Epilogue - Brittney
Nervous and fidgety - now these are two characteristics I never thought would apply to Kaden. But here he is now, looking into my eyes as if he’s trying to find the right words, tapping his fingertips on the table in a nervous tick.
"What is it?" I ask him, reaching across the table and laying one hand on top of his. His nervousness seems to wash away as I touch him, and he squeezes my hand, gently smiling.
"I was just thinking of how beautiful you are," he replies, his voice as smooth as the red wine we’ve been having. We’re sitting on the balcony of his penthouse, the bright lights of New York giving the night a soft orange glow. The streets below us crisscross like a web, the city going about its routine as the two of us overlook the scene.
We’ve been together for six months now, but this is actually the first time we’re doing something like this. When I received his text, asking me what I wanted for dinner, I assumed he wanted to go out and grab something to eat. But no - behind his words, his questions was really a what do you want me to cook for you? And I’ve never seen Kaden cook anything aside from a piece of toast. Yet, by the time I got home he was already waiting for me in a dark suit, his smile ready and set.
Grabbing my hand, he guided me to the balcony and waved his hand at the table he had set up outside, a red cloth draped over it and the fine cutlery arranged so neatly you’d say a professional had done it.
"What is this about?" I asked him then, and he simply told me it was about having dinner. So I sat down, and that’s where I am now, devouring the most amazing lasagna I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.
"Oh my God, where did you learn to cook like this? I didn’t even know you could cook!" I ask him, shoving a full fork into my mouth.
"That’s my super-power," he replies with a shrug, that smile of his still dancing on his lips. He has stopped tapping his fingertips on the table, but I still notice an anxious edge to his words.
"Okay, I’m promoting you to chief of cuisine, Kaden. You cook from now on," I continue, making my way through the second plate.
"Deal. But I’m going to need something from you in return."
"Ask and it shall be given," I shoot back teasingly, lifting my leg under the table and resting the tip of my high heel between his thighs. "Like I always do," I finish off, pressing on his cock slightly and enjoying the way his eyes seem to widen in surprise.
"Well, and can I ask anything?" He whispers, placing his elbows on top of the table and leaning toward me.
"Anything," I whisper back at him, already imagining the wicked thoughts running through his mind. Even though six months have passed, we still keep on having sex like lust-crazed rabbits - and every time we’re together always seem better than the last one. I really lucked out with Kaden, haven’t I?
"Well, then, if that’s the case…" He starts, going up to his feet, his chair sliding back. He dives his hand into his front pocket and walks around the table, slowly going down on one knee, his eyes locked on mine. He takes a small box from his pocket, and my heart stops beating for a moment.
It can’t be.
"Marry me, Brittney," he says, opening the box and showing me a simple golden ring. Oh God, someone pinch me right now - is this really happening?
Slowly, he takes the ring out of the box, and I offer him my trembling hand.
"Y-yes…! Yes, I’ll marry you!" I cry out, feeling the sting of tears on both my eyes. I wipe them off with the back of my free hand and, still smiling, he slides the ring into one of my fingers.
"Now, I know this isn’t a diamond ring or anything like that but --"
"I don’t care!" I cut him short. "I don’t care about diamonds and I don’t care about --"
"But," he continues, still speaking softly, "this is far more important to me. This was my grandmother’s engagement ring, Brittney. It’s been in the family for more than sixty years, passing down from my grandmother to my mother… And now it’s your turn to wear it."
"I… I don’t even know what to say," I whisper, raising my hand and looking at the way the ring fits perfectly on my fingers, its golden surface reflecting the stark glow of the brightly lit New York skyline. "It’s perfect."
"No, you’re perfect," he replies, going up to his feet and bending over, his mouth reaching for mine. My eyelids droop as I feel the touch of his lips, and I place my arms over his shoulders, pulling him into me. Moving fast, he sneaks one arm under my legs, the fabric of his shirt brushing against the back of my knees, and picks me up from the chair.
Carrying me in his arms, he looks into my eyes, a tender expression smoothing the rugged lines on his face.
"I’m the luckiest man on Earth, Brittney," he whispers, and I feel my heart melting inside my chest.
"You are… And you know why?" I tease him, my smile turning into a grin.
"Why?"
"Because your fiancée is in a celebratory mood," I say, and his lips seem to mimic my grin. "And you know what that means, don’t you?"
"Oh, I do…" He replies, carrying me across the balcony and into the living room. He walks all the way to the bedroom, gently kicking the door open with the tip of his polished shoe, and steps inside.
Remember how all this started? With me squatting, and Kaden throwing a stone at a cop car windshield. A silly moment, just an idiotic blip on the ever-flowing river of time… But it was that moment that set all this into motion.
Life is all about that, I think. Not about trying to reach for the grand moments, but about enjoying the way the small things seem to send ripples throughout our whole lives.
Most times, that’s how love finds you.
At least, that’s how it found me.