Page 115 of The Bodyguard Proposal

I’m doing it.

Eking out my success.

Though not enough to move out—not that Huan hasn’t strongly hinted I can move in with him, and that he doesn’t mind if my contributions to rent are paltry. It's a very tempting offer, but I'm not quite ready. We see each other every second or third day.

As for him, he’s part-time protecting the rich and famous. His evenings are spent studying to be a security engineer. As a security engineer, he’d be in charge of protecting a company’s information from external threats like cyber-attacks. Seems being my bodyguard has driven him to require an exit plan.

Or we’re an ambitious and logical pair, and advancing ourselves so that eventually we’ll celebrate our persistence together when it is finally time for that next step of living together.

Living together, waking up in bed every night, decorating styles merging, savouring moments rife with banality, comfortable wonder, making our own holiday traditions, talking for hours, quickies in dark corners, and longer sessions that get even better as we further learn each other—I can't wait. And also, I can because I love this middle phase of dating. It's the sampling of our lives, an anticipatory winding up to make the eventual climax hit harder.

My mother meets up with him, too. We’ve scheduled dinners together, and although cold at first, conversations are now kindled sparks.

On a particular Sunday, after Huan has left, my mother and I sit for a while.

“He’s got quiet strength,” she says, “but it’s more than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He sees you. The parts you don’t always show. The ones that are…lesspolished. I can tell he cares for them.”

I’m smiling. “He does.”

“You’re happy,” she notes.

“I am. I really am.”

“Then I must be happy for you.”

I know a part of her will always be disappointed I didn’t become an actress, but she’s finally noticing this other life I’m painting. Some might call that baseline acceptance instead of celebration, but I’m mostly glad we’ve gotten to this place. It's a foundation to build on.

“I love you,” I say.

Mom tears up and kisses my forehead. “I love you so much, you’ve got no idea.”

I do know, because the flip of love is pain—and there is no pain quite like being invisible to a person you love. It hurts like bullets, like I wanted to grip her and make her see and love and dream what I dream, even as our visions kept separating. But now there is an overlap.

She wants me to be happy.

I am happy.

We may not go to Pollywood parties together anymore, but we spend the rest of the day swimming in the pool.

Much later—almosttwo years later—I surprise Huan with a trip to Beijing. Rachel actually helped me with the tickets.She’s a highly rated travel agent in Amsterdam who still loves seeing the world and meeting new friends. The Beijing tickets are refundable if Huan wasn’t ready, but his answer is a yes. We’re going.

Early on we visit his sister’s grave. Finally, he allows himself to sob and fall apart, and it’s hard to stand and watch, but I’m behind him, guarding for whatever he needs. He cleans and places down flowers and candles.

Slowly at first, out loud to the spirit of his sister, he catches her up with everything in his life, and I see him fill up as he pours his words out. There is chuckling and warmth, especially when he talks about their dad trying and hating ballroom dancing, and how Preeti has video-evidence. He tells her that he’s living in India, and how he's been promoted to manage one of India’s top data protection firms. And then, a wide grin later, he gets to me.

“This is beautiful, annoying, perfect, Komal.”

I step forward. “Hi Becca. I feel like we would’ve been great friends, bonded with great purpose. Antagonize this man.”

Huan pokes my side, then wraps his arm around my shoulders.

“She hasn’t announced it yet,” he says fiercely, “but her own magazine went live last week. It’s brilliant. Already incredibly popular. You should see the subscriber count going up.”

He’s been telling me it’s been so difficult not to brag constantly about me to everyone he knows. It appears he’s making up for it now. I feel a precious adoration swell inside me, this humbling wonder that I found someone who champions my dreams as I champion his. The most marvellous man. I'm going to love him for as long as I can to a nauseating degree.

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