Witha relaxed sigh, I nuzzled my cheek against his chest, closing my eyes andpreparing my body for a day of uninterrupted sleep. Or hell, aweek, ifI had my way. The weeks spent without him in bed, hadn’t offered a whole lot ofrest and my body told me I was in desperate need of it.
ButDevin stirred underneath me and, irritated, I groaned as he gently pushed meaway and got up to leave the room.
“Comeon, Dev,” I said with an exhausted sigh, my eyes still shut. My head found mypillow and I sighed. “Come cuddle with me.”
Comingback in, he said, “I will, but hold on. I just remembered something else.”
Groaning,I asked, “What?”
“Newmaterial,” he replied, “and I’m only saying it once, so you better listen.”
“Youreally are the king of perfect timing right now,” I grumbled, as he sat on thebed and I opened my eyes.
“’SometimesI’m terrified of my heart,’” he recited, “’Of its constant hunger for whateverit is it wants; the way it stops and starts.’”
Andimmediately, he had my attention.
BecauseDevin always had to play the hero, and now, he was solidifying his position asmy knight in spackle-stained armor. For as long as we both shall live, andbeyond, because we both believed in Heaven and a love that was always more thanlove.
“KJ,from the moment I saw your purple hair, all I ever wanted was you. And Ipromised I’d ask you when I gothomeand I promisedI’d have a ring,” he said, and he placed the box on my stomach.
“Whenthe hell did you go ring shopping?” I asked, nervously laughing.
Heshifted on the bed. “I went shopping with Richard before I caught my flight.”
“WithRichard?” I repeated, eyeing the box, anxious to open it.
“Yeah.He bought something too.”
Myeyes left the box only to make sure Devin was serious. “Wow, so … my mom andRichard?”
Devinnodded, lying back down next to me. “Yeah, I know,” he said, smoothing my hairout against the pillow. “You okay?”
Icouldn’t help the powerful wave of realization that a very long, and very hard,chapter of my life was finally coming to an end, and I couldn’t help that itmade me a little sad. Because there’s nothing easy about letting go.
ButI remembered that field of daisies, and I remembered what Devin said: “Thisis why I believe in Heaven, Kylie.” Turning my head against the pillow,pulling my eyes away from that box, I looked at him and I thought,this is whyIbelieve in Heaven. This man who was putin my path exactly when I needed him. This man who gave up his dreams for meand made my dreams come true.
Heloved me, made me feel like I was always enough, and spent his life making sureI was okay.
“Yeah,”I said, inhaling and exhaling. Letting it go. “I’m fine.”
“Good,”he said, leaning in to kiss my forehead as he reached for the dark blue, velvetbox.
Heopened it, revealing the most gorgeous ring I had ever seen in my life. Andmaybe what set it apart, was the simple fact that it was mine, but all thesame, it took my breath away as I sat up to get a better look at it.
“Ididn’t want to get youjusta diamond ring,” he explained, plucking itfrom its pillowed bed. “They’re so typical, and baby, there’s nothing typicalabout you.”
Theblack onyx gleamed in the dim light of our bedroom. Small diamonds were setaround the deep black stone; a sparkling halo of light around the darkness.
“Thelady at the jewelry store told me that black onyx is a stone for strength,” hesaid, turning it over in his fingers. “I figured you’d just like the blackstone anyway, but when she told me that, I knew that’s what I had to get. Then,I saw this one, and I thought about us, together, as like … I don’t know, anendless circle of light around this darker thing, and … God, that sounds so fuckinglame and depressing,” he laughed, and I shook my head adamantly. Reaching myhands forward to press to either side of his face.
“No,”I said. “No, it’s not. It’s perfect, Devin. It’ssofucking perfect.”
Helooked into my eyes and scraped his teeth over his lower lip before nodding.“Yeah. Yeah, I thought so too.”
Alaugh joined the emotional sob that passed my lips as I leaned forward,touching my forehead to his. “Ask me,” I whispered. There was so muchexcitement buzzing through my veins, I could hardly believe I was sitting onthat bed and not bouncing off the walls.
“Okay.”His grin suggested he was feeling the same way. “Kylie James, of all the dreamsthat have come true, you will always,alwaysbe my favorite. Please,marry me?”
