Andrei

 

Faye was going to break my heart with her earnest, sad eyes and forced smile.

“I love you,” I said and her eyes went wide. Color rolled up into her cheeks and her lips parted. For a moment, there was nothing but the crashing waves and gulls. “Faye? Did you hear me?” I wanted to laugh at her expression, but I forced myself to stay serious.

“You – I, what?” Faye’s voice was breathless.

“I’m fathoms and fathoms deep in love with you. To the ends of the Universe and back. That kind of love.” I picked up her right hand and pressed it to my heart. “You have consumed me, Faye Knight. All I could think about in that hellhole of a prison was escaping to tell you this. And then I had to wait another week to be alone with you because of that damn Alvie. I’ll probably never forgive him.”

Faye’s eyes were bright with tears. “Andrei, are you-you are?”

“I am,” I said, all jokes aside now and I kissed her, deeply and tenderly. “I love you.”

Her fingers gripped my shirt and she slid her other hand up to my shoulder. When we pulled back, Faye’s eyes were glowing and she smiled at me, taking my breath away.

“I love you, Andrei Zima,” Faye said and I was smiling like an idiot. “You’re a part of me. You’re home. But I can’t…”

“You do not have to,” I interrupted. “I am not going anywhere.”

“What?” Faye asked.

“I’m retiring,” I said. “Sure, I’ll stay on to consult, teach and so forth, but the spy world is for another generation. I was getting too beat up. I mean, five years ago it would have taken sixty guys and ten Electi to take me down, not thirty guys and six Electi.” Faye rolled her eyes, but her smile was tremulous. “I mean it, Faye. We’ve both earned some peace.” Gently, I pulled myself free and took a step back. “All I want is you. A life with you. Children.” Her eyes went wider. “Growing old.”

“Andrei, I…” Faye’s eyes were so full of longing it made my heart hurt.

Palms sweaty, I pulled out a box and sank down to one knee. “Faye, you said yes once. I should have known at the time at how happy it made me… I should have known what it meant, that I wanted this… I want you to be happy. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I’m asking you again and please say yes. Again. Will you marry me?”

Faye didn’t clap her hands over her mouth or scream, she stared down at me, head tilted.

“Faye?” I asked, my palms sweating even more.

“You’re serious?” she asked and I nodded. “Wait, when did you have time to get a ring?”

“Today,” I said, my mouth going dry. Maybe I should have waited, maybe I should have planned this better… I blurted out. “I know this is sudden, but I could not wait another moment.”

“Yes,” Faye said, a smile spreading across her face.

I almost fell forward and I squeezed her hand. “What? You… Yes? Yes?”

“Yes, Andrei,” she said and a mischievous light came into her eyes. “You know, you didn’t have to ask twice…”

“Yes, but I didn’t have a ring the first time,” I said, getting a grip as I got to my feet. Then I pulled her in and kissed her. When we broke apart, I studied her. “Were you messing with me?”

“A little,” she teased, her face lighting up with laughter. “I love that I've barely seen you all week and now in the first ten minutes were alone, you proposed.” Faye's smile grew wider. “I love that about you-you always know exactly how to make me happy in a way I wanted but never expected. I never have to ask you for anything – you always anticipate what I want…”

“You’re welcome,” I said gruffly.

“Okay, give me the ring now,” Faye said with a laugh, pushing on me and stepping back.

I looked down at my hand and froze. The box was empty.

“Oh no, it must have fallen out!” I stared down at the sand and fell to my knees, scrabbling in the sand. “No! No! Shit, this is not happening.”

Faye began to laugh, sinking down to the sand, holding her stomach and flopping onto her back. She ignored me as I asked her to help look, instead she laughed harder until tears ran down her cheeks.

“This is not funny,” I said shortly, staring around hopelessly.

“Oh, you try to be smooth, Andrei, but you can be just as flustered as the next guy,” Faye said, as her laughter subsided and her eyes sparkled up at me. “We’ll find it.”

“I cannot believe I dropped the ring,” I muttered. “You’re never going to let me live this down. This is humiliating. Never tell anyone – it would destroy my reputation.”

“Calm down, Zima," Faye replied cheerfully, brushing the sand off her arms as she began to look around too. “I won’t tell a soul, but I will never let you live it down.”

Suddenly my fingers brushed across something metal and I pulled the ring from the sand. With a sigh of utter relief, I went to the ocean, careful to grip it between two fingers as I rinsed it off.

Faye followed me and her eyes became soft as I took her hand and slid it on her finger.

It sparkled like a burst of sunlight, the diamonds full of white flame as she held it up and stared at me. “This is too much, this is beautiful…” Faye’s smile suddenly became shy. “Thank you.”

“I knew you’d say that,” I said, sliding an arm around her waist as a wave lapped around our ankles. “I thought you might even ask me to take it back.”

Faye leaned into me and stared out at the ocean. “Not after you spent hours picking it out.”

“I did not spend hours,” I protested.

“Yeah, the guys left around midafternoon and I thought it was weird it was taking so long.” Faye closed her eyes and rested her cheek on my chest. “So, maybe we could go up to Canada next week and start planning things?”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” I said, holding her close.

 

Three years later

 

“This is not at all how I thought it would go,” I grumbled, plucking apart my tie for the fourth time. “Why can’t I see her again? She is my bride-to-be.”

“It is tradition,” Kesari said, glaring up at me as she marched over. “Here, let me. Roy can’t tie a tie to save his life, so I had to learn how.”

“That is not true,” said my best man, lounging in a chair and gazing out at the vivid greens and purples of the mountains in late spring. The sky was a soft blue, the shadows deepening as sunset approached and my nerves mounted higher. “Kes is telling you that to make you feel better, Drei.”

“Are you nervous?” Kesari asked, her face lighting up. “I’ve never seen you nervous.”

“Don’t forget the rehearsal dinner,” Roy said slyly and I glared at him.

“Don’t make me regret–” suggesting you and Kesari should be godparents to my firstborn.

No one knew yet as we’d only found out last week. Poor Faye was lamenting the fact that she wouldn’t be able to drink at her own wedding while I was trying to keep cool.

“Who else would be best man?” demanded Roy, sitting up straighter.

“Oh, stop it you two,” Kesari chided and she stepped back, letting me inspect her work. “Good?” I nodded and she reached over to pick up her phone. “I have to go. Good luck!”

Roy got to his feet and stopped Kesari before she got to the door. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?” he asked, smiling down at her.

I wolf-whistled and Kesari gave me a look, then turned back to Roy. “Yes, thank you.”

“See you down there,” Roy whispered, kissing her cheek.

Once Kesari was gone, I raised a brow at him and then threw an arm around his shoulders. “You know she’ll say yes, dummy.”

“I know,” Roy said, pulling at his collar and then he laughed. “Still scared as hell to ask.”

“Piece of advice,” I said. “Do not drop the ring.”

Roy glanced at me and then began to laugh. “You did not.”

“I did. And yeah, that was one of the few times in my life I was terrified, too,” I said, walking over and grabbing my jacket.

“What about now?” Roy asked.

I shook my head. “There’s nerves, sure, but no. I cannot wait to marry that woman.” I let out a rueful laugh. “Took us long enough.” I shook my head. It had been one thing after another pushing back our wedding. But in a way, I was glad, because Faye’s pregnancy made it more meaningful.

“I’m happy for you, cuz,” Roy said and he gave me a back-breaking hug. “Ready?”

“Yes,” I said. “Finally.”