Page 101 of Falling Madly
Teresa laughed, looking a little flustered.
“Have ye heard the tale o’ this elf costume?” I asked, laying on the brogue thick enough to make Celia giggle.
I could tell that story in my sleep, so I performed it again for a rapt audience.
As we settled around the table for the early dinner, it was getting dark outside. The sky was turning that intense blue I’d always missed in the city. Here, it was a like a painting, brought out every night in our private gallery.
We ate, drank, and laughed until it was so dark only stars were visible outside, faint beyond the fairy lights Teresa had hung in the window.
After everyone had left and we’d loaded the dishes away, she joined me on the couch, releasing a deep sigh. “Today was perfect.”
“Aye, it really was.”
She snuggled under my arms, her voice thick and wobbly with emotion. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
I kissed her curls, not sure of what to say. I’d learned to wait and wait. If I stayed still, she came to me. She opened up. There’d always been something between us, and it wasn’t one-sided. She’d been drawn to me in her own way, seeking me out even when she couldn’t bear looking at me or didn’t know how she felt. I had to trust that this connection would carry us forward. So, I relaxed, and waited. I was good at it now. I never mentioned marriage or kids, or even putting the house in her name. She’d let me know when she was ready.
When she finally turned to me, her eyes glossy with tears, I knew she’d arrived somewhere.
“I might want a baby.” She bit her lip, watching me.
I smiled. “Ask me, and I’ll give you anything.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” My chest welled with emotion. It was time. My instinct, if I chose to take its advice, was nudging me to take the leap. “But there’s something I need you to do for me.”
“What?” She stared at me, perfectly still. The air crackled, like microscopic fairies were snapping their fingers.
“Marry me,” I said. “Visit my family in Scotland. In either order.”
Tears burst from her eyes. “I thought you’d never ask!”
Every muscle in my body relaxed. Muscles I didn’t know I had, loosened, and I sank into the couch that was hers, in the house that was hers. My heart, which was also hers, swelled with happiness.
“Do you have a ring?” she asked. “You can tell me if you’ve had it for a while. I won’t freak out.”
“Since July,” I said. “But I’m good at waiting.”
“Can I see it?”
“It’s with the jeweler, along with four backup options. Did ye think I was going to make a call about something visual withoutconsulting you?” I lifted a brow. “Ye know I can’t even pick curtains.”
“Oh, thank God!” She breathed a sigh of relief and threw herself into my arms. “Although I admit I started a Pinterest board with my favorite ring designs. I thought you might see it.” She laughed softly into my shirt and her elf shirt jingled.
“Ach, I should’ve checked yer account!” Now that she was with me, I wasn’t online that much anymore.
“That’s okay. I’ll start another one for the wedding and invite you as a collaborator.”
“Ye mean a silent observer?” I corrected.
“That works.”
I placed a kiss on her lips, tasting a hint of salty tears. She was finally mine and I couldn’t wait to share everything I had with her.
“We should celebrate,” I said. “A toast or something.”
I stood up, lifting her with me, trying to remember where I’d months ago stashed the champagne bottle. But as we reached the middle of the floor, she stopped me. “Can you write this down?” she asked. “Like you did after our first night? So, we don’t forget.”
