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“Next time,” he whispered. “Open it.”
It was one of my floral dress designs, but this one had vines and a poppy flower pin was on top of it.
“I want every day of our life together to be as fantastical as our vineyard.”
“Oh, Paul…” I choked and embraced him.
“I love you so much.” I blinked back tears, and he kissed me deeply. “Let’s get dressed.”
Paul changed into a lightweight, dark tailored suit and white shirt that made him look sizzling hot with his new tan. I finished my daily routine, brushed my hair, put on the white lingerie Paul had chosen for me today, and stepped into the dress. He kissed up my back as he zipped it. I smoothed the lapels on his jacket. “You look so handsome.”
“And you look beautiful, Nadia.” He lifted my hand and kissed my wrist. “So what do you think of this home so far?”
“I love them both; you’ve made it impossible not to. They’re all special, even the one you took me to the first night after the mixer.”
“That was an awful night.”
“But I knew I loved you then.”
He stopped walking and gazed at me warmly. “Why then?”
“Because you held me and you cleaned me up and rubbed my back until I went to sleep. I…I knew you had a kind heart. I was still worried, but knew I would love you if you let me.”
His gaze went tender, and my chest fluttered. “You gave me everything I was missing so naturally that night. Even as terrible as it was, you reached for me, let me take care of you. Let me hold you. You were so sweet, so trusting; I wanted to keep you.”
“And you did,” I said softly.
“I did, and every day I think I love you, but you’d do something to make me love you more.” He kissed me passionately, then smiled. “Let’s go.”
“Where? Should I make something we can have brunch with, or are we going out to eat?”
Paul only smiled and kept his secret. He didn’t head to the kitchen but led me outside, and I stopped. There were flower petals on the stone path. I recognized hyacinths, jasmine, roses, and tulips.
“These flowers were in bloom during the time you were in Versailles. That was the night I couldn’t find you. And when you appeared, my heart started beating again. That was when I knew you had taken it. I couldn’t shut you out; I couldn’t stop it. Hell, I never could stop you. You went into my arms, and I couldn’t let you go.”
Tears fell down my face, and my throat closed. I touched my stomach. “Oh, Paul….”
He took me in his arms, and I cried into his shoulder. He hugged me, then let go and cupped my face. “Look at you, baby.”
“I’m a mess, I know. I can’t help it.…”
“You don’t need to. Just be you.”
His profession was a solace to my soul. Paul accepted me as I was, and he chose me just as I was. That meant to me as much as having his love.
I was enough.
“I love you,” I sobbed.
He took a cloth from his pocket and wiped my tears.
“I know you do.” He kissed my forehead, and put his arm around me. We walked on the flower path through the garden until we reached the port. At the bottom of the stairs was a large boat with sails filled with more flowers.
“Sail away with me.”
“I’d go anywhere with you,” I choked.
I wiped more tears and swallowed hard, and my hand trembled as I clasped his. With the sweet smell of polished wood, flowers, and the lake, we boarded the boat and followed our path down a short flight into a room with a cloth table set for us. There were chairs, but Paul pulled me onto his lap and cuddled me as the boat left port.
