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Slowly, my eyes moved downwards, resting on her stomach. There was no bump yet but it made me feel warm to know she was growing a life inside of her. Our child.
Her eyes trained on me as she took slow, surprised steps towards me.
I finally allowed myself to take a good look at her face. She was absolutely beautiful.
Red lips, blushed-up cheeks, and her hair falling in waves were all the makeup she had on. It took everything in me to stay rooted to the spot, but I did.
Why rush when I already had her for a lifetime?
“Go on in.” I heard Emma urge her gently.
Her steps became even more tentative. Suddenly, the lights flickered on. And her eyes widened when she saw me.
“Surprise!” Everybody yelled.
She brought both hands to her mouth in surprise, glancing at every one in the room. This moment was a treasure. Everything about it was. Her surprised eyes mixed with her beautiful smile… her red dress that matched the petals on the floor. I made sure to capture the moment.
Then holding her gaze, I dropped to one knee.
“I used to think there was nothing more to life than an endless list of achievements and high-ranking success. I used to see the world in black and white until you came into my life,” I started.
“I thought Sophie was the only one who needed help until you showed me otherwise. You showed me that it was okay to be flawed. You showed me that even a flawed man deserved love.”
“You showed me the true meaning of sacrifice. You brought light back into my home and into my life.” I paused when she sniffed. The tears were pouring down her face.
“You helped my daughter find her spark again while also unconsciously teaching me what the real meaning of love was. And when you left, I realized a world without you in it would make no sense to me.”
I kept my eyes unwavering on her face as I dug my hand into my pocket.
“I do not want such a world, Evie. We do not want such a world.” Sophie appeared beside me before I brought out the box, opening it to reveal a round, five-carat diamond ring.
She smiled through her tears, her orbs flitting to Sophie before holding my gaze as I continued.
“Evie Norman, will you look past my mistakes and give me a chance to love and cherish you for the rest of my life?”
“Yes,” she sobbed without hesitation. “Yes, I will!”
***
Evie
Two Months Later
When I was young, I used to watch movies where the bride finally got married to her Mr. Perfect. I also used to wonder why they cried so much. But now I understood them.
Excitement tickled my body as I struggled to remain seated. It was finally happening. The big day was finally here.
Tears started to gather in my eyes as the thought sank in. So did the nervousness.
Gosh. Not now.
“Where's the tissue box?” Emma spoke from beside me, drawing my attention to her.
“Take this and wipe those tears off your face.” She spoke sternly, handing me a tissue.
“You're going to ruin your makeup, Evie.”
She was right. She’d done the makeup and it had taken hours. I collected the tissue and gently dabbed the tears off.
