“Well, I would like to make one of three declarations with it. You can choose which one. Then we’ll go shopping and you can choose the ring you like best to remind us daily of the statement.”
She sat up straight, tucking the sheet around her, unfortunately covering her luscious boobs. “I’m listening.”
“Statement one. I’m wildly in love with you and we’re together. The ring shall be worn as a token of my love and devotion.”
Her eyes softened. “I like that.”
“Statement two. I’m wildly in love with you and we’re together. We shall be married in a reasonable time frame of your choosing. The ring shall be worn as a token of our engagement, and a band will be added at our wedding, whenever that turns out to be.”
Eden’s eyes looked hazy. She blinked hard. “Are you…”
“I will when I have the ring in my hand, yes.”
“Oh.” She stared at me, then down at her hands. Then she smiled. “You said there was an option three?”
“Yes. It’s the same as statement two, but we get married tonight, while we’re here with your Nana.”
“Oh.” Her hands were shaking and she looked completely flustered.
“Shh,” I pulled her into my arms. “Breathe, baby.”
Eden nodded against my chest, and I was struck once again by how perfectly she fit against me.
“Are you a huge wedding girl? A tiny wedding girl, or anything in between?”
“I don’t know.” She looked baffled.
I began to laugh. “Damn. I’m sorry. I assumed that all women had their weddings planned out since they were seven.”
“Not me.” Eden took a deep breath, relaxing against me. She took another slow breath, thinking. “What if we took one year? We’ll plan something small and simple, but have some time to think everything through.”
I took her hands, holding them between us. “To hell with the ring part. Eden, will you marry me?”
Her face lit up as she grinned, nodding. “Yes.”
I kissed her gently, leaning back so that she was on top of me. “You’ll move into my place right away?”
She placed a hand on my chest. “Well, not right away.”
She must have seen my face fall, but she shook her head. “I’m going to have to clean and organize everything,” she said very seriously. “And I have another essay due next week. So it might take me at least two or three weeks.”
Flipping her, I pinned her hands over her head, kissing along her throat. “I’m going to do everything in my power to be the best fiancé ever.”
“I know you’re going to be an amazing husband,” she murmured.
“Yeah?” I kissed her nose. “How do you know that? Do you have magic knowing powers?”
She struggled to free her wrists and I released her so that she could wrap her hands around my shoulders. “You listen to me. You care for me. You’re always building me up, and have never once torn me down. I can’t wait to be your wife, but after how fast all of this has been, we shouldn’t rush.”
“You’re going to hear this a lot over the next sixty-something years,” I chuckled. Then I made my voice sound nasal as I sing-songed, “Yes, dear. Anything you say.”
Her bright laugh filled the room more than the sunlight streaming in the windows. “I love you,” she giggled.
“I love you, little miss paradise.”
~ Epilogue ~ Eden ~