My heart thundered as I walked inside Gio’s home, because I had this news that I had to share with him. I knew he’d be excited, and that was why I’d gone to all those lengths to act like I wouldn’t be back for ages. I just wanted it to be right.

“So, how have things been?” I asked sweetly, acting all innocent which I knew would wind him up.

“What’s going on with you?”

“Don’t give me that!” He threw his hands above his head. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming home for ages.”

“I know,” I laughed so loudly my head fell backward. “I said that to fool you because… well, I have some good news for you.”

“What’s that?” He looked on edge, like he was expecting the worst to happen, making me smile much brighter. This had worked even better than I hoped it would.

“I’m back.”

He stared at me.

“As in, I’m back, for good.”

I felt the need to clarify, just in case he hadn’t totally gotten it yet. I wanted him to be surprised, but he needed to understand for that to happen.

“But… but… the contract.”

“I wasn’t totally honest about all of that,” I admitted happily.

“I was training to become an electrician. I did the qualification whilst I was still working, and now I have job set up ready for me.”

“So you’re done with the army?” Gio’s face paled.

He looked sick to his stomach, but in the best way possible, like he didn’t quite know how to process any of this.

“Like, for good?”

I pulled him in for a kiss, reaping the rewards of the last few months of hard work. This plan formulated a year and a half ago, when I first left Gio behind, and I’d been doing it in secret ever since.

At first I kept it to myself in case it didn’t all plan out in the way that I wanted, but I also enjoyed knowing that the surprise would be an epic one.

“I’m all yours now,” I told him softly. “If you’ll still want me.”

“Of course, you idiot!” He punched playfully on the arm as he chuckled weakly.

“I just… I’m stunned. I can’t believe it. Your letter only just came, and I was planning on months alone, dealing with the wedding planning nightmare without you.”

“Well, now you have me, so everything is all good. Although I might not tell Max until the wedding’s done…”

As I walked through the apartment, my heart lifted with excitement.

I knew how much Gio loved me. It was utterly obvious every single day, but I still found it touching when he did nice things for me to prove that much. It was clear that he’d slowly been making space for me in his home and his life. It was the little things, like the constant stock of lemonade he always had even when I wasn’t going to be back for months.

It meant I was right to do everything that I’d done, including what was to come next.

As Gio moved around me, still looking at me like I wasn’t quite real, my face broke into a smile. I wasn’t the best at keeping secrets anyway, so the fact that I’d just revealed a whole bunch that I’d been keeping locked away for ages was making it even harder to keep this last one inside.

Oh, sod it. It was time to do it now.

I didn’t have any major plans for this anyway, so why not now? If this experience had taught me anything, it was that there was no time like the present.

“Gio.” I dropped to one knee as he stared at me. “I have something that I want to ask you.”

“What are you doing?” he panted, his hand loudly clapping against his mouth.

“Derek, what is this?”

He knew, well it seemed like he did, but it was overwhelming him.

“This is something that should’ve happened years ago, if external forces hadn’t gotten in the way. We were always meant to be together; we knew that even back then. And now we’ve been brought back together to finally make that happen. It would be a waste to not take full advantage of that. I wanted to wait until I was back in your life full time to do this, because I wanted it to be perfect, and I hope you agree that it is.”

“It is…” Gio’s eyes had totally welled up, emotion was getting the better of him, but the most important part was that he looked overjoyed. “It is amazing.”

“So, what do you say, will you make me the happiest man alive and agree to marry me?”

Saying those words aloud caused a hot happiness to explode in my chest.

It just felt so right.

“I can’t believe this,” Gio said breathlessly. “It’s too much, I just… after all this time I can’t believe that it’s finally happening. You’re going to be moving in here, you’ll be with me properly, and now we’re going to get married too.”

“Is that a yes then?” I asked, trying to laugh before I burst into tears too.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”

“Yes, of course it’s a yes! How could you ever think it wouldn’t be, you fool? You know I love you, I’d love nothing more than to marry you.”

As Gio threw his arms around me, and his lips collided with mine, everything felt right with the world.

All the choices that I’d ever made in my life, even the not-so-great ones, had made all of this happen, and I was so grateful.

“I can’t believe you’re going to make an honest man out of me.”

“I know,” I murmured against his lips.

“I’m the luckiest man alive. I can’t wait to love you forever more.”