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Amelia rolled her eyes and gestured to her one bag. “I just got a new outfit.”
Stacey gave her a look that said it wasn’t just an outfit but a sexy dress she was going to propose to her boyfriend in. But Amelia ignored it. She had made it this far without letting her plans slip out. It wouldn’t happen now.
“Ugh,” Stacey said, checking her watch. “I need to get back before my dog pees on the floor again. I’ll see you guys next week. Be safe!”
After Stacey was gone, Amelia gave Daniel a kiss and asked, “How was your day?”
He groaned. “Terrible, but the last day before vacations always is. I can’t wait to relax for a little bit.”
“Me either, but first, we should eat before hauling all of our luggage to the car. I’ll even cook.”
“What did I ever do to deserve you?”
There was plenty that he’d done, but he knew that. She never stopped thanking him for all of his support.
She went to the kitchen to cook dinner and think about her plans to propose. Daniel took a shower to relax.
When he came out, his hair was curly and wet, his features more relaxed. “I canceled my therapy for this coming week. Did you cancel yours?”
“Yep. I sent the email last week.” She smiled at him.
They both went twice a month: him for his issues with Lucinda and his father, and Amelia for her PTSD. It had been hard to admit they both needed to go, but they agreed it was necessary after accidentally triggering past memories for each other one too many times.
After dinner, Daniel took the bags out to the car, and they finished up the last remaining items on the list.
They had been living together since before they technically even started dating. He never saw the point of leaving after they agreed to be together. He simply paid the remaining two months of rent to satisfy the lease of his old place and spent his time selling his stuff from his old apartment. He wound up giving Lucinda’s leftover outfits to John, who, in exchange, gave him free training sessions for all the clothes.
Daniel had traded in the Miata for a different car, but they rarely drove it, considering they rode together all of the time. Amelia’s place had slowly become Amelia and Daniel’s place, with pictures of both of their pasts adorning the walls, and all their stuff shoved into closets.
Now that they had two people living there and both of them might be working from home soon, they had discussed moving farther from town and getting somewhere bigger, but Amelia knew she was going to have a hard time leaving this place. It was where many good memories were made.
But even Amelia could admit they had outgrown it. Daniel had gotten back in touch with some of his college friends, and she had called her one old friend a few times. They needed a guest room now that their social circle had grown.
None of that mattered, though, since they were heading to the beach with Amelia’s family in the morning. They had a week away, and they knew they were going to use every second of it.
***
The next morning, Daniel and Amelia both took turns driving to the beach. She had gotten used to driving since she had changed her medicine, and it wasn’t nearly as stressful as it used to be.
They arrived first and kept themselves busy with sightseeing and walks. When her parents and John got there, they all exchanged long, excited hugs.
Daniel and Amelia’s family had kept in good contact. They had known that he wasn’t going anywhere since they had left the beach a year prior, and he had grown close with them. Once a week, they met up with John to work out, and her parents had joined them for many lunches in the city.
Amelia couldn’t help but notice how different he was from who he was a year ago. He had grown into himself, becoming more confident over the twelve months of their relationship. It only cemented just how much she wanted to spend the rest of her life watching him grow, and she was ready to commit to it.
They spent the first night catching up at dinner, all talking about their daily lives.
Just like their first night on the last trip, they went for a romantic night walk. When she put on her new dress, Daniel nearly tripped over himself looking at it.
“That’s what you and Stacey got?”
“Yes,” Amelia said, blushing. “Is it too much? I can change.”
“No, it’s beautiful. Please don’t change. Please never change.”
She pulled him into a kiss, and she was tempted to let it go further, but she knew she had a proposal to get through first.
He grabbed her hand as they walked down to the beach, and she knew this was the perfect time to propose. And even if he said no, she trusted he would give her a good reason for it.
