Page 149 of Until I Have You

With that, I’m absorbed into Theo’s embrace, and Dad pairs up with Sonia.

Somehow, every time he holds me gets better.

Now, we’re accepted.Now, our future is seen not only by us but my family.

Ourfamily.

“You all right?”Theo asks, his lips on the crown of my head.

“Yes.Better than.”

“Good, because I’m going to dip you, and you need to be in good spirits to be dipped.”

“Wha–”

Theo swings me down in his arms, dipping me before spinning me around and trapping me in a frenetic dance to an ABBA song.

We dance, all of us.We dance for a long time, until Bonnie demands dessert.And that feels like dancing too, in its own way.

My heart won’t give up the dance.I have everything I ever wanted.A job I love, my family, and a full heart.

I’d say I could die happy.But I don’t want to stop dancing.

29

THEO

“Doyou think she’s almost here?”Bonnie asks for what feels like the hundredth time, peeking out the window.

“I’m sure she’ll be here any minute now.”I try to keep my own impatience in check.

Abigail called nearly an hour ago from her car leaving LaGuardia.Traffic in NYC is mental and unpredictable, but she should be arriving any minute now.

Neither Bonnie nor I can contain our excitement.

“I’m going to go wait at the door.”Bonnie rushes away from the window into the hall.

“A watched pot never boils, Bon!”I call after her.

However, if we’re going to continue with pot metaphors, I’m the pot calling the kettle black when I go to the window to watch for Abigail’s car in Bonnie’s stead.

The two of us have been buzzing for the past week, getting the apartment ready for Abigail’s return.Her fellowship has officially ended and now, she’s coming home.

Central Park looks much different than it did when she left.In February, it was still gray, still gearing up to bud.Now, it’s June and the park is green, flowers busting out everywhere, and the air is warm with impending summer.

It’s a perfect day for Abigail to come home.

A perfect day for a proposal too, I would say.

My brain has been spiraling since I decided that today would be the day.

It might seem fast, but everything about Abigail and me has been fast.The second I returned from Ireland with Bonnie after spring break, I bought the ring.It took another month for me to bring up the idea of marriage to Abigail and even then, it was just in passing.

“What do you think about getting married someday?”I asked as she lay in bed a world away from me.

“Is that you proposing?Because if it is, I’ll be very disappointed I don’t even get you on one knee.”And her smile made me light up inside.

She might not expect it this soon, but I don’t care.It feels right to me.

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