d try to take care of you like he did, and I’d love you enough for both of us.”
This man… This dear, sweet, sexy, funny, adorable man.
