EPILOGUE

LIAM

It was a Monday morning, or so I had heard. I was on Instagram earlier that day, and Clint had posted a typical “I hate Mondays” post. When I read his post I had to stop and think for a second, was it really a Monday? After much deliberation, I decided that it was. Not that it mattered. I didn't live that way anymore. Monday, Saturday, Sunday? They were all the same to me, and they were all heaven.

"She told me she was safe," Jamie assured me as I pulled the thermometer from his mouth. "She seemed really trustworthy. And she had the most beautiful face, too. Her eyes, and her nose and her mouth."

"I know what features constitute a face," I said, shaking my head as I read his temperature.

"What I meant was that she didn't seem like the type to, you know? Have an STD. I don't know, maybe I need to be more careful?"

"What have I been telling you for the last three months?" I said, patting Jamie on the back.

"That tourist's can't be trusted?"

"Exactly. They seem nice enough. They're on vacation, after all. But they leave and when they do, you end up in here with swollen glands and dizzy spells. Trust me, cover up next time. You'll thank me for it."

"Okay, okay," Jamie said, holding his hands up in defense. "Next time, I promise."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I did. It was the third time that Jamie had been into my office in the last month alone. And I had lost count of the number of times he had been in since I opened the place three months prior. Something told me that despite his sincerity, I was going to be seeing him again real soon.

Jamie was a little younger than me. In his mid-twenties, he was a stereotypical Australian surfer, living what most deemed to be the dream. I had gotten used to seeing him so many times that the two of us had started to become good friends. Not to mention the number of times that I saw him outside of the practice.

The town that we lived in was rather smaller, and bumping into regulars was common. They stood out from the tourists like sore thumbs, and after a time, we came to recognize one another.

"Well?" he asked, looking a little nervous. "Do you think I need to give blood this time? Or pee in a cup?"

"I’ll tell you, Jamie, someone up there likes you." He sighed with relief as I threw the disposable thermometer in the trash. "If I had to guess, I would say that you're just a little washed out. How many nights this week have you been out?"

"Ah." He counted his fingers up as he looked up to the ceiling. "Every one of them."

"And how many of those nights did you either go home with someone or stay up to see the sunrise?"

"Every one of them. But come on, Doc, have you seen the sunrise here? It's beautiful. You can't argue with that."

"No, you're right. I can't." I chuckled again, slapping him on the back. "I'm a bit busy to be seeing it every night, though. So, I'll just take your word that today's was as majestic as ever. And please, do me a favor and get to bed early at least one night this week. You'll thank me for it."

"Deal," Jamie said as he jumped off the counter and began to do his shirt up. He had taken it off automatically, assuming that he would be giving blood. I had taken blood samples from him several times in the past, so I couldn't hold it against him for being prepared. "Hey, how's Kate doing? I haven't seen her around for a while."

"Yeah, she's good. She's working on a new novel, so she's been locked up in the house the last few days. The writer's life."

"Ah, I see," he said. "I don't know how she does it to be honest. I can't stay in my house more than a few hours at a time."

"I was wondering why you were so tanned. I guess that explains it."

Jamie was a diving instructor. He had blonde hair and very tanned skin. He spent the majority of his time either in the water or in other girls’ beds.

"Such is life. Well, Doc, something tells me that I'll be seeing you in a few days." He slapped me on the back as he turned to exit my little practice.

"Hey, Jamie. I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something first? And if you could keep a secret?"

"Yes, and yes," he said, turning back to face me. "What is it?"

"Here," I hurried across to my desk, rummaging through it until I found what I was looking for. In the top drawer, pushed to the back so as to avoid prying eyes, was a small wooden box about an inch in diameter. Picking it up from its hiding place, I turned back to show it to Jamie, opening the small box as I did.

"Ah, I'm flattered Doc. I really am. But I just don't think I know you well enough."

Inside the small box was an engagement ring, which accounted for Jamie's reaction. I had bought the ring a little over two weeks ago, with the intent on waiting for the perfect time to ask Kate to marry me. But as the days passed and I continued to hunt for a moment that I considered to be perfect enough, I came to realize something.

Every moment with Kate these days was perfect. Not only did we live in paradise, but just the act of asking the woman I loved to marry me would make the moment perfect, no matter where or when or how I did it.

I was going to ask Kate to marry me. I was certain she would say yes. I had been thinking of it for over a month. I had the ring for two weeks. I was going to ask her that night. I couldn’t wait any longer.

"Very funny," I said, snapping the box closed. "But you're not really my type either, just so you know."

"Please," Jamie said, flashing me a very charming smile. "I'm everyone's type. But seriously. When are you doing it? I assume it's for Kate right and you're asking her to marry you? I'm not really familiar with the whole thing so forgive me for having to ask."

"Tonight. I'm going to ask her tonight. I just wanted to get a second opinion on the ring, that's all."

"Really? I didn't think my opinion would matter to you."

"It doesn't," I said truthfully. "But at this stage of the game, I can't stop second guessing myself. Even your opinion will mean something."

"As nice as that is to hear, Doc, I have to say that the ring was beautiful and that Kate is a very lucky lady. Now come here for the real thing." Without warning, Jamie pulled me in for a big hug. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered in my ear.

"Get off," I laughed, pushing him back. "I'll see you next week, I'm sure."

"Let's hope so. Otherwise, I'm not living life properly. Later, Doc, and good luck." He turned around, threw his hand in the air in an attempted wave, and strolled from my office in his always cool manner.

As I watched Jamie go, I couldn't help but agree with what he had said. Yes, the ring was beautiful, and yes, Kate was a lucky lady. The two of us were lucky. We had each other, and this ring was going to be a testament to that. But first I had to ask her.

--

I shut my office doors at four that day, as I did every day. It really was a thing of beauty. My office was a tiny little thing, only big enough to hold three patients at once, and none for longer than a few hours. It was typical of most doctors' offices in these kinds of remote locations. My typical clientele were hungover party goers and tourists who accidentally drank the water, even though they knew they weren't meant to. Although it wasn't exactly brain testing stuff, I still loved every minute of it.

Closing my office doors, I stepped foot onto the dirt road out the front of my practice, hopped on my bicycle, and began the very short and easy ride back to my home.

It was Phi Phi Island that Kate and I had moved to, a small island off the coast of Phuket, Thailand. The population was around 2500 people, the roads were all dirt, there were no cars or motorbikes, the main industry was tourism, and I had never been happier.

The island itself was a tropical paradise. With the town being built into the base of a small mountain, the temperature never dropped below eighty degrees, the beach was everywhere, the locals were friendly, and Kate and I had adapted to the local conditions like a glove. I was one of two doctors on the island, and Kate was the only writer that I knew of. There were only a handful of English speaking locals, and over the past three months, we had come to befriend all of them.

My reason for choosing Phi Phi was simple enough. Kate had told me that she wanted to live in a tropical paradise. When I decided to move, even though Kate wasn't coming originally, I decided to live up to that end of the bargain. I researched where doctors were needed the most, and Phi Phi was one of the first hits. From that point, it was only too simple. And then, when Kate decided that she did want to come with me, well, she couldn't have been more excited about the choice.

I rode my bike through the crowds of tourists, all the while thinking on the night and how I saw it going down. I had booked a restaurant on the main harbor for the two of us to have dinner. It had a beautiful view of the ocean, and as it was a full moon, the atmosphere was sure to be electric.

Our place was a small hut located less than 200 yards from the ocean. It was a single bedroom affair with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. It wasn't large in size, but considering it was only the two of us living there, it was more than enough.

When I got home, Kate was exactly where I had left her. She had started work on a new novel and had spent the last week working non-stop.

"Hey hon," I shouted as I entered the house. "How's it coming along?"

"Okay," she said, pushing herself away from her laptop and crossing the room to greet me. "I didn't do as much today as I would have liked."

Upon reaching me, I pulled her into a warm embrace. Even after three months, I still hadn’t gotten sick of holding her in my arms. I was sure that I never would.

"Oh yeah, how come?"

"Oh, no reason," she said cryptically. "Just errands."

She turned back to her work. It was probably my imagination, and it was probably because I had so much on my mind, but she seemed to be acting a little odd. But no matter, I was sure that it was just me exaggerating things, especially considering the circumstances.

"You'll be ready to go in two hours?" I asked.

"Huh?" she said vaguely, keeping her eyes glued to the screen.

"Dinner. The reservation is in two hours."

"Oh yeah. Yeah, of course." Again, she seemed to be acting a little weird.

It was always hard to get her attention when she worked, but this time, she seemed to be purposefully avoiding my question.

But again, I decided that I was imagining things. And as such, I hurried into the bedroom, stripped into my bathing suit, and made my way to the beach. I almost always took a swim in the afternoon after work. The beach was so close and the weather was so delightful, how could I not?

--

The restaurant I had chosen was empty that night, which I was grateful for. As Phi Phi was a tropical party island, the tourists ranged from drunk English backpackers to slightly more civilized honeymooners. But these were rare.

That meant that for those willing to pay a little more for the finer dining experience, they were likely to find the restaurants quiet and peaceful. It also meant that the wait staff were far more attentive to one’s needs. I had actually stopped by the restaurant earlier that day to tell them what I was doing and ask for any assistance they could give me. They were only too happy to help.

"I've wanted to try here for a while," Kate said as I led her through the restaurant.

"I know," I said coyly.

I was aware of course. She had told me a month earlier that she wanted to try the place out. I stored the information in the back of my mind at the time, knowing that it would eventually come in handy. I wanted everything to be perfect.

The table was the best in the restaurant, too. It was nearest the open wall at the back, the one that faced the harbor. That meant that it had a clear view of both the ocean and the moon. As it was, at that moment, the moon was shining brightly in the sky, shimmering down on the placid water. It was picturesque, to say the least.

"Ooh, romantic," Kate joked as we pulled up a seat.

She may have been referring to either the setting or the pre-opened bottle of champagne that sat on the table. I had called ahead to make sure it was there.

"Is it?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "I hadn't really noticed."

The dinner went as well as it could have. We ordered our appetizers and entrees while enjoying the best bottle of champagne in the restaurant, and most likely the entire island. Well, I enjoyed it. Kate claimed that she was feeling a little queasy and wasn't in the mood for alcohol. She chose to have water instead.

It was that and other little indicators that continued to give me the distinct impression that Kate was acting oddly. It was as if she wanted to tell me something, but didn't know how. I continued to write it off as my imagination, but it was almost as if she knew that I was going to propose.

As we finished up our meals and waited for dessert, I decided it was time to strike. Our night had gone perfectly up until that point. The food was delicious, the service was impeccable, and they had even serenaded us half way through our meal with Kate’s favorite song. Again, organized in advance by me. The timing would never be better.

"I've told you how beautiful you look tonight, haven't I?" I asked, looking deeply into Kate's perfect eyes.

"Oh, only a few times. But it's always nice to hear."

"Well, you do. In fact, you always do. Since the first day I met you, right on through to this one. There hasn't been a day where you haven't looked perfect."

"Even after the car crash? I'll let you off the hook for saying I looked a little run down that day."

Usually, that would have gotten a laugh out of me, but not that night. I was too in the zone.

"And it's not just how beautiful you are. It's how perfect you are, in every way. I mean that. I look back at that year I wasn't with you, and I don't even want to think about it. You know what I mean?"

"I do," she said, smiling as she reached forward and took my hand. "Look, Liam. You may have noticed I've been acting a little odd."

"Wait," I said, cutting in. I didn't want her to interrupt. I was on a mission. Whatever she had to say could wait until after. "Me first."

"Okay," she agreed, taking another sip of water. She looked a little put off by it, but again, I ignored it.

"Like I was saying, I can't believe that there was a whole year that I wasn't with you. That I couldn't call you mine. I see it as a year wasted. Even the week I was out here was like that. Did I tell you how glad I am that you decided to come out here with me?"

"I haven't regretted it for a moment," she said smiling as she lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

"Neither have I. And it's because of that, and because of everything really, that I have something I want to ask. It's something that I've been meaning to ask for a while now and, well, I was waiting for the right time. I kept putting it off and off. But then I realized that every time is the right time. Because every time, I will be with you and that is what makes it right. It's what makes it perfect. So, with that in mind. Kate will you—"

"Wait!" she nearly screamed as she cut me off. "Are you about to ask me to marry you?"

"Well, yeah, I am," I said sheepishly. The only thing that helped me keep my composure was the fact that she didn't sound totally put off or disgusted by the idea. Just surprised, which I guess canceled out the notion that she knew it was coming. "And despite the botched delivery, what do you say? Will you marry me?"

I had expected her to say yes straight away, leap across the table, and bury herself in my arms. Either that or for her to jump in the air with excitement and start dancing for joy. Really, I had expected a million different reactions except for the one that I got.

She looked at me for a long time, and I could see her mind working overtime. Every second that passed felt like minutes. I could feel the sweat forming on my brow. My knees began to bounce up and down. My jaw clenched. Why hadn't she said yes? What could she possibly be thinking?"

"Liam," she finally said. Her voice was hesitant as if she didn't quite know how to say what she was about to.

"Yes?" I asked, my ears perking up with anticipation.

"There's something I need to tell you."