“Bailey, I don’t say this often enough. You changed my life. My heart beats differently when you’re in the room. You are my soul mate. You are my partner. Your opinion means the most to me in the world. I love you with everything I have.” He paused. I noticed little beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, and it just made him a little bit more endearing. He then lowered himself to one knee.

“New Year’s has been special for us. I would like this to be another beginning. Just for us. Not only a new year but a new life together. I want you to be more than my lover and partner. I would like very much, Bailey Edgeworth, for you to do me the enormous honor of becoming my wife.” He waited and sweated. “I have already made an appointment on the twenty-seventh at the courthouse to get our marriage license, so we will have everything ready if you say yes. Because I haven’t seen your bridesmaid’s dress from Elle’s wedding, I thought maybe you could use that as a substitute. We could get married at the courthouse. Or if you want, I have been googling some all-night chapels. I just want you to be my wife. I don’t care where.” At that moment, Elliott fumbled around in his pocket. In the whole time I had known him, he had never fumbled with anything. Not with words, not with objects, not even his self-confidence. But he was unsure of himself and unsure of my answer. He finally produced a box and opened it to reveal a beautiful peridot with diamonds on each side and a diamond band to match it. It touched me that he had put so much thought into his proposal.

I cupped his beautiful face in my hands and uttered a single word: “Yes.”

Before I knew it, it was New Year’s Eve. Because I loved it and it made me feel pretty, I put on the dress from Elle’s wedding, without the aid of Spanx, my beautiful earrings to match my engagement ring, and my heaviest coat, and I took the hand of the man who was about to become my husband. The ceremony at the courthouse was brief but no less sacred.

We found a diner near the courthouse, which served breakfast all day long. I ordered scrambled eggs, greasy hash browns, and white toast with packets of jelly. A perfect wedding meal. It gave birth to the inkling of an idea in my brain. As we left, the sound of fireworks exploded in the distance celebrating us, our love, our hopes and dreams, our marriage.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two