“I wanted to celebrate you tonight… and only you.”
“Silly boy,” Zoey said, kissing my cheek affectionately. “But honestly, I am so proud of you.”
“Want to see the check?” I asked.
Zoey laughed. “Sure.”
I grabbed the check from my pants, and we sat in bed and stared at it. “That’s a lot of money,” Zoey breathed.
“It’s only a drop in the bucket compared to what I might make at the next exhibit,” I said.
“Wow.”
“I was thinking… maybe we could work towards a bigger place,” I said.
“A bigger apartment?” Zoey asked.
“Actually, I was thinking… a house.”
“A house?” Zoey gasped, with raised eyebrows. “You want to buy a house.”
“Obviously we’ll have to invest outside the city… far outside but I think we could manage it,” I said. “I want to start planning our future.”
Zoey smiled. “And what does our future look like to you?” she asked.
“A nice house in a good neighborhood,” I said. “With a music room for you and an art room for me. It might have to be a big house though… the children will need rooms too.”
Zoey’s smile got wider. “We have children?”
“Three,” I nodded. “And a golden retriever.”
“I’ve always wanted a dog.”
“Me too,” I nodded. “But those are steps two and onwards. We’re missing crucial step number one.”
“Oh?” Zoey asked. “And what is crucial step number one?”
“Marriage,” I said softly.
Zoey cocked her head to the side and looked at me curiously. “Devlin… are you proposing to me?”
I laughed. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I meant to do this right. I meant to have clothes on. I meant to go out tomorrow and buy a ring, make a special meal for you, get down on one knee… the works. But I don’t know… for some reason now seems like the perfect moment to ask.”
I saw Zoey’s eyes get soft and emotional. “So ask,” she said.
“Zoey Larkson,” I said, taking both her hands in mine. “Here I sit, naked and vulnerable, a man bearing his soul to the woman of his dreams. I know this is really fast… maybe even too fast but I can honestly say that you have turned me into the best possible version of myself. You have transformed my life and healed me at the same time. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Will you please do me the honor of marrying me?”
She smiled, and I saw a tear slip down her cheek. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, and we sealed our entwined fate with that perfect kiss.
Epilogue
Zoey
Four Years Later
It was early, but I loved the quiet calm of sunrise just before the hustle and bustle of the day caught up with you. I liked walking around the house too; taking in every room like it was a work of art. In some ways, that was exactly what it was.