Page 97 of Flawless

We walk a little further to the edge of our private strip in the opposite direction of the public part of the beach.

“Dinner by the water,” Dani gasps when we come upon the table with the candlelight setting.

I woke up from my nap before Dani, and I’d sneaked down here and set up a few things, but I finished it all when I told her that I had an errand to run.

A white, linen-covered table with a single candle sits near the water. The plates are covered, and the champagne chills on ice. Two long-stemmed, wine glasses are turned upside down on the table.

I pull a chair out for her, and she takes a seat.

“You are so sweet and romantic, Z,” she gushes.

“I’m not all that. I just love my woman and want to do things that make you happy.”

“You make me happy, Z.”

I remove the lid from her plate, and she squeals and claps when she sees shrimp and grits, one of her favorite foods.

“Oh, my gosh! How did you know?”

“Onyx told me.”

Laughing, she picks up her fork and digs in. She releases a moan before she covers her mouth as she chews and mumbles, “I’m sorry.”

When she finishes, I grab her hand, and we say a small prayer. We eat and enjoy our meal as we listen to the waves crash against the shore and then watch the sunset.

“It’s the simple things in life that make life worth living. What you’ve done tonight makes all the difference in my little world.”

“I’m glad because every time I wake up beside you, Dani, you make a difference in my world.”

“I love you,” she says.

“I love you more.”

“How long had you planned all of this?”

“For a while. About three weeks now.”

“Wow. Three weeks of planning a nice dinner,” she says thoughtfully.

I stand and reach for her hand as I lead her further down the beach, closer to the public section of the beach.

“Z,” she moans when we come to a large heart drawn in the sand.

In the center of the heart are the words, “I love you, Dani. Will you marry me?”

Releasing her hand, I step into the heart and kneel beside the question mark where a little box sits.

Picking the box up and opening it, I look up at Danica.

“Dani, you spent a lifetime building an image that most women aspire to. While the world saw how beautiful and flawless you were on the outside, I saw how beautiful andflawless you were on the inside. Your imperfections, your flaws, your challenges, and your struggles have all made me love you more. It’s because of your imperfections that my heart knows that it’s found its way home. I need you in my life, not just today, next month, or even the next lifetime. I need you always and forever, Dani. Would you marry me?”

Tears are streaming down her eyes, and she bobs her head as she runs to me. She throws herself against me, and I brace for impact. Standing, I wrap her in my arms, and she kisses me solidly.

When she pulls back, her face is wet with tears, and she says, “Yes, Z. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The road hasn’t been easy for the two of us, and we’re so far away from where we started, but we’re right where we need to be.

25 – EPILOGUE – 4 Years Later

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