“Mmm,” she mumbles, snuggling against me.
“When do you want to head home?” I ask, gently kissing the back of her neck.
“Soon if you keep that up.”
“Let’s go.”
I collect our cooler from the drink table while Bethany says our goodbyes. She’s had a few glasses of wine so I drive with her cuddled up to my side.
When we get to the house, she pops into her office to check her email while I head out to the back porch. After a couple minutes, I ask her to join me.
“It’s dark out here. Want me to turn on the porch light?” she asks from the doorway.
“It’s not that dark. Come here, baby.”
Silhouetted from the light inside the house, she almost glows before she closes the door and joins me out on the porch.
“I poured you a glass of wine,” I say, passing it to her.
“Oh, baby, I’m already a sure thing,” she teases, taking it.
“And I’m sure about you.” I lean over and kiss her cheek.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” she murmurs.
“I have something for you,” I say, handing her a glass jar with a firefly inside.
“Aww. Little guy. When’d you catch him?” She sets down her wine and lifts the jar to get a better look.
As she moves it the ring slides across the bottom, clinking on the glass. Her eyes widen as they focus on the ring. “Beau?”
She looks up at me but I’m not there. Her mouth drops when she looks down to see me on one knee in front of her.
I take her free hand and wrap both of my hands around it. “Bethany. In a moment you are going to free that little firefly from that jar and I hope let me put that ring on your finger. You freed me, darling, from the fear that I wasn’t good enough. Even when we didn’t know if my foot would get better, your feelings for me did not waver in the slightest. You are the most caring, generous, crazy, beautiful woman I know and I’d be honored if you would consider becoming my Missus.”
Even in the dim light the hint of tears glisten in her eyes as she nods her head. I stand, pulling her into my arms and kiss her. She stays wrapped up in me as she opens the lid of the jar to release the firefly. I lift one arm from around her and reach into the jar to collect her ring.
“This was my grandmother’s ring on my mom’s side of the family. She’s been saving it for me and swore I couldn’t have it without her blessing. She was thrilled when I asked for it for you.”
It slips right on. “It’s a perfect fit,” she sighs.
“You’re my perfect fit.”
The End