Page 71 of The Sailor Situation
"Wait..." I stop dead in my tracks, staring at the stunning setup. "How did you... what?" My voice comes out high-pitched as I take in every familiar detail.
Blair chuckles. "Sophie helped me."
"Sophie?" I whip around to stare at Blair. "I can't believe she kept this from me." I shake my head in amazement. "Sophie can't keep secrets and..."
My voice trails away.
Blair is lowering herself to one knee in front of me.
Time doesn't just slow—it fractures as I watch her kneel. My hands fly to my mouth because I can't trust what else they might do—reach for her, push her away, cover my face.
This is happening. This is actually happening. And damn it, I didn’t see it coming.
My heart detonates. Each beat is too loud, thundering in my ears. I can't breathe properly.
She's pulling out a small velvet box.
No no no no yes?—
"Olivia Barnes," she says, her hands trembling as she opens the box. "I know you don't believe in fairy tales..."
The ring is stunning—a classic solitaire that shimmers in the moonlight. It's elegant and timeless, nothing flashy or ostentatious. It's perfect.
"But I'd like the chance to spend the rest of my life proving to you that fairy tales are real," she continues. She takes a shaky breath, and her eyes well up. "I want to be your person, Liv. And I want you to be mine."
Such simple words. So perfect. I can barely see her through my tears.
"Olivia Barnes," she says again, "will you marry me?"
I look at this woman kneeling in front of me, this woman who flew all the way from New York to rural France just because she missed me, this woman who has spent a year proving that some promises are worth making.
"Yes," I whisper, then louder, "Yes! Of course, yes!"
She's on her feet in an instant, sliding the ring onto my finger. Her arms wrap around me, lifting me off the ground. When she sets me down, I'm laughing and crying and completely overwhelmed. I hold up my hand to admire the ring.
"I love you," I tell her, standing on my toes to kiss her properly. "I love you so much it terrifies me, but I love you."
"I love you too," she murmurs against my lips. "Forever and always, Boss."
As we stand there kissing in this French garden, I finally understand why people get married.
Weddings aren't about perfect flowers or flawless execution. They're about love and faith. Faith that sometimes, against all odds, love actually works in the long run. That some people really do get their happily ever after. And I believe I'm one of them.