EPILOGUE
Amy
Two weeks later
“Ladies and gentlemen, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas.”
The room fills with the sound of polite golf claps.
“Ladies and gentlemen, men and women of the media, thank you for coming here today to witness a very special moment for the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the entire city of Los Angeles. It’s not every day that we present the Medal of Valor, but then again it’s not every day we meet a fireman as brave, selfless, and heroic as Mister Benjamin Burns.’
The Fire Chief turns to look at Benjamin and I can’t help but squeeze his hand even tighter. I’m so proud of him and so thankful that he saved my dad’s life.
“I had a long speech prepared, but today was supposed to be Benjamin’s day off so I’ve decided to cut it short.”
Laughter fills the room.
“Ladies and gentleman, it is an honor to present to you Medal of Valor recipient Benjamin Burns.”
I release his hand as he walks from the side of the stage toward the microphone. With my other hand I reach down and place it in my father’s. It’s been a couple weeks now and he’s made a tremendous recovery. He’s already back to about ninety percent of his normal self and doctors say he’ll be back to one hundred percent in another week or two. Things are definitely looking up.
“Thank you everyone,” Benjamin begins. The crowd is still cheering, whistling and applauding with everything they’ve got. Benjamin is the kind of hero Los Angeles really needs right now. His modesty has really united the city. I didn’t know the full extent of how vital he was to our city until recently. In addition to fighting fires he really donates a lot of time to charity work, much more so than I already knew, and all the fireman often take the truck into the inner city and urban areas to visit with the kids and build trust and teamwork. They really do bridge potential gaps in the community, and it’s absolutely beautiful to see.
“Thank you Chief Terrazas,” Benjamin says, after the chief places the medal around his neck.
“The real reason the Chief cut his speech short is because I asked him to, because I have one of my own.”
I feel my dad’s grip tighten even more, and I look over at him. He’s smiling at me, and he nods, releasing my hand. I’m confused.
“Amy, can you please join me on stage?”
I’m not used to public speaking, or public anything really. And I’m definitely not used to walking in heels.
I carefully make my way to center stage where he takes my hand. Surely he can tell I’m a sweaty, shaking mess. Then again maybe he can’t, because once I place my hand in his I feel balanced again. And not just balanced in my shoes, but balanced in my life. That’s one of the things that’s most important in our relationship. When I’m with him everything feels right and anything feels possible. I’ve never felt that way before, and I want to feel this way for the rest of my life, if I can.
“My daughter recently reminded me that life is indeed short. I think her exact words were, “We’ve got to go for what we want in the limited amount of time we have on this planet.” And she couldn’t be more right. This big day for me wouldn’t mean anything if I didn’t have you all here to share it with. And by you all I really do mean all of you. But there is one very special person in particular who truly makes it all worth while.”
He bends down in that beautiful black fireman’s dress uniform with the gold buttons and shiny black shoes and takes a knee.
He places his forearm on his knee and reaches into his hat, removing a dark box with the letters HW embossed on it. Oh my god, Harry Winston.
There’s a crease in the top of the box, which he opens in each direction, the two sides fanning out like wings. In the middle sits an absolutely stunning, huge, perfect diamond engagement ring.
“Amy. Beautiful. We’ve known of each other for years, but it’s only recently that we’ve grown to truly know each other. And even though I’ve learned so much about you already, I want to know more. Everything. And to do so it’s going to take a lifetime together, forever. And that’s exactly how long I want to be with you…forever. Will you make this incredible day, perfect? Will you marry me?”
I’m blinded by the flash bulbs of the press in the front row. For a moment I almost can’t see him…almost, because no matter the distractions today, tomorrow or in the future, I’ll never take my eyes off him. And now I won’t have to because he’ll be by my side forever, and I’ll be right there by his to support him, cherish him, and clean him up when he gets home covered in soot and ash from a long day of being a true hero.
“Yes!” I yell. “I’d marry you right now if we could!”
He stands up and I jump into his arms.
Chief Tarrazas taps on the microphone three times. “Is there a clergy member in the house?”
The entire room fills with laughter, including us, but it’s not because of the joke, although it’s a good one. It’s because we’re giddy in love, like school kids.
“Did I make your incredible day, perfect?” I ask.
“You make every day perfect,” he says.
A chorus of “awwws” fills the room.
“The mic is still on!” my dad yells from the side of the stage.
“Then this is the perfect time for me to thank you for giving me your blessing to marry your daughter,” Benjamin says.
“Wait!” one of the reporters in the front row says. “You’re marrying the daughter of the man you saved?”
“You have no idea how deep this story goes,” he says.
“First rights! We’ll pay you thousands.”
“Hundreds of thousands,” the reporter next to that one yells.
“A million dollars. Cash!” another shouts.
“Sorry, what we’ve got isn’t for sale. It’s priceless. Right, my fiancée?”
“Right my fiancé,” I say.
“This is the happiest day for any man ever, thanks to you. I love you.”
“I love you,” I say as his lips meet mine, and I look forward to the day when our two hearts officially become one.
The End, but the story doesn’t have to end here.