Page 99 of Fall From Grace

All I needed to do was answer. My eyes widened as they darted between Caleb kneeling and the question on the phone.

There was only one question in his search history:

“How do you ask the woman you love to marry you?”

“I didn’t need to search online about you, Grace. Being with you is effortless, like breathing fresh air. I learned who youare from getting to know you for you. I only want to get my information about you from you. So please tell me, Grace, will you marry me?”

Tears streamed down my face, and I nodded feverishly, before choking out, “Yes.” I fell to my knees and hugged Caleb tightly as he slipped the ring on my finger.

“Noelle helped me pick it out.”

I barely glanced down at the shiny object. It was a stunning princess cut ring with a halo setting. He could have given me a gumball machine ring and I still would have said yes.

He rose from the ground, taking me with him, spinning me around. “I love you,” Caleb murmured as his lips crashed to mine.

We got so lost in our special moment, I didn’t notice the bar door open.

“Dad! Stop monopolizing Grace! I have a question for her as well, or did you forget?” Noelle grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

Caleb set me down, steadying me before rolling his eyes at our kid. Leave it to kids to crash a private moment, not that I minded much, having a good idea what her question was.

I bent down to Noelle’s level. My face was hot and my eyes were glossy and tear-stained from all the emotions of our engagement.

Noelle pulled out a small drawstring bag from the back pocket of her jeans, her trembling hands struggling to open it before pulling out a charm.

“Grace,” Noelle began, her voice serious but sweet like honey, “will you be my mom?”

She deposited the charm in my waiting palm. It was heart-shaped and read “mom” in red lettering.

Tears flickered off the tops of my cheeks before I pulled Noelle into a fierce hug. “Yes! A million times, yes.” I beamed through the tears running down my face.

“Good, because Dad bought me the matching daughter charm for my bracelet.” Noelle rolled up her sleeve to show her own bracelet, now filled with various charms since our first Halloween when I purchased the bracelet for her. Noelle’s newest charm said “daughter” in matching red letters.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you both.” I cried harder as I engulfed both my loves into a hug.

“Promise me you’ll do it again.” Caleb laughed, and the door to the bar swung open once more.

“Lovebirds, come on in. There’s cake going to waste,” Fiona bellowed, rolling her eyes at the sight of us all emotional.

We laughed and made our way into where our second family was.

I was no longer falling. I was standing tall, proud of who I was becoming. Every day was a new adventure, and I knew I would fall again. But this time, I wasn’t afraid. I had people ready to help me back up, to remind me that mistakes didn’t make me unworthy or unlovable.

So I would keep fighting. Keep loving. Keep being me. No longer afraid of headlines or hollow words. Let them read all about it. For the first time, I knew exactly who I was.

THE END.