His brow wrinkles. “Well, mon bien-aimé… I’m not so sure about the being loudpart.”
“What do you mean?” This is our property. Why can’t we be as loud as welike?
“You’ll see when we go inside. I need you to put this on again.” We stop at the front door and he stretches the elastic band on the blindfold, pulling it down over myeyes.
“You’re being totally weird.” But weird is his normal most of the time, so I don’t know why I’msurprised.
“You’ll understand why in aminute.”
We do the baby-step shuffle through the front door, and I assume that we must be in the middle of the living room. “Stand right there and don’t move until I tell youto.”
“Yes,Sir.”
I quickly turn my head in the direction of what sounds like the floor creaking behind me. “Tristan?”
“Everything’s okay,baby.”
His voice isn’t behind me. He’s in front ofme.
Shit. I’m sort of starting to freak out. “What is goingon?”
“Just… hang on a minute and you’llsee.”
I stand there with my eyes covered, waiting, and I hear movement behindme.
“Take off yourblindfold.”
I lift the blindfold and see that he is on one knee. “Oh,Tristan.”
“Mon bien-aimé, there’s something I want to askyou.”
I can’t stop my smile. “Yes?”
I hear more movement behind me and I look over my shoulder, discovering that every important person in my life is standing behindme.
What is… what’s happening? Why is everyonehere?
Tristan reaches for my hands, bringing them to rest inside of his. “I want to be the man who kisses you every night. The man who holds you like he never wants to let go. The man who doesn’t cheat or lie. The man who wipes away your tears. The man who tells you every day how much he loves you. The man who calls youwife.”
He releases my hand and reaches into the pocket of his jacket, taking out my dream wedding ring. “I want you to be my wife, Emma Lia. Will you marryme?”
I blink, my eyes slowly filling with tears. “I love you, Tristan, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course, I’ll marryyou.”
Our friends and family clap and cheer as Tristan slides the ring onto myfinger.
“And now for the next part.” He inhales deeply and exhales. “Will you marry me Saturday atsunset?”
“This Saturday? Like two days fromnow?”
“Yes.”
“I would love to, but how is that evenpossible?”
“With your family’s help, everything is already planned. All you have to do is show up and say Ido.”
I’m immediately saddened when I think of my perfect wedding dress back in New Orleans. “I don’t have adress.”
“The dress you put on hold earlier this week is here. It’s hanging in your bedroom,” Averysays.
