“I guess so. That is your favorite cake. At least, it was. I mean, a lot of time has gone by, but I know how much you loved it, and we had so many great nights working on that recipe together in the kitchen at your parents’ house while they were at the restaurant.”

“That’s true.”

“It was my idea to add the strawberries,” Andrew reminded her.

The edge of her mouth quirked at the edge. “It was better than the fresh blackberries I tried at first.”

“But it inspired your recipe.”

“See?” Her eyes danced. “You admit it. It’s my recipe. That cake has been one of my best recipes for years now. I’m known for it.” Her head lolled to the side. “Andrew, you’re privy to recipes from the finest restaurants. Why on Earth would you use that one?”

“First off, don’t underestimate your talents, Kelly.” He tipped his fingers under her chin. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to put everything behind them and turn back the calendar. “Second, my sous chef made a comment about putting my heart into the work, and something clicked. I realized at that moment that if I were making the proposal cake for anyone, it would be you. That’s why I made that cake. Your cake.”

He paused.

“Kelly, you’re the only woman I’ve ever asked to marry me. The one person I could ever imagine sharing my life with. That Triple-Layer Honey Almond Cake represents us to me. The weeks we worked on it were the best in my life. We burned it, we over-spiced, under-spiced…remember when we tried it with the coconut?”

“And when we tried it with marzipan instead of almonds,” she said. “Totally different.”

“You knew what would work. It wouldn’t have happened without you. It was your project, and I loved being a part of that. It’s one of my best memories.”

Her eyes glistened. “Mine too.” The words were barely audible.

“When I was at my mother’s, I was in the attic getting some stuff and I came across a box of our things. That recipe was in the box. I never would have remembered how to bake it if I hadn’t just seen that. I tried to make it a few times when I first got to France. It never turned out.”

“The judges clearly loved it tonight.” She pressed her lips together. “What were you leaving out before?”

“I don’t think I left out anything. I think the missing ingredient was us. It’s our love that makes that cake so perfect.”

Her eyes softened. “I never stopped loving you.” Her chin trembled. “You’re the one who didn’t come home.”