Darcy
Islipped the ring on her finger.
Relieved, I laughed—she’d said yes, and we’d retrieved the ring. Lizzy laughed too. The night had turned out to be a total shitshow, after I’d spent months organizing the dance, swearing everyone to secrecy. But none of this turmoil mattered, because Lizzy had been able to laugh about it all.
“Yes, it was going to be a wonderful party.”
“We have the rest of the night,” she said. “You did this all for me?”
I lay back and looked up at the stars, reaching for her hand and holding it to the moonlight, turning it this way and that to catch the light in the darkness.
Refracting. In contrast, everything in my world settled.
Everything clicked into place—like this had always been where we were meant to land. Joy rose in me, steady and endless.
“It’s always all for you,” I said. “Don’t you know that by now?”
She got up on one elbow and kissed me softly but thoroughly, like she was memorizing me. Then she rested her head on my chest.
We lay like that for a while, looking at her ring. I’d never thought I’d be here. This was the happiest moment I’d ever had lying on the ground.
“Chaotic pets and falling on top of each other?” I said, stroking her hair. “That seems to be the theme for us.”
She looked up at me from my chest. “I hope so.”
“I hope so too,” I said.
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