Epilogue
Daphne
“Phew, 199 steps later, we’re at the top of the Cape May Lighthouse! You don’t want to skip leg day preparing to do this one.”
I traverse the walkway around the top of the lighthouse and observe the stunning vista.
“Check out this view, adventurers! You can see the Atlantic Ocean over there. Below us on the beach is a bunker from World War II, built to help protect the coast and stop enemy forces if they tried to land here. That cement structure there in the distance is the World War II Lookout Tower.”
Continuing my way around, I exclaim, “Ooh, you can see the Cape May Ferry starting its journey across the Delaware Bay to Lewes, Delaware. That will be a future adventure for us!”
I had an enthusiastic response to the first tours I posted in the fall, so I fulfilled my dream of being a tour guide and worked with Logan to create a blog and YouTube channel showcasing tourist attractions and other scenic adventures. I wear a video camera so our viewers can see what I see while I tell the stories of the places we are visiting, and Logan takes still pictures to post on our blog. He also sells the prints as artwork or has the images available to print on other items. He started his photo tourism business and has hosted a couple of groups so far, taking them to the wildlife refuge to give them tips on photographing wildlife and dealing with technical aspects like light reflection on water. We are planning other trips to Batsto and Cape May in the coming months.
Today I was finally brave enough to climb my first lighthouse. No lie, I’m scared of being this high up. I went up in front, partially so I couldn’t chicken out and sneak back down the stairs, but mostly so the view I was recording wasn’t Logan’s butt all the way up.
No way am I sharing that view. It’s all mine.
We’ve been dating for a few months, and it’s been wonderful. We live together in Gran’s house—our house—and it is our home base between adventures. I moved to the marketing department at Morgan Development with one of my duties being to create content that shows off the retail centers Morgan has around the country, along with things to see and do in the area. The goal is to attract shoppers to the stores and tie into the local tourism. There’s been cross-promotion with the local attractions, so everyone wins.
Logan and I work as a team. He handles the still photography and video while I do the narration and on-camera work. While we’re traveling for Morgan, we’ve been recording adventures for our site, adding a new one every month. Thanks to advice and reposts from Shelby, our following is growing, and we’re attracting sponsors other than Morgan Development. Logan wants to expand his photo tourism business to include tours in the places we travel to for work. We have so many ideas, and it’s exciting that we’ve worked out a way to do it together.
After I finish my circuit around the top of the tower, sharing the sights, I turn around to see Logan behind me on one knee.
Oh my goodness.
In his hand is a small dark blue velvet box.
He gazes up at me lovingly. “Daphne, being with you has been a wonderful adventure, and I hope to have many more years and countless adventures with you. I love you. Will you please marry me?”
I pull him to his feet and throw my arms around him. “Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you!”
I kiss him with happy tears streaming down my face. “I love you, Logan Morris, and by your side is where I want to be. Forever. Now show me that ring!” I say, laughing.
He opens the box, and there are two rings inside—my mother’s original Cape May diamond engagement ring Dad gave her, and a beautiful diamond solitaire in a platinum setting.
Logan clears his throat. “I brought your mom’s ring so that they’re here with us too. I wish I had known them. I would have loved them.”
He slips the solitaire on my finger and whispers, “Forever.”
“Forever,” I echo.
When we descend the lighthouse steps, I’m surprised that it’s more nerve-racking than climbing up because I can see how far the fall would be. Logan leads me to the bench we sat on last fall on the day we admitted we wanted to be more than just friends. There is now a plaque on it that has today’s date and the words “Logan and Daphne Morris—he asked, she said yes.”
I turn to him. “You were that certain I’d say yes? Cocky, aren’t you?”
With a wink, he replies, “That’s what you were saying last night, and it wasn’t a complaint.”