He lifted his hands to reach into his pockets. Suddenly his face went pale. “Don’t tell me I’ve lost it.”
Finn released her hand to start to tug Simon away. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Talk about what?”
But Finn and Simon were walking away, seemingly desperate to get out of earshot. They turned their backs to her, talking in hushed tones.
She crossed her arms. This was beyond strange.
Finn and Simon turned to look at her, both of them grinning sheepishly as they headed back to her.
“What’s going on?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Heather.” Simon swallowed hard, gently caressing her cheek. “I love you so much that sometimes it actually hurts to breathe when I’m near you. I can’t believe a woman like you has given her heart to me. To me. This cynical, grumpy, ass of a man.”
“You said ‘ass’,” Finn said with a gasp.
She laughed. “Simon, what’s happening?”
Without another word, he got down on his knee.
“Oh! Oh my... goodness.” Her hands started to tremble as realization dawned on her. She took a step back, needing a moment to compose herself. “Simon!”
He held up a dark velvet box, his hands far steadier than hers. “Heather. I have loved you since I was barely older than Finn. You are my whole life. You’re the reason my heart beats at all.”
“Simon, sweetie.” Her vision blurred with tears. She tried to fight them back, but it was no use. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she started sobbing. Her heart felt like it was going to burst and she gasped for air. Already she was a blubbering mess, and he hadn’t even asked her yet.
He opened the box, and though her vision was a blur she saw the glint of a ring. “I love you. With everything that I have. With my heart. And my soul. And my mind. You and Finn are my family. I never want to go a day without either of you. Not one day. Will you marry me? Will you be mine for the rest of our lives?”
Unable to stand, she sank to her knees and threw her arms around him. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
She felt Finn’s tiny arms wrap around both of them. “I had the ring this whole time. Dad thought he lost it, but I had it.”
“Dad?” She pulled back to look at her son. “You called him ‘Dad’.”
“He’s my dad no matter what,” Finn said. “Even if you say no.”
She stared at Simon. “You thought I’d say no?”
“It was a possibility,” he said, and shrugged. “So, help this poor guy out, still on his knees. Heather, will marry me?”
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll marry you.” She rained kisses on Simon’s face and started laughing through her tears. “Did Finn know about this?”
Simon laughed and held her tightly. “I asked him this morning.”
She pulled back to look at her son. “You asked Finn?”
“Of course. I’d never do anything without thinking about how it would affect him,” Simon said.
Now she really was crying and she got to her feet, pulled her son into her arms, and kissed his chubby cheeks. “No wonder you two were acting so weird.”
Finn giggled and she set him back down. “Bet you didn’t guess what was gonna happen.”
“I didn’t guess.” She gazed at Simon, still on his knee.
He opened the box to take out the ring. A ring with the biggest diamond she had ever seen in her life.
She gasped. “That ring cost more than ten-thousand dollars, didn’t it?”