Aaron’s month in VR ended with very little media fanfare. Partly because the public’s attention span was never going to last for a month, and partly because the gossip surrounding Steven Mayer and his hacking exploits was never-ending and always juicy.

When the media found photos of Carly Carpenter sitting on Mayer’s lap on a yacht in the Mediterranean, the conspiracy theories tripled overnight.

Nevermind the fact that it was meaningless. Aiko and Malcolm looked into it, and all evidence suggested the association was casual and short-lived. If Steven had ever had designs on using Carly to get to Aaron, he hadn’t had a chance to follow through on it.

Although Katie couldn’t help but feel like Carly and Steven were something of a missed love connection. Carly had tried to run her own scheme on Aaron, and it too had failed. If Steven wasn’t currently awaiting trial on fourteen federal indictments the supermodel and the ham-handed hacker might’ve been perfect for each other.

None of that mattered anymore. Eight weeks after he asked her, Katie had sold her condo, packed up her things, and was ready to move in. She hadn’t been back to Aaron’s place, their place (as he kept insisting she call it) since that first night, and she was preparing herself for the massive overhaul that blank beige palace was going to need before it was livable.

When Aaron met her in the lobby of Calvert Tower, she should’ve guessed something was up.

“I’m just happy to see you,” he insisted. “Thought I could carry you over the threshold.”

“We’re not married,” she said, slapping his arm playfully.

“Yet,” he said with a wink.

Katie stared at him, but Aaron’s expression remained fixed, a benign smile with his gaze settled straight ahead.

When they reached the top floor, the private elevator opened directly onto the penthouse terrace, and Katie began to cry as soon as the doors opened.

It was there, every bit of it. Her designs, the decor she’d created for him in HyperLyfe, recreated in reality, on the top floor of Calvert Tower.

She stepped tentatively out onto the brick floor.

“Firepit,” she said pointing as they walked through the space. “Teak chairs. Fountain.”

“It’s not identical of course,” said Aaron quickly. “But we did the best we could in the amount of time we had.” He pulled her in for a hug, kissed her on the top of the head. “And you and I can perfect it together, find more pieces, whatever you want.”

“The hot tub,” she said pointing and laughing.

“Oh yeah, that’s my favorite. Best idea. Ever.”

Katie turned in his arms, and looked at the brightly lit interior of the apartment that was visible through the large windows.

“I want to see inside,” she said. “Did you do the fireplace?”

“Oh hell yeah, we did the fireplace. And the chair and the mural.” Aaron grinned at her suggestively.

“Oh my god.” She covered her face with her hands. “You did not do the mural. What if we want to have people over?”

Aaron took her hand and dragged her inside.

“Look,” he said. Moving to a panel on the wall , he pressed his thumb to it. On the far wall of the living room a giant panel slid up into the ceiling revealing a vivid reproduction of the erotic painting. “See we can hide it,” he said. “When the kids start getting old enough to ask questions.”

“Kids?” she said, shooting him a look.

“Yeah, you know, eventually.”

“How many?” she asked.

“I dunno, up to you. I always thought two, maybe three.”

She sniffed and Aaron stuffed his hands in his pockets, looked at her expectantly.

“Yeah okay,” she said, unable to fight the smile. “That’s kind of what I was thinking too.”

“Great. Come see the kitchen.”

* * *

They christened the kitchen, and the bedroom, came out for a snack and ended up at the bistro set on the terrace, sipping Prosecco as the fountain serenaded them and the stars competed with city lights in the midnight sky.

She was gazing at those stars, her back to him when she heard it, the tiny clink of metal, the barely audible fizzing sound that a diamond makes as it falls through bubbles to the bottom of a glass. Her breath caught and her palms immediately began to sweat and when she turned, he was on his knee, holding up her glass.

“I didn’t think this through all the way,” he said, frowning. “I think if you’re gonna do the knee thing you probably shouldn’t do the ring in the glass thing.” Aaron stuck his finger in the bubbles and fished around as Katie clapped her hands over her mouth and tried not to cry.

“Got it! Ha!” Aaron held the ring up in triumph, then set the glass down on the table. Clearing his throat he took her hand and held up the ring.

“Katie Martinez aka Catalina Celestina.”

Katie sniffed as the tears started to roll down her cheeks and Aaron had to stop, steel himself and sneak a quick wipe at his own eyes before he could continue.

“I love you so much,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I really want to do this thing with you. Invent a life together. Our life. Wabi-sabi. Kids and house and we can live here too if you want, whatever you want–”

“Yes,” she said before he could continue.

“Yes?”

“Yes.” She nodded so hard she saw stars. Aaron shoved the ring on her finger, leapt up, and gathered her into that tall warm tower of muscle.

“Oh thank god,” he said, sighing heavily. “I was worried I was rushing you again. Oh god, this could’ve gone so bad, it did go so bad actually. That ring in the glass thing was Aik’s idea by the way, jeez–”

“Aaron,” she said, but he kept talking. “Aaron?” she said it louder this time.

“Yeah beauty? What is it?”

“I love you too. And I can’t wait to marry you and do the whole life-inventing thing too, but I really don’t want to talk about Aiko right now.”

She attacked him, hands fisting in his hair as her mouth crashed over his.

“What do you want?” he said, when they broke apart, his expression hopeful. “We talking movie time or cuddling or maybe like….”

“Round two,” she said with a grin. “Right now.”