Surge

Drake leaned closer but spoke loudly enough for everyone else to hear. “From the first time I saw you, I knew there was something magical about you. And there is. But there’s also a magic around us. Some force that keeps putting us together, no matter what tries to keep us apart. We belong together, Maeve. For better, for worse. No matter what happens, right now, today, we belong together. I’ll never stop loving you. Not even death will keep us apart. Whether my soul stays or leaves, I want to be bound to you forever.”

He pulled out a small box from his pocket. My breath hitched. The world stopped, and even the butterflies in my stomach stopped breathing to hear those magical words.

“Maeve, will you marry me?”

He opened the turquoise box to reveal a ring. His face glowed a healthy, almost rosy hue. He didn’t smile. His eyes burned into me with an intensity I’d never seen before.

My hands came to my cheeks. I covered my mouth, which was wide open with total surprise. I took one last glimpse of the raised eyebrows and wide smiles of everyone I loved dearly watching, witnessing this beautiful moment. Drake knew. He knew how important it would be to have witnesses. How important it would be to share this story one day.

“Yes.” I’d meant to say out loud, but it came out as a whisper. I cleared my throat. “Yes. Of course, a million times yes.”

The Nakiki crew ululated and whooped, my mom and Nora clapped. Tyran seemed to jump out of his skin, came straight over to us, and hugged up both. Out of nowhere, Koa took out his ukulele and strummed an island melody that made this all seem like a dream.

Only it wasn’t. It was my reality. Drake was my real-life prince. My real-life fairy tale. And even though one day, either near or far, my prince would no longer be in my life, ever after wasn’t tangible anyway. Ever after was what existed in our deepest memory. Ever after was truly, veritably, forever.