Page 77 of The World She Never Knew Existed

“I realized last night that I was in love with Clara. I went out this morning to buy her a ring. I went to the hospital and asked her to marry me. She said that she loved me but that she couldn’t marry me. She said that she had gone down the marriage road before and look where it got her,” Dillon said.

“I know that you are upset about this, but you have to give her some time. She has just been stabbed by her ex-husband who also threatened to kidnap their son. That is a pretty traumatic experience. A marriage proposal on top of that trauma could be a little overwhelming,” Jamie said.

Dillon nodded and said, “I guess it would be.”

“I know that she loves you. It’s written all over her face every time she sees you. Once she has time to process everything, she’ll come around. I promise you.”

“I hope that you’re right,” Dillon said. “I can’t imagine life without her and Zeke in it.”

Zeke walked back up to Dillon with a piece of paper.

“This is for you,” Zeke said.

Dillon took it and looked at it. It was a picture of Dillon with a superhero cape and a big D in the middle of his chest.

“You’re a super hero. You saved my life when you rescued me from the river. Mommy told me how you saved her life, too,” he said.

“This is the best present that anyone has ever given to me,” Dillon said, “I’m going to put it on my refrigerator at home.”

Zeke beamed at the praise.

“I love you, Dillon,” Zeke said.

The heartfelt words made Dillon’s heart melt all over again.

“I love you, too, Zeke.”

“That’s just the sweetest thing that I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Jamie said.

“I meant it. Who would have thought a couple months ago that I would have fallen in love with a woman and her little boy? I do love him as though he was my own child.”

“I know. It shows.”

A couple of hours later, Dillon picked Zeke up from the café and took him to see his mother. Clara smiled at Dillon. It was very awkward. Dillon decided to wait outside while the little boy visited with his mom. Right at half an hour later, the nurse shooed Zeke out.

“Pizza for dinner tonight?” Zeke asked.

“We had that last night. I was thinking about hamburgers.”

“Can Reno have one?”

“Of course,” Dillon laughed.

The two of them had fun playing tag after dinner and then playing a video game together. As Dillon put Zeke to bed, he thought, this is what life is all about.

Charlie came in soon after.

“Clara told me that you proposed to her today,” Charlie said.

“Yes, I did. She turned me down flat,” Dillon said.

“That is what she said. She also said that she knows that she is in love with you, but she is just scared,” Charlie told him.

“I understand. Someone who she once loved tried to kill her. That is enough to scare anyone to death,” Dillon said. “I just hope that she figures out that I’m nothing like her ex-husband. I don’t know how to make her see that.”

“Just give her time and keep being you,” Charlie said. “She’s a smart woman. She’ll realize that you love her and that you would do anything to protect her and make her happy.”

“I hope so,” Dillon said.

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