Epilogue #3
In all our time together, I’d never seen Mason Callahan, star defenseman who body-checked opponents twice his size without flinching, look nervous. But now, his blue eyes held a vulnerability that stole my breath.
“Lila,” he began, his voice low and rough with emotion. “I had this whole speech planned…”
A small, shocked laugh escaped me, tears already gathering at the corners of my eyes. This was happening. Mason was on one knee, and this was real.
“But then I watched you tonight,” he continued, gaining confidence as he spoke. “I watched you walk into a room full of people who once made you feel small, and you held your head high. I watched you stand up to your mother, not with anger, but with a quiet strength that was beautiful to see.”
My free hand rose to my lips, trying to contain the emotion welling up inside me.
“And then that bouquet toss…” He shook his head, a look of pure wonder crossing his face. “Six years ago, you fell and the world laughed at you. Tonight, you fell and laughed with the world. Do you have any idea how incredible that is? How incredible you are?”
Tears spilled freely down my cheeks now, but I didn’t care.
Mason pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, opening it slowly to reveal the most exquisite ring nestled inside, a brilliant diamond that caught the fairy lights and threw off tiny sparks. It was elegant and understated, exactly suited to my taste.
“Delilah Mae Prescott,” he began, his voice steady now in a way that made me want to cry harder.
“Before I met you, I thought I knew what strength was. I thought it was about never showing weakness, never letting your guard down. But you taught me that real strength is letting someone see you anyway. To fall down and get back up. To laugh instead of cry.”
“I love you so much, beautiful. Everything about you. I love the way you hum when you’re sketching designs.
I love how you hate mornings but still get up early to see me before practice.
I love how passionately you argue about paint colors that look exactly the same to me.
I love that you cry at commercials with puppies but can watch the goriest horror movies without flinching. ”
A watery laugh escaped me at how perfectly he’d captured those little details.
“Most of all,” he continued, his voice growing thick with emotion, “I love that you see me—not the hockey player, not the public image on the billboards—but me.”
He took a deep breath. “Lila Prescott, will you marry me?”
Tears sprang to my eyes as I stared down at the man I loved, the man who had seen me at my worst and loved me all the more for it.
“Yes,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “Yes, Mason, a million times yes!”
His face transformed with a smile so radiant it nearly stopped my heart. He slid the ring onto my finger with hands that weren’t quite steady, then stood and pulled me into his arms, his lips brushing against mine with a softness that melted away the world around us.
As we pulled back, his gaze held mine, filled with a warmth that lit me up from the inside out. “I love you,” I breathed, my heart racing. “I love you so much it terrifies me sometimes.”
Mason’s expression softened, his thumb tracing small circles against the small of my back. “So,” he said, “now that you’ve caught the bouquet and I’ve put a ring on your finger, I guess we need to start thinking about a wedding.”
“It’s going to have to be big,” I said, wincing slightly at the thought. “My mother has been planning my wedding since I was in diapers. She’ll want to invite half of Birmingham and probably a few state senators for good measure.”
Mason’s nose wrinkled adorably. “Big? Like how big are we talking?”
“Think hockey arena.”
He groaned, dropping his forehead to rest against mine. “Maybe we should just run off to Vegas. Quick ceremony with an Elvis impersonator, in and out in twenty minutes.”
I laughed at the mental image of Mason in his tailored suit standing beside a jumpsuited Elvis while I clutched a bouquet of plastic flowers. “My mother would absolutely die.”
“That’s not necessarily a deterrent,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I swatted his shoulder playfully. “Be nice. She’s going to be your mother-in-law.”
“God help me,” he muttered, though his smile softened the words.
I melted into his embrace, my head settling against his broad chest, my newly adorned left hand resting over his heart.
“I can’t believe we’re engaged,” I murmured, the word sending thrills through my body. “We’re getting married.”
“Better believe it, Prescott. You’re stuck with me now.” His fingers tangled in my hair, cupping the back of my head as he gazed at me with such naked adoration that it made my breath catch. “No takebacks.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Callahan.” I leaned in to press another kiss to his lips, this one slower, deeper, a promise of all the kisses to come in our future together.
Life had a funny way of coming full circle.
If not for that viral video, I might never have left Alabama.
Might never have built my career in Miami.
Might never have been assigned to design Mason Callahan’s condo.
Might never have found myself here, in this perfect moment, wearing his ring and planning a future with the man who had taught me that falling down could sometimes be the first step toward something beautiful.
“What are you thinking about?” Mason asked softly.
I smiled, feeling a completeness I’d never known before. “I’m thinking that sometimes the worst moments of our lives lead us exactly where we’re supposed to be. This crazy journey brought me straight to you.”
Mason smiled, that rare, full smile that transformed his serious face and made my heart skip. “Our journey’s just getting started, future Mrs. Callahan.”
“Lila Callahan,” I repeated, testing the name on my tongue and finding I loved the sound of it. “Has a nice ring to it.”
Mason leaned down to capture my lips in a sweet, lingering kiss.
I closed my eyes because I never wanted to forget how it felt: the warmth of his body against mine, the subtle scent of his cologne mixed with the richer, more intimate scent that was uniquely Mason, the gentle pressure of his hands holding me as if I were something precious.
Mason broke the kiss to twirl me in a slow circle, his eyes never leaving mine. As I spun back into his arms, the diamond on my finger caught the light, sending tiny rainbows dancing across his face.
“Ready for whatever epic moments life has in store for us?” he asked, his voice low and intimate.
I smiled up at the man who had taught me to embrace life’s unexpected tumbles, who had shown me that sometimes falling could be the beginning of flying.
“With you? Always.”