“The income I made while boosting cars was set aside. As soon as I became a civilian again, I donated it to a handful of local charities. It felt wrong to keep that money for myself, but there are plenty of worthwhile organizations that could benefit from a little blood money.”
“And just when I think you can’t get any more perfect,” she mumbles while sniffling.
“I couldn’t keep that money. When I worked at First Class, I really worked hard to keep everything I touched clean. The first thing I bought was the Camaro, followed by a few other bachelor necessities.”
“Like the big screen TV?” she asks with a laugh.
“You know it,” I mumble while drying her eyes with my thumbs. My arm is starting to throb from the constant movement, but there’s no way in hell that I’m letting it spoil this moment.
“And do you know what would make this day even more perfect?” I ask her.
“What?”
That’s my cue. I drop down to one knee in front of her. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I continue, “Let me tell you a story. This is one you may have heard, but it’s my favorite story of all time. You ready?”
With a handful of nods in quick succession, Carly stares at me wide-eyed for me to continue. “One night, this boy went to a bar. He went there with his pain in the ass little brother, but he didn’t leave with his brother. No, he met the girl of his dreams at that bar. They danced and drank and flirted shamelessly until the boy asked the girl to go home with him. That night, the boy fell in love for the first time, for the first real time. Anything and everything that came before that night was nothing in comparison.
“The boy had to leave the girl before she woke the next morning though. It killed him to walk away, but he had already committed to something major with his job. The boy thought about that girl every day. He dreamed about her every night. He even went as far as to get a tattoo that only he knew of the true meaning.
“One day, the boy went to work at his crazy job and the girl walked into the room. Time stood still. The earth suddenly stopped rotating. Everything ceased to exist. The girl of his dreams had walked back into his life.” I stroke the soft skin of her hands as I gaze into her eyes. Reliving the highlights of our story has caused more tears to fall.
“The girl invited the boy to her place. There, the boy learned he was a father to the most beautiful baby girl in the whole world. He fell instantly and hopelessly in love with his daughter before he even held her. Suddenly, the boy felt like his life was almost complete. Of course, things were very complicated for the boy with his job. He had a big secret that he was keeping from the girl, and even though he’d do it all the same all over again, it pained him greatly to keep such a huge part of himself a secret.
“The boy and the girl had a lot of crap to wade through. The girl’s father was into some heavy things, and the boy was right smack dab in the middle.
“One day, the girl was taken from the boy. He did everything he could–fought like hell to get her back. He even took a bullet, which he would gladly do all over again to ensure that the girl and their baby were safe. The boy knew right then and there that there was no delaying this any longer. The boy wanted to marry the girl more than anything in this world. So he planned an elaborate proposal complete with a brand new home and a built-in babysitter. When the moment was right, the boy got down on one knee and asked the girl to marry him.”
“What did the girl say?” she says with a smile.
“She said yes, of course. This is my story,” I tell her causing a hearty laugh.
“It’s a beautiful story,” Carly adds with another smile.
“But that’s the best part of this story, Carly. This is only the beginning. This story is going to go on and on for the rest of our lives. I want to build a home, build a family, build a life with you. One perfect night, I fell in love with you. It may have taken us a little bit to find each other again, but I honestly believe that destiny pulled us back together for a reason. You are my life. You are my love. You and Natalia are everything I am because without you, I’d be nothing. Carly, will you please put me out of my misery so I can get up off my knees? Will you marry me?”
I finally have the words out. I finally have said everything that’s written in my heart. I’ve asked her to spend the rest of her life with me.
“Yes,” she says with definitive purpose. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Today if we could,” she says moments before I jump up and pull her into my arms.