Rosie’s eyes lit up, and she looked at me. “Did you make a new playlist?”
I laughed a nervous laugh. “Yeah, there’s one I need to share with you. It’s called New Beginnings.” I handed her my phone, and she scrolled through the Spotify list before playing it from the beginning. It was ‘This Love’ by Taylor Swift, the acoustic version, of course. She closed her eyes as the newly installed sound system connected and music blasted through our studio.
I watched her beautiful, calm face for a long moment before I reached into my pocket, my heart suddenly pounding. I'd been planning this for months, waiting for the right moment. And standing in our studio, surrounded by everything we'd built together, felt perfect.
"Rosalie Marie Brines," I started, sliding off the couch to kneel in front of her.
Her hands flew to her mouth, tears already pooling at the corner of her eyes.
“Four years ago, you showed up at my hospitalroom with terrible cupcakes and a willingness to see past my walls. You helped me through the darkest period of my life. You taught me that being broken isn't the end, it's just the beginning of something new."
I pulled out the ring I'd been carrying for weeks, a simple band with a small diamond, delicate and perfect like her.
"You're my best friend, my partner, my home. You're the person I want to build this crazy future with. The person I want to wake up next to every morning and fall asleep holding every night." My voice cracked slightly. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she sobbed. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."
I slid the ring onto her finger, and she pulled me up into a kiss, both of us crying and laughing at the same time.
"I love you so much," she said between kisses. "I love you, I love you, I love you."
"I love you, too, Thorn. Forever."
We stood there in our studio, holding each other, both thinking about how far we'd come. From injured athletes struggling with identity loss to partners building a business designed to help others through the same journey.
"Should we call people?" Rosie asked eventually. "Tell them the news?"
"In a minute." I pulled her back against me. "Right now, I just want to be here with you. In this moment. In this place we built together."
She relaxed into me, both of us looking around at the studio. Our future and our dream.
"You know what's funny?" she said softly.
"What?"
"That article you showed me, the one that started all this. The one that said 'Sometimes the greatest love stories begin with the greatest losses.'"
"Yeah?"
"It was right. We both lost so much. But we found each other.We found this." She gestured at the studio. "We turned our pain into purpose."
"We did." I tightened my arms around her. "And we're just getting started."
My phone buzzed with a text from Aaron.
Aaron
Ivy says Nova says Daisy says you proposed. IS MY SISTER ENGAGED???
I showed the text to Rosie, and we both laughed.
"I guess we should tell him,” she said.
She said yes.
Aaron
FINALLY. Congrats, man. Really. Welcome to the family. Officially.
