After our shower we walked downstairs for lunch at the small beach cafe next door. We were so hungry that we ordered everything but the kitchen sink and ate every last bite. After which we walked down to the beach, Julian smoothed out a small blanket and we applied sunscreen to each other’s backs. Julian taking extra care to slide his hands down into the crease of my ass.
“I want to take this someday.” he whispered into my ear.
“I did say I wanted to give you everything. I meant EVERYTHING.”
Julian smiled a devilish smile and all I could think was ‘What did I just get myself into?’
We spent most of the day between the water and the sand. No matter where we were our hands never strayed far from each other. Most of the time he was on his back people watching while I lay on my stomach reading a book.
“Julian?”
He squinted and turned to face me.
“Hm?”
“Can you help me help my dad? I cannot live with him spending what could possibly be his entire life in prison for something that he didn’t do.”
“I am not sure how we can but I am sure the truth to the right people would be a good start.”
“Yeah, the truth, that is what I am afraid of.”
“You have nothing to worry about sweetheart. It was an accident, an accident that was so traumatic to you that you could not remember it for almost ten years. Nobody is going to fault you, you were only a little girl.”
“I know, at least, I think I know. I also know that I cannot marry you until he can be there with us. Besides Tilly and your grandmother he is the only real family we have left.
Julian shook his head at the sad tragic truthfulness of it all.
“He’ll be there sweetheart. I promise, I keep my promises to you. Your dad WILL be at our wedding if I have to break him out with my own two hands.”
All I could do was smile at his confident assurance.
“Speaking of which...” He stood up and reached for my hand. “Give me back my ring, woman!” he demanded.
I frowned playfully as he pulled the delicate pink diamond from my finger.
“I never did get to do this right. I had the words planned and everything,” he joked in his best pouty baby voice.
I put my hand to my mouth to stifle the giddy, childish giggle at the awareness of what he was about to do on a crowded beach as he got down on one knee. In one hand he held my left hand, in the other he held out the ring. And even though I had already said yes, the little girl who had always dreamed of this moment became overly emotional and teary eyed.
“Jemma Lee Hale, my Skipper, my fairy princess, love of my life since before you were ever even born. I want to spend the rest of my life dancing in the sunlight, proudly showing my fairy wings to anyone who would care to see them with you for the rest of my life. Only I don’t want to be your prince anymore, we are no longer children and it is time to grow up. No, I want to be your king side by side with you, my queen, and together we can lead all the land towards love everlasting. I will never leave you and I promise to be everything you need me to be. I love you Jemma, will you marry me?”
After I gave Julian the obvious answer of “YES, YES, YES!” he bowed before me and took my hand, placing the ring back on my finger. He then pulled me to him and we danced. We danced until the sun set on the horizon.
“Julian, put these on.”
Jemma asked handing Julian a pair of blue sparkly fairy wings. She was never without her purple wings and she knew Julian would love a pair of his own. Maybe he would even want to live in fairyland with her. She knew it would take the towns people a while to warm up to him but as princess of fairyland she also knew that the rest of the fairies had to like him simply because she said so.
“OK Skipper.”
Though he knew Nick would give him hell if he found out he was prancing around as a fairy, Julian could never say no to Jemma, no matter what she asked of him. He didn’t know why, he just knew that he wanted to make her happy.
Nicolai had been asked to ride with his dad over to the lumber yard to help haul back wood for the fort they were building in the back yard. Mrs. Hale just told him to hang out until they got back so he decided to do what he always did when Nick was not around. He went to find Jemma who he found dancing around in the back yard in full leotard complete with those shiny purple wings.
“Wanna be my fairy prince? I am the fairy princess and all princesses need a prince. You would make a fine prince Julian.”
Did he want to be a fairy prince? What exactly did fairy princes do?
“Sure Skipper, I will be your fairy prince. What do I have to do?”
Jemma put her finger to her cheek, pressed her lips together sideways and began to think.