Page 61 of Romeo vs Romeo

“I imagine it would,” I admitted. “Because here’s the thing. I don’t want a life without you, baby. You are my everything.”

A curious look came into his eyes, almost as if something showed him what the future would look like in ten seconds.

“And…” I fumbled with my right hand before I could slide it into my pocket. When I did, everything else went exactly as I had hoped. I didn’t drop it, and I didn’t stumble, and I didn’t fall. Smoothly, I descended to one knee, right hand holding the small, black box, lifting it between us as Roman jumped back and slapped both hands against his mouth. His eyes were wide and dazzling. “And when I think of my future, you are the biggest and best part of it, Roman.” I opened the box, thinking that I should have had it prepared with more razzle-dazzle, perhaps a plane flying over us with the question written on a banner or something like that. But there wasn’t a force in the world that could have made me wait any longer. I had been saving from the last three salaries for this, and I could finally make a happy future happen for us. We could buy that beautiful apartment on Christopher Street, and we could throw a big engagement party. “Roman Cross, will you marry me?” I asked, my voice bubbling with excitement and anticipation.

“Ohmygod yes,” he blurted. “Yes. I don’t believe this is real. But yes. Are you sure you want me to? You can still…”

“I’m sure,” I said, my voice cracking, tears blurring my vision.

“Because I’m a lot,” Roman warned me.

I nodded, crying and smiling and making a real mess of myself. “That’s okay.”

“No, but seriously, what if you regret it?” He moved his hands from his lips to me, then back. “I’m loud. I’m prickly. I’m really cranky if you wake me up too early. I’m a terrible cook, as you well know.” Tears rolled down his cheeks, but his dimples were still there because he could not wipe that smile off his face.

“I know that,” I assured him in a quivering, emotional tone that crackled with joy. “I still want to be your husband.”

Roman bit his lip, looked into my eyes, then at his hands, and nodded. “Okay. Then yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” And he gave me his left hand. His fingers trembled until his hand touched mine, and then we were both calm. I gently placed a ring of hammered gold on his ring finger, and he gasped when he lifted his hand and looked at it. “You made me the happiest guy in the world,” I told him as I got up.

Roman said nothing. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his smile was huge. Instead of speaking, he threw his arms around my neck and rose on his toes to give me a kiss that would be burned into my memory so vividly that it would be the last thing I think of when I pass away. He kissed me so deeply and wonderfully, salty tears mixing with sweet lips, and we cried and laughed simultaneously, holding onto each other for a long time.

When we finally let go, we were both shaking with excitement. And then I told him about the visit this morning. His hand tightened around mine when I began, and he gasped at all the surprises from my mother’s speech and spiritual journey. He thought I’d done the right thing by forgiving her.

“And then she told me,” I said, holding his hand in both of mine. “That around four million dollars in my trust fund survived the company crash and that they’re mine.”

Roman’s mouth dropped open, eyes wide, head shaking in disbelief.

I nodded.

“What are you…” He wheezed and tried again. “What are you going to do with it?”

The fact he didn’t even suspect that he would be included in those decisions was why I loved him so much. He was the most selfless guy I’d ever met. He was always ready to fight for others, but he never imagined that others should fight for him.

“We will do with it whatever is going to make us happy,” I said. “Apartment, charity, a wedding that will make this entire city melt away.” We were happy with nothing; we would be happy with everything.

“Yes,” Roman whispered, still staring at me in shock. “Yes to all of that.”

I pulled him into a firm hold in the safety of my arms. He was my heart and my soul; he was my whole life. He was the reason the sky was bright, and trees were lush, and a new day was worth waking up to.

He was my love.