Epilogue #3
"Look, everyone, someone's getting enga—wait, where did everyone go?" I look around me, trying to find our group, but it's just Noah and I in the middle of this park with a proposal message in the snow.
"Georgie." His voice calls to me, pulling me out of a dream and into reality.
"Seriously, where did they go?"
"Georgie," he says with a chuckle, holding my hand and centering me. "Focus."
"But—"
"Goddess," Oh. That does it. I shut up and look him dead in the eyes as he says, "I have waited my whole life to find the missing piece to a puzzle."
"Noah?" I knit my eyebrows in confusion.
"I wasn't looking for it because I... I didn't know if it could ever be completed. I–God, I am messing this all up. I had this whole speech and—" He's shaking, but he's smiling. "You came into my life at a time I needed you most. You were a breath of fresh air, of new light—"
"You met me in the dark of a broken elevator." I remind him with a laugh.
He chuckles. "I did. But you were... everything, Georgie. You were witty and kind and a little scared, but you warmed up to me, and you let me in, and you asked me to stay."
I did. I asked him to stay, and he stayed. I feel the rush of tears brimming my eyes. I squeeze his hands and say, "I remember asking, 'Tell me something good?' So, Noah, tell me something good."
He ignores the way my voice breaks, kissing my gloved hands and says, "well, it's Christmas."
"That's good," I say with a laugh.
"Our families don't hate each other."
"That's really great," I say, giddy.
"I love you," He tells me.
"That's... perfect. I love you too."
"I want... I want everything with you, Georgie. I want a life with you. I want the future we talked about, the ups and the downs and the in-betweens. I want it all. You're it for me. You always have been. You are my best friend. You are my person."
"You're mine," I say with a shaky voice.
"Don't freak out, okay?" He whispers.
"Why would I—"
He falls to one knee. With a ring box in his gloved hands and a hopeful smile on his face. This, all this was a setup. This whole thing was for us. Noah. Noah is the one proposing. To me. I'm the one being proposed to.
"What?" I squeak, hand covering my mouth to hide the shock.
I let him take my hand and bring me close as he grins up at me, his eyes wide and full of so many emotions, love and hope and gods- so much fear you can see him shaking.
"Georgia."
"Noah." My voice is lost to the wind; only he hears me through my tears.
"Please let me have the honour of loving you forever. Tell me something good and say yes. Marry me?"
There's a moment where time freezes. Where all I see is him and me, and I think about all the possibilities of a future with him.
In one, we have children, in another, we don't, in another, we adopt, in another, we can do anything we want.
The list is endless, and yet in every single instance, I love him, and he loves me.
We will choose each other, come what may.
The puzzle pieces fit together every time.
"Yes."
Noah blinks away the fog of fear and anxiety. He grins, squeezing my hand. "Did you just say yes?"
"Yes. Absolutely yes. I will marry you."
I don't know when my glove came off my hand, but I am grateful for it as he takes the ring out of the box and slides it on my ring finger.
It sinks in then. I am engaged. To the man of my dreams. My love, my life.
It will always have him in it. I break down in a mess of tears as he stands up and swirls me around and kisses me breathlessly. My fiancé.
"Did she say yes?" Someone shouts.
"SHE SAID YES!" I scream back, laughing as Noah peppers my face in kisses.
In an instant, the entire family emerges from behind the trees, Birdie and Bennie barking, joining in with the whole family shouting in hoots and hollers of excitement and happiness for us.
It's such a surreal moment to have Franny grappling for my hand to ogle the ring.
The silver ring twists in a design of swirling diamonds, twisting around the central and large opal stone in the centre.
He remembered a conversation from so long ago, one I barely remember having, about my favourite kinds of rings, and how I think diamonds are great, but opals are just effortlessly beautiful.
Franny beams, "It's gorgeous, G. But we need to clarify something… I am your best friend, right?"
"Of course. You're both my best friends." I glance over to where Noah is hugging his mom, but he only has eyes for me. He winks at me.
Franny fake gasps, "I saw that! Listen here, mister, I was here a lot longer than you and I rightfully own the title of best friend. And another thing-"
I watch on as my best friend walks over to tell off my fiancé.
I cover my mouth to stifle the laugh as he takes her on, all the while keeping his eyes on me, and only me.
When he smiles, my heart feels full, and I can't help but think that if this is some sort of twisted fairy tale dream, I hope I never wake up.
This elevator called life only goes up from here.