Page 130 of Light Up The Night
"Yes," I breathe, the word shaky, a nearly inaudible syllable. "YES!" Louder, then. "Yes, yes, yes!”
Riley surges to his feet, wraps his arms around me and swings me in circles, laughing. "Yes?" He sets me down and pulls the ring from the box. "I've got no clue if it'll fit or not." He stops, looks down at me. "You mean it?"
I laugh. "Doyou?" I hold up my left hand, and he slides the ring on—it fits, which seems wildly improbable. "Riley, you really…youreallywant this? Withme?"
He stares at my finger. "More than I've ever wanted anything, Cadie. It's all I've thought about since I saw you in the airport."
I frown at this. "Truly?"
He nods. "I saw you and I knew. I just…I knew I never wanted to be apart from you for that long again. I…while you were gone, I felt…incomplete. And these last few weeks with you, I've felt the opposite—like…like I finally have the thing I’ve been missing my whole life. You. You, Cadence. You're what my life has always needed, I just…I didn't know it until I met you. Now I know, and I can't imagine a day without you."
"Oh, my Riley." I bury my face in his shirt between the edges of his jacket. "I never dared dream of a proposal, you know. I have long felt as if such things are for others, not me. But then you…you made me feel…I don't know. Not normal. I'll never be normal."
"And thank god for that."
I frown up at him. "You…you accept me as I am, and you have proven your love for me—not just in spite of all the strange and unusual and difficult things about me, but evenbecauseof them. You said I changed your life, and changed you—but Riley, you have done the same for me. I love you so, so much, and I never want to be apart from you, either."
"Good thing you're gettin' married, then, huh?" comes a voice from nearby—Nyx.
I turn, startled and see the whole gang of Riley's friends and family gathered in a huddle, watching; Noelle is snapping photos of us with an expensive camera.
Felix and Ember are arm in arm, with baby Ella bundled in a fluffy pink snow suit, only her nose and eyes showing. Bear towers behind Noelle, grinning at us. Cole in his Sheriff's uniform, a knit cap with the Sheriff logo on it on his head and a wistful look in his eyes. Nyx is beside Cole, wearing dirty gray mechanics coveralls, heavy boots, and a thick, battered Carhartt jacket, his head bare, snow dusting his black hair. The Cartwright sisters are there, too, along with Noelle's friend Raina.
I look at Riley. "Did you know they'd be here?"
He seems stunned, too. "No, no idea. The only person I told was Fee."
Felix is smirking. "Thinkany of uswould miss this one, bro? You? Proposing? To a fuckin' hot ass doctor?"
Ember whacks his chest. "Felix Crowe!"
He rolls his eyes. "What? She's gorgeous. Way outta his league. I’m happy for his ass.”
Nyx cackles. "Still time to run, Cadence! It's not too late!"
Ember and Noelle both give him a dirty look. "Don’t listen to Nyx, honey-buns," Ember says. "He's an idiot."
They both come toward me and sweep me up in a three-way hug. Noelle peers at me, tearful. "The Three Rivers Girl gang just gained a member. You're one of us, now, girlie."
I look around at the gathered crew—friends, family…found family. "I have never belonged anywhere. Never belonged with or to anyone."
The Cartwrights and Raina gather around the three of us, and then suddenly I am being crushed as everyone surges in to join the hug.
"Alright, alright," Riley says, pushing everyone away. "Give the girl some space."
I shake my head. "No. I do not want space. I want this. I wantthislife. With you all." I look at Riley. "With you. Could we…do we have to wait a long time? To get married?"
He laughs, shakes his head. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
I sniffle. "Maybe not tomorrow."
He laughs again. “Teasin', babe. Although I would, if you said the word."
"Spring," I whisper. "In the cherry blossoms."
“Perfect.”
Noelle takes my hands. "By the way, my older sister Natasha is a pediatric resident at the hospital."
