Chapter 20
Ted
Ted
Summer
I stood before the mirror, my hands trembling as I fumbled with the small velvet box hidden in my pocket. This was it—the moment I'd been waiting for. The moment that had seemed impossible not so long ago.
“Get it together, Teddy,” I muttered to myself, straightening my tie and smoothing down my hair. I had faced tougher adversaries than this. But none quite as captivating as Amelia.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced around the room, making sure everything was perfect. I'd spent days planning this proposal, wanting nothing more than to make it a memory Amelia would cherish forever. A light summer breeze drifted through the open window, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers from the garden outside.
“Alright, here goes nothing,” I whispered, stepping away from the mirror and heading toward the door. My mind raced with thoughts of legal terminology and gardening trivia—anything to distract me from the enormity of what I was about to do.
As I entered the garden, my chest tightened, and butterflies took flight in my stomach. There, in the soft afternoon sun, stood Amelia, long blonde curls cascading over her shoulders as she tended to her favorite roses. She was the picture of resilience and optimism, qualities that had drawn me to her from the moment we met. And now, I was about to ask her to be mine forever.
“Hey, Ames,” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. “Got a minute?”
“Sure,” she replied, turning to face me with a warm smile that reached her hazel eyes. “What's up?”
I approached her slowly, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure she could hear it. As our fingers intertwined, I marveled at how perfectly her hand fit in mine, as if they were always meant to be together.
“Amelia, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.”
“Sure, what is it?” she asked, her brow furrowing slightly in curiosity.
I glanced around the garden, desperate for a distraction. Off to one side, Hopper sat nibbling on some tender lettuce leaves, his whiskers twitching with delight. This season I had planted him his own garden and fenced off my part of the garden. So far it had worked.
“Amelia, I don't think there are enough words to express how deeply I love you,” I began, my voice unsteady but sincere. “From the moment you rear-ended me, something inside me changed.”
A faint blush creeped into Amelia's cheeks as I continued, my heart pounding in my chest like a gavel against a wooden block. “You brought warmth and joy into my life when I'd forgotten what those things even felt like. Your laughter is like sunshine, brightening even my darkest days. And your resilience…it inspires me.”
Her hazel eyes widened in surprise as she processed what I was saying. Her gaze flickered between my face and our intertwined hands, a million thoughts racing through her mind.
“Teddy…” she breathed, her voice barely audible.
"Amelia, you've shown me that love isn't just about shared interests or compatibility on paper," I confessed, my voice growing stronger with each word. “It's about finding someone who challenges you, who makes you want to be a better person every single day. With you, I've found that and so much more.”
“Every time I step into this garden, I'm reminded of the journey we took together to transform it into the thriving oasis it is now,” I said, gesturing around us. The vibrant colors of the blooming flowers seemed to echo the emotions swirling inside of me.
“Amelia McKenna, you are the most incredible woman I have ever had the privilege of knowing,” I declared, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. “And if you're willing to take a chance on this grumpy lawyer with a passion for gardening, I promise to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you've made me.”
As the weight of my words settled between us, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She stared at me, her lips slightly parted in shock, but I could see the love and anticipation shining in her eyes.
With my heart pounding in my chest, I slowly lowered myself onto one knee in front of her. The dampness of the soil seeped through my pants, but it didn't matter; all my focus was on Amelia. I fumbled in my pocket for the small velvet box and held it out to her with a trembling hand.
“Amelia,” I said, my voice quivering with emotion. “Will you marry me?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the world around us seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of us amidst the flourishing garden we had nurtured together.
Amelia's breath hitched, and her eyes—those incredible hazel eyes that seemed to hold the whole universe in their depths—filled with tears. She stared at the ring, an elegant band of white gold adorned with a single, sparkling diamond, and her face lit up with a mixture of joy and disbelief.
“Teddy…” she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. Her hand reached out, trembling just like mine, and she touched the ring delicately, as if confirming that this moment was real.
“Is…is this really happening?” she asked, looking down at me with wide-eyed vulnerability.
“Only if you want it to be,” I replied softly, my gaze never leaving hers. “I meant every word I said, Ames. You've changed my life in ways I never imagined possible, and I can't imagine spending another day without you.”
She nodded, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks, and took a deep, shaky breath. “Yes, Teddy,” she finally managed to say, her voice barely audible but carrying all the love and happiness her heart could hold. “Yes, I will marry you.”
The overwhelming surge of emotions threatened to take my breath away. As I gently slipped the ring onto her finger, our hands intertwined, and it felt as though our souls were merging, a beautiful testament to the love that had blossomed between us. Looking into her hazel eyes, I lost myself in their depths, where love and happiness radiated like a warm summer sunset.
I stood up, my eyes never leaving hers, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Our breaths mingled in the air between us, our hearts beating as one, as I bent my head to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. This was it—the moment we sealed our commitment to each other, the culmination of everything we'd been through together.
“Teddy,” Amelia whispered, her voice quivering with emotion. “You have no idea how much this means to me. Everything I've ever wanted is right here, in this moment.” Her eyes shone with a mixture of joy and relief, as if she'd been waiting her entire life for this instant.
Our surroundings seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us in our own private world. The scent of flowers drifted on the summer breeze, the vibrant colors of the garden creating a stunning backdrop for this unforgettable moment.
As we kissed once more, sealing our commitment to one another, the anxious tension that had gripped me for so long finally gave way to a warm, cozy sense of contentment. This was where I belonged—in Amelia's arms, immersed in the love that had transformed both our lives in ways we never could have imagined.