Victoria felt her heart get bigger. "And are you?"
"Very. But I wanted to check with you first. It would mean moving back to Cornwall. Leaving Manchester. It would potentially mean moving back in with your family, which might not be something that you want."
"I work for myself now," Victoria said. "I can work from anywhere. And honestly?" She looked around at the chaos, her father now attempting to console Pani Kaminska, her mother organizing the cleanup, Sophie finally catching Fromage, Ambrose and Lukas standing close together looking relieved the fire was out. "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."
"Even with the burning gazebos and traumatized livestock?"
"Especially with the burning gazebos and traumatized livestock."
"You've changed," Sasha said softly. "From that woman who showed up two and a half years ago so focused on being perfect she couldn't see what was right in front of her."
"I had a good teacher." Victoria kissed her again, soft and sweet. "The best teacher."
"Oh my God, did she say yes?" Sophie's voice carried across the garden. "She said yes!"
And just like that, the family converged.
Lady Charlotte was crying and hugging them both. Sir Archibald was smiling in his restrained way, patting Victoria's shoulder with genuine affection. Ambrose wrapped them both in a hug that smelled like smoke and triumph. Even Cathy waddled over to offer congratulations between residual sniffles.
Pani Kaminska said something in Polish that sounded extremely enthusiastic, hugging Sasha and then Victoria with surprising strength for such a small woman.
Lady Alexandra remained seated on her bench. When Victoria caught her eye, her grandmother raised her gin glass in a small salute. "That was certainly the most entertaining proposal I've ever witnessed. And I've witnessed quite a few in my time."
"Was it memorable enough, Grandmama?" Victoria asked.
"My dear girl, I suspect we'll be talking about the Great Gazebo Fire for years to come. Well done."
Sophie finally made it back with Fromage, who looked extremely pleased with herself despite the muddy ring box still dangling from her collar. "Got it!" Sophie detached the box, wiped it on her jumper, and handed it to Victoria with a flourish. "One slightly cow-slobbered engagement ring."
Victoria opened the box. The ring was perfect, a simple band with a single stone that caught the last rays of sunset. She took Sasha's hand, slid it onto her finger.
"Perfect fit," Sasha said, admiring it.
"I measured one of your other rings while you were asleep. Very stealth."
"Very creepy."
"Romantically creepy."
They were both covered in ash, surrounded by the smoking ruins of Victoria's perfect proposal, and Victoria had never been happier in her entire life.
Because this, standing here with Sasha's hand in hers, her family around them, everything a beautiful disaster, this was perfect. Not the planned, controlled perfection she'd spent years chasing. The messy, chaotic, wonderful perfection of real life.
"I love you," she said, for approximately the hundredth time that day.
"I love you too." Sasha leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Though I have to say, if this is what your proposals are like, I'm terrified to see what you'll do for the wedding."
"The wedding," Victoria said firmly, "will be completely simple and elegant with no animals, no fires, and absolutely no family involvement."
From across the garden, Lady Charlotte's voice rang out: "Oh darling, don't be ridiculous. We'll need to start planning immediately. Spring wedding, I think. In the gardens. We could have Fromage as a flower girl…"
"No," Victoria and Sasha said in unison.
But they were both laughing, and around them the family was already descending into happy chaos, making plans and suggestions and generally being exactly as overwhelming as the Sullivans always were.
And Victoria, standing in the ruins of her perfect proposal with her perfect fiancée, wouldn't have changed a single thing.
Well. Maybe the gazebo fire.
But everything else was exactly as it should be.
