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When I think about how she makes me feel, I can’t help but smile. Meg is the girl I kept seeking out when I was ready to throw my laptop at the wall after an endless day of project updates and virtual meetings.
When I was done with emails, I would find her behind the front desk helping guests or I could track her down on the beach with the newest furry friend at the inn. Each time, if she could get away from work or not, each time I saw her, I immediately felt a wave of pure contentment.
When something is so perfect, you don’t want to do anything to change it. You’ll do anything to keep it the same no matter what. From what I know and have experienced with Meg, there isn’t a single thing I want to change. Being with her is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
After she finally knew who I really was but let me back into her world, things felt easy again. We jumped right back into our long walks on the beach and even longer kisses that sent my head spinning long after we’d said goodnight.
Just holding her hand grounds me in a way I didn’t think I needed before now. Just her touch tells me that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, that I’ve got my girl with me, and that’s all I need.
And for some unknown reason, she decided to take the grumpy, overworked version of me and show me there was more to life than just getting work done every day. She showed me how to enjoy the little things, like the sunsets, that have always been just outside my office window but I didn’t seem to care enough to slow down and admire them before.
How many incredible sunsets have I missed because I deemed emails and contracts more important? What else have I been missing out on after all these years that Meg’s embraced nearly her whole life?
On days when I was immersed in the depths of email updates—and endless back and forth between contractors, siblings, and team leads—she was always the peace that calmed the chaos she didn’t know I was buried in.
To be honest, I didn’t realize the true chaos that came with my lifestyle until she forced me to slow down and smell the salty sea air that brought me back to life.
I can’t help but ask myself if I’ve been carrying my shoulders nearly up to my ears my whole life because, until Meg, I don’t think I’d ever dropped them once I started working at the family company.
She has this comfort about her that I’m sure comes naturally to her, like breathing. No matter what mood I’m in, she knows how to bring me down to earth.
She has no idea what I was handling just moments before, but she effortlessly brings about this sense of calm that I’ve needed for so long.
Now that I have it, that I have her, I can’t let her go. Being with her is like knowing everything will be okay simply because there’s no reason for it not to be.
I never felt like I had a place to call home, that truly felt like home, despite living most of my life in New York. But with Meg, the answer to Troy’s question is simple. She’s brought me so much peace and contentment and she doesn’t even know it. When I want to run from everything, I know I want to run to her.
“She’s more than home,” I admit. “She’s paradise.”
Troy nods and stands up to give me a hug. “Go get your girl.”
It’s been so long since Troy and I have had a heart-to-heart like this, especially since Mom and Dad died, but it gives me a new appreciation for what I have with Meg. Not only do I want her in my life, I want her for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine my life without her and during the last of the two flights to get to Florida, I repeat the words in my head that I want to say to her when I get down on one knee.
***
Somehow, I end up hitting every delay and layover between New York and Florida. It’s as if the universe knows how anxious and excited I am to get back to Meg. It’s almost five o’clock in the evening by the time I land and get back to the inn.
Just as I pull into the guest parking lot, I catch Meg heading out to the beach, a furry friend in hand, dressed in another sundress that makes her look like something out of a dream.
There’s my girl.
I do a quick check for Mia as I draw closer to Meg, knowing that I’m still most likely in her sister’s burn book.
“Miss me?” I call out to her, and her eyes look up and widen before a smile glues itself to her face. Now it’s her who’s nearly dragging the dog behind her as she rushes towards me, arms out wide to wrap me in the hug I’ve been waiting for since I left New York.
“You’re back early!” she says, as she buries her face in my neck. “I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, Meg,” I whisper into her hair, as I gently let her go. “I’ve got some big news for you.”
“Did your siblings agree to your proposal?” she asks in a whisper, as if saying it too loud might get her hopes up.
“I’m surprised your grandfather didn’t tell you already,” I smile. “As I explained to him as we finalized the details by phone, all of them agreed that it was a great idea.”
Meg nearly screams with joy as she starts jumping up and down, ecstatic that the inn is saved. She wraps me in another hug, so hard that I think for a moment might snap my spine, but it’s worth it. Seeing her this happy at the news and this excited to see me again makes everything worth it.
“Can I join you on your walk?” I ask, offering my arm.
She wraps her arm around mine and leads the way. “You don’t have to ask.”
