overflowing her eyes and running down her cheeks. “Michael, I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say ‘Yes’ for now. Everything else can be worked out, just say that you’ll be my wife.” Michael searcher her eyes, willing her to give him some indication she was of the same mind.
Grace couldn’t speak as the tears clogged her throat so she nodded her head.
Michael whooped once and then pulled her from her chair, tumbling backwards as they both fell to the soft grass in laughter. “You won’t regret it. I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the world.”
“I already am,” Grace informed him as she watched him place the diamond solitaire upon her left hand. “You know Daniella is going to be ecstatic, right?”
“I hope so. And you don’t have to answer right now, but sometime in the future, I would love to become her father. Legally.”
Grace’s heart was so full of love for the man in front of her. “You know, after Alec died, there was a part of me that wanted to die as well. But then I had Daniella to keep me waking up each morning, and going through the motions of life, and slowly things went back to normal.
Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t realized I needed something else for me. When I saw Samuel and Jane growing closer together, I was jealous. Just a little bit. I missed having that connection with another adult; being able to share the day’s accomplishments and challenges with someone else at the end of the day.”
Michael caressed a hand down her hair; giving her all of his attention. “I want those same things. It won’t always be sunshine and roses. There are days when I want to raise my fists to the sky and scream at God for taking yet another child from this earth.”
“I’ll be there to share your sorrow when that happens,” Grace promised him, sealing her words with a tender kiss. As they broke apart, the dampness of the grass penetrated her mind and she shivered, “You are going to have a gigantic wet spot on your backside.”
Michael grinned at her, giving her a push to help her rise from the ground and then standing up himself. He dusted his pants off to the best of his ability, and when he looked over his shoulder, he was indeed sporting a giant wet spot on the back his dress pants and down his right leg. “It’s a good thing I wore dark pants today. Let’s eat.”
Grace resumed her seat, and they spent the next forty-five minutes consuming the delicious meal that Jane and her new staff had prepared for them. “So, did Jane know what you were up to?”
Michael blushed, “Yes. I had to take her into my confidence, otherwise, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get the ring into the glass.”
“Thank you for making this moment so special,” Grace told him, reaching across the table and taking his hand in hers.
Michael lifted their clasped fingers to his mouth, kissing her fingers lightly before setting her hand back down on the table. “So, I was thinking of a way we might tell Daniella the good news.”
“Really? I’m all ears,” Grace told him, finishing her meal and then pushing the plate back on the table.”
“I was thinking of getting her a locket and having both Alec and my name engraved on it. One on each side. I don’t want her to ever forget Alec.”
Grace burst into tears again, “Michael that is the sweetest, most caring thing I think I’ve ever heard.”
Michael looked at her indulgently and then leaned forward to whisper, “Are you going to cry every time I do something nice for you?”
Grace promptly nodded her head, “Yes!”
Michael sighed and then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket; Grace had already used the napkins to wipe up her tears from earlier. “Well then, I guess I better invest in some more of these,” he said as he handed it across the table to her.
Grace laughed through her tears, “Either that or I need to start carrying a big box of tissues around with me.” She wiped her tears, pleased when