Page 91 of Awakening
Knox chuckled, “We want to propose to Ajaih.”
Dro blinked slowly, then leaned forward. “Together?”
I nodded, “Yeah. She’s not just our partner; she’s the pulse of this relationship, the heartbeat that has given us a new lease on life, both together and individually. She inspires us to push through the pain to find purpose, and we want to honor her with something real, something permanent. Not just love in private, but a declaration in front of the people she loves.”
Yanna’s eyes sparkled. “Well, it’s about damn time. Count me in!” Excitement radiated from her body.
Dro rubbed his beard. “You do realize you’re asking a retired gangster how to help plan a polyamorous proposal to his daughter?”
We all laughed, but Dro’s eyes softened as he leaned back.
“But,” he added, “My babygirl loves you both like her next breath, so if you’re ready to do this right, shit,count me in.”
Since the dinner at Yanna and Caleb’s, Dro and I had gotten close, and we bonded over football, cigars, and fly fishing. I could see where Ajaih got her kind heart and gentle spirit from because Dro was laid back and kind unless provoked, I’m sure. I even shared with him my tumultuous past with my parents and the progress we’d been making in therapy, and his reply was, “I’m glad they came around. Ain’t no way I’d miss out on a chance to have a son like you, especially over something not my business.”
Knox smiled, “We want your blessing, we also want you and Yanna’s help planning it. Something unforgettable. Intimate, emotional, and romantic as hell. We want her doing her ugly cry by the time she says yes,” we all chuckled because ugly cry Ajaih was a different beast, but beautiful even when snotting and sniffling.
Yanna leaned in. “You thinking public or private?”
I exhaled, “Private with close family and friends, but beautiful, something worthy of her.”
Dro nodded, “You know what she loves: oceans, flights, roses, stars, history, and y’all. Start there.”
With the blessings of the people that she loved the most checked off our list, we could start the planning to turn this unexpected love into the Yes Blueprint.
She walked down the rose-lit path wearing her dress, dark and glimmering, like a constellation poured into fabric. The fabric clung to her skin like it had been sewn there, molded to every dip and curve with deliberate precision. The top fits like a second skin, minimal, revealing, sensual, but elegant in its simplicity, balanced by the lace corset cinching her waist, embroidered in black and coral thread like smoke curling over flame, the thigh-high slit parting like it had been waiting for the chance to reveal her honeyed skin and the flash of her gold stilettos clicking with each step like a countdown on polished floors. Her accessories whispered wealth and seduction: a delicate gold chain at her throat, resting just above the swell of her collarbone; hoops that caught the light when she turned her head; gold bangles stacked at her wrist, each one dancing with the promise of touch.
She didn't look like trouble, no, she looked like the reward after it.
I couldn't look away. The hypnotic sway of her hips as she continued to walk, though she had no idea what was going on, or the smile that could illuminate a million rooms, her beautiful eyes were wide with wonder, leaving Knox and memesmerized.
When she saw us, Knox standing at one end of the path, me at the other, she stopped in her tracks.
We both held out our hands.
“Come to us,” Knox said, his voice a soft tremble.
She walked down the middle, halfway to me, halfway to him.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” she laughed nervously, cheeks glowing.
“It’s everything,” I said, “Everything you deserve.”
Knox stepped forward and took her left hand. “I remember the day Mav told me he met you, a woman, Ajaih. The fear that consumed me at the thought of losing my first and only love made me so anxious I almost had a panic attack, but then I decided not to jump to the worst possible outcome; instead, I asked for a picture of the woman who was going to share Maverick’s heart. I remember opening the pic and losing my breath briefly. Your beauty has that effect on people, and funny enough, you don’t seem to know it. Then, I met you, spent time with you, laughed with you, and even cried with you. I stand here today, thanking God for placing you in my life. You are a light I didn’t know I needed.”
I stepped forward and took her right. “You came into my ER, fragile, afraid, but the strongest I’d ever seen anyone be. I knew that day I was going to love you, even when I had no idea if you’d let me, but I was fully prepared to convince you to let me. The goodness that you are could heal a thousand broken hearts, because it definitely helped to heal what was broken in me.”
“You didn’t just change our lives, Ajaih. You showed us how to live them,” Knox added.
“And now? We plan to spend the rest of our daysreturning that gift to you.”
We reached into our pockets and pulled out matching Tiffany ring boxes, revealing the 5 carats of diamonds between us.
Knox selected a sunbeam incarnate, comprising a 2.5-carat cushion-cut yellow diamond, bold and radiant like her spirit. The diamond is set in warm, 18k yellow gold, accented with a diamond-studded band that glitters like sunlight on water. The ring was more than just luxury; it was joyful, lush, and regal. A celebration of Ajaih’s vitality, power, and fire. It was the embodiment of Knox’s love, expressive, bold, vibrant, and full of heat.
His engraving read, “Santorini x 2.”
I’d decided on a ring that said sleek precision. A 2.5-carat minimalist masterpiece with quiet, devastating beauty. A square-cut center diamond. It was like fire and ice in one room, dazzling and perfectly cut to reveal its brilliance, set in a platinum band that sparkles with a pavé of delicate diamonds, catching the light like whispered promises. Understated but powerful, this ring represents me and the way I love Ajaih in every way, intentional, structured, deeply romantic, and absolutely unshakable.
