I said nothing, covering my mouth, emotion welling up inside of my body, my eyes filling. Inside the ring box was a single solitaire diamond, several karats in weight. It was oval and set in a plain white gold band, but circling the diamond were smooth curves arcing around the diamond in an embrace.
"Katherine," Drake said, his voice deep and soft. "I know we agreed that you were collared and that it was as good as an engagement, but I've been thinking since then. Finding out I had a son, meeting him, doing what I could to help him made me realize I don't want to go through life without a family. I don't know what the future will hold for us. I only know that I can't imagine not spending it with you."
I still didn’t say anything, so surprised that after all the turmoil of the past month and a half while we waited to come to Africa, through the news of Liam's existence, his illness, the donation and all the misunderstandings between us, he'd want to become engaged to me.
"Drake," I said, searching his face. "Are you sure of this? I thought you didn't want to get married again."
"Kate," he said, his voice full of emotion. "I love you so much. I didn’t realize how much until that night I thought I'd lost you. I said I never wanted us to be parted again, and I meant it."
My eyes filled with tears, my hands shaking a bit. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on the ring finger of my left hand.
He cleared his throat, his voice thick. "I believe the proper words are 'I love you, Katherine. Will you marry me?'" He smiled up at me, his eyes twinkling in that way.
I couldn't speak, my eyes blurry.
"I believe the desired response is 'Yes, Drake, I love you and will marry you.'"
"Yes," I managed finally. "Yes, Drake, I love you and will marry you."
He finally stood up and wrapped his arms around me, and the only sound besides my happy tears was of the waves crashing on the coast below.
The flight from Naples to Nairobi was relatively short. As we approached the city, I looked out the cabin window. We were high up over the continent, and below us, tiny clouds dotted the view, casting shadows on the land below, the plains golden in the sunlight and broken up by swathes of green forest. As we descended, we passed through clouds, the land below appearing and disappearing between them. A long sinuous river marked the landscape, silvery in the sunlight.
"We're almost there," Drake said, taking my hand in his, threading his fingers through mine. "If you look out now, you'll see the city."
I craned my neck and sure enough, there was the city, spread out below us with a modern city center and tall buildings, and the sprawl around it. If I didn't know the destination, I might think it was any city in the US, surrounded by green fields. Finally, after a smooth landing, our plane passed outbuildings and hangars on the way to the main terminal.
"Well, Ms. Bennet. Here we are," Drake said, smiling. He pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I smiled at him and turned back to the window to watch as we taxied to the terminal.
In the distance I could see the Ngong Hills, dark against a perfectly clear blue sky.
THE END