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We let go of one other, and I carefully put Ava down on the floor. Her breathing was a little off, and her cheeks were a nice shade of pink. I looked down at her with a sense of contentment.
I looked at Chloe and remarked, “Hey, Chloe, I didn’t know you liked books.” “
“I’m not. “Miss Bennett asked me to help, so I thought, ‘Why not?’” she said.
“Peter, don’t talk to her.” “She hasn’t given me a birthday present yet, and just a minute ago, she was trying to steal my money,” Ava said.
Chloe smiled and threw a book at her. “You’re so emotional; you know I was just playing. Here, have the book for free.” “By the way, I did give you a present; I hugged you this morning and told you a happy birthday.”
I added, “Sorry to break up this little fight, but I have to take my girlfriend somewhere.”
Chloe exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, I could feel the mushy stuff coming on.”
“Shut up,” Ava responded with a giggle. “She’s just scared that she might be the one living alone in a house full of cats instead of me.”
I tugged Ava’s arm because I could tell that another small fight was about to commence.
“Let’s go,” I murmured. “Goodbye, Chloe.”
Ava said goodbye, too, and then I led her back to my vehicle. I opened the door for her to get in, then I walked around to the driver’s side and got in. I moved to the back seat and pulled out the bouquet of yellow daffodils I had bought for her.
“Here,” I murmured as I gave them to her.
“Oh, you remembered my favorite flowers,” she said with a big smile.
“Yeah,” I answered, scratching the back of my neck nervously. “By the way, you look very pretty.”
I gazed down at her flowery skirt, which stopped halfway down her thigh, and her white-fitting tank top and white wedge shoes.
“Thanks, babe,” she responded. “By the way, where are we going?” “
“You’ll see.”
I said, “Step up one more time,” and then I stepped up into the gazebo and added, “No peeking.”
I took my hands off her eyes when we were both on the same level on the gazebo.
“Do you like it? “I said.”
I noticed her look at the dinner table, which had two seats on each side and two candles on it. There were also miniature lights hanging all over the gazebo to make it more romantic.
I added, “You’re thinking I’m a total wimp,” when she didn’t say anything.
“No, I think having a boyfriend like you has exceeded my expectations, and I love this,” she said.
She got closer and looked at the empty vase in the middle of the table that had water in it.
“Is this where I put my flowers?” “She questioned, glancing back at me.
I shook my head and watched her put the flowers she had been holding a minute earlier into the vase.
I stepped over and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. “Have a seat,” I said.
She sat down, and once I pushed her chair in, I came over and sat down, too. I looked down at the table, which I had previously prepared with food and chilled wine. I had paid Tyler a lot of money to do this while I drove Ava over here.
“Let me give you your gift before we eat,” I said.
I took a Tiffany’s box out of my pocket and put it on the table.
“Open it,” I told her to do.
She opened the package slowly and gasped.
“Oh my God, this is so pretty, Peter.” She pulled a gold chain with one side of a shattered heart on it out of the box and remarked, “I love it.”
“Flip it over,” I replied.
She flipped it over, and I watched her read the inscription I had put there: “Peter’s Girl.”
I took out a necklace that was the other half of hers from my shirt. I flipped it over and walked closer so she could see the inscription on mine: Ava’s Guy.
“Look, I have the other half,” I said.
“This is so sweet, I might cry.” “I love you so much,” she said.
“No, I love you more,” I murmured as I moved in to kiss her.
The End