“Marry me,” I said with a little more confidence than before. “I’ve thought about this a lot, and I realize it may be way too soon for something this big, but… the last few months have been great. Amazing. Better than anything I could’ve ever imagined. I don’t care if we have to be apart sometimes, or if I have to move here once school is over. But the thought of not having this, the thought of not having you? I can’t stand it. If it’s too soon, tell me. If you need more time, just—”
“No.”
My heart dropped. “No?” Was that her answer? Had I spoken too soon?
“No,” she said, squeezing my hands as she’d likely sensed my hesitation. “I don’t need more time.”
Oh, thank god. My heart skipped, then started up again.
“Man, you almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Well, don’t just sit there,” Sam’s dad said with a wide grin on his face. “Answer her.”
“Yes.” Sam spoke so low I’d barely heard her, but I’d read her lips, and as soon as she said that single word, all four of us rose from the table.
Pulling her in my arms, my exhaustion from earlier took over. Her folks joined us with bright smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. However, all I could think about was the woman in my arms with tears streaming down her face as she held on to me for support.
“Now I can understand why you were pacing last night,”
she managed as I met her gaze. “You’ve planned this the entire time.”
“I did,” I admitted, clearing my throat when my voice refused to work. “Though in my defense, I was hoping for a nice day when we were on a walk and closer to the end of our
break. The jet lag’s getting the better of me. My brain to mouth filter is off.”
She laughed at that, and after hugging her folks, the four of us sat back down to finish our meal.
“Quite a day, huh?” I asked, lifting her chin so I could kiss her on the lips.
“This entire year.”
“But we’re only halfway through.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, “but being with you, I know it’ll be great.”
I had to agree. Just being with her made all the studies in the world more bearable.
“I love you,” she said in a thin whisper, her cheeks turning a vibrant red as she did.
“I love you too.”
With all of my heart.