Page 103 of Last Love

“This moment where I have you stand in the same spot you once said goodbye to us to say hello to our future.”

Ry’s body begins to lower itself to the ground causing me to gasp. “What are you-”

“Life without you was barely worth getting out of bed in the morning. Not giving up was one of the most difficult things I’d ever had to do. I knew the changes I was making needed to be for me. And before I knew it, I realized the changes I was making were going to be for us. With you back in my life, it felt like I could finally breathe again. I didn’t expect things to be so different between us. But they were. Eventually, I learned that was a good thing. The best thing. I know I don’t always do the smartest shit…but I’m always trying to. I’m always trying my hardest. And I’m so grateful to know that me doing that will always be enough for you, even when it’s not enough for me.” Another gasp occurs as he removes a white-gold compass rose style ring with a huge diamond in the center. “I’m asking you right here Presley Morrison, if you’ll allow me to spend the rest of our lives giving everything I have, fighting with everything I have, to make sure that we never get that lost again.”

Tears prick the sides of my eyes.

“I’m asking you to allow me through the good and the bad and the ugly and complicated to always find my way back to you, and to be the one – no matter how fucked up the circumstances – that you always find your way back to.”

It’s impossible not to get choked up.

“Pres,” his hand gently takes possession of mine, “will you marry me?”

“Yes.” A sob seeps out at the same time I rapidly nod and scream, “Ohmygodyes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

His shaky hand slides the ring onto my left finger before he stands to drop a heated kiss onto my lips. Our tongues wildly roll around one another, tears stopping just long enough for me to get lost in the luscious lashing we’re exchanging.

It takes probably longer than I’m sure he intended to pull back and stare into my eyes. “Dance with me?”

Tangling my arms around his neck, I lovingly coo, “Always.”

Ry’s arms tangle tightly around my waist as the cheesy music of our youth now becomes the monumental soundtrack of our future.

Funny how life sometimes simply reshuffles your cards rather than gives you new ones.

The truth is, I never really wanted a fresh deck.

I just wanted the one I already had to let things fall in a better order.

And now, they finally have.