She turned so he could clasp the necklace back on.
“We’ll get a stronger clasp as soon as things open up again. But I had a feeling you’d want to wear it for now, at least.”
She nodded and smiled, her breath coming in waves of happiness.
“One more thing, Jared.”
“Anything.”
“I realize you want to settle down and create roots for your daughter, which I’m all for, by the way. But promise me something?”
“Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
She leaned up and kissed him again.
“Promise me you’ll show me the world.”
“Literally?” His face lit up like a little boy’s on Christmas morning.
She nodded. “I want to experience traveling the world. With you. And with Hailey. I want to see all the things, meet all the people. I want to have stories to tell and memories to share. We’ll have to fit it in around my teaching schedule, of course, but I hope that’s okay…”
With a whoop of joy that shook the room, he lifted her and spun her around until they were both dizzy and laughing and starting their new life on a platform of fun and excitement.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the ultimate symbol of their love and connection.
“Powdered doughnuts? You know me too well.”
He tore into the package, removed one of the mini confections, and tried to stay serious as he slipped it on her ring finger.
“You’re hilarious,” she laughed, breathless. “But you know this is only going to last about two seconds, right?”
She lifted the adorned finger to her mouth, and he bit into the other side until their lips connected once again in a flurry of powdered sugar love and a match made true.
* * *