“This is the best birthday of my life. So much love in a thousand square meters, it’s crazy.”
He’s right, but that’s not what I was getting at. “Look over there, Luca and Jannis.”
“Oh, not just love.” Shrugging and laughing, he is about to turn away.
“No, that’s not what I meant. Look at Jannis’s left hand. Ring finger. There’s something shimmering there.” Louis squints intently, maybe he should think about getting glasses.
“Is that... is that a ring? Is it what I think it is? Oh my God.” Excitedly, he covers his mouth with his hand.
“Shh, I think Jannis wants to keep it to himself for now.”
“You’ve known Luca long enough to know that in twenty minutes at the latest, everyone will know. Personally, I’m betting on five.” You can’t keep anything secret in this family, and somehow I love that. The freedom, the warmth, and I’m so glad that my parents and my sister with her boyfriend were able to find a place here too.
A commotion on the lawn pulls me out of my thoughts. Jannis is hanging onto Luca from behind, covering his mouth with his left hand, and now everyone can see it.
Philipp is the first to react. “Jannis, sweetheart, what’s that on your finger? Is there something you want to tell us?”
A slender young man breaks away from the group of onlookers and takes Jannis in his arms, who looks like a deer in the headlights. They whisper to each other, then he kisses Jannis’s left ring finger.
Luca has disappeared, so all eyes are on the two of them. Levi chuckles happily on Philipp’s arm, while Felias sleeps through the action with Adrien.
“If you could keep July 27 free next year? We would be very happy.” Then he kisses Jannis tenderly.
Louis grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly as the world around us seems to explode.
It’s late, the garden is ours again, the boys are asleep. Let’s see how long that lasts while we cuddle up on our big lounge sofa. “I’m happy for them, they really deserve a little happiness.” I nod in agreement and look out at the little paradise we have created for ourselves, at our happiness, which I almost gave away because I was so afraid of my father.
I turn to my husband, who, despite everything, couldn’t let me go any more than I could let him. My number one, my forever. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He looks at me, confused.
“For loving me. For still loving me even when you didn’t want to love me anymore.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Now I’m confused.
“For facing your fears, for being willing to give up everything you ever wanted, just for me. Thank you for never giving up on fighting against your mind.”
Much more gently than Louis usually does, he kisses me,then looks at me.
“Love is strong. Love conquers all.”
THE END
