Lucas was nervous. He had never been this nervous in his entire life, in fact, he felt as if he would throw up.

“You got this” Melvin said patting him on the back.

He looked around the art studio that he had rented for this exact moment. Candles littered the room and he had filled it with red roses that gave off a beautiful smell. For a month he had spent all his time mooning over Scarlet until he realized that she loved him just as much as he loved her. She hadn’t said it, but she had shown him every day. She had accommodated him, treated him as if nothing had happened between them. If he could have gone to her home every night, he would have and she would have let him. She didn’t need to say anything, it was evident.

“Are you sure she’s coming?” he asked her sister Cecile who had helped him to set all this up.

“She couldn’t miss this” her sister replied, “I would literally kill her.

“Good,” Lucas said

Not long after they heard the sound of a car pulling up. Lianne went to the door to greet her and Melvin left the room. He waited for her for what seemed like an eternity. The moment their eyes met, he knew this was what he wanted, it was what he was missing, and it was what he needed.

“Scarlet,” he said stepping forward

She looked around in obvious confusion.

“Lucas, what’s this?” she asked

“I think we should talk,” he said

“Okay” she replied walking over to where he stood in the middle of the room.

“I have loved you since the day I laid my eyes on you” he said as she stepped closer, “you were this bright bubbly redhead with curls that confused and bewitched me”

She smiled, and he could see a tear roll down her cheek.

“When I was nineteen I made you a promise and I broke it. I have no one but myself to blame for that.” He said, “Now we’re much older and we have much more at stake. And I want to take back all the hurt and begin anew.”

“Lucas” she whispered

“Scarlet I love you.” He whispered falling to one knee. “I’ve always loved you, all those years we’ve been apart I never stopped. I want you to be my wife, I want us to raise our son together and I want to have many more babies with you.”

He watched her and saw the tears falling from her eyes. They weren’t sad tears, he had seen that look enough times to know that those were tears of happiness. Reaching into the breast pocket of his jacket, he pulled out the brilliant ruby ring he had bought for her. It glinted in the light and he saw the way she smiled.

“You remembered” she whispered

He smiled, he had gone for the ruby instead of the diamond because many years ago she had confided in him how much more she loved the stone.

“Will you marry me?” he asked

“Yes” she replied, “I’ll marry you”

He stood and pulled her towards him for a hug.

“I love you so much” he whispered,

“I love you too” she replied,” you lied to me, you told me you would be gone all week.”

He pulled back and looked down at her.

“I will never ever lie to you again my love,” he said

She looked away and he wondered what she was thinking.

“Is everything right?” he asked

“I have something to tell you.” She replied, “I wanted to tell you in person.”

“Don’t tell me you have another husband hidden somewhere?” he said jokingly

He had meant it as a joke but he was beginning to hope he wasn’t right.

“No, it’s,” she said avoiding his gaze, “I’m pregnant.”

He was so stunned that he stopped breathing altogether. His hands immediately went to her stomach where he felt the smallest hint of a bulge. She was pregnant, and he was confident the child was his.

“It’s yours by the way,” she said confirming his suspicion, “I found out two days ago.”

“You’re pregnant.” He said as a new happiness began to fill him, “how did I end up this lucky?”

She looked at him with surprise and he pulled her back into his arms.

“You don’t know how happy you’ve made me,” he said

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before,” she said, “and here I thought sleeping with you would make me love you less.”

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said, “I’m happy you had our son, I’m happy you made me the happiest father ever and I’m thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with you.”

“Thank you,” she said,

He could see the relief in her eyes and he knew deep down he would never again give her a reason too doubt his love and commitment to her.

“Finally,” her sister said walking into the room, “I knew this would happen eventually.”

“Same here,” Melvin said walking up to him, “I know love when I see it.”

They all laughed.

Lucas allowed her to go to her sister and he watched her in disbelief. He couldn’t believe the way things had turned out. He thought for a long time he had lost her and his chance at love, but it turned out she had loved him all this time and had cared for their son selflessly. He didn’t think there was any way he could make up for the pain he caused her in the past, but he would spend the rest of his life making her and their children happy. Everything he thought he would never have was right here for him all at once.