Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Connor stuffs his hand in his pocket. “I’d met Mildred plenty of times, though, Meems. We both attend Callie’s hockey games.”
“That may be true, but that trip to the library is what made her see the you I see.” She pats his cheek, and then smiles at us. “Thank you for being here. I know Connor appreciates it.” She wraps her arm around Connor, and he bends to give her his ear.
“Enjoy the party,” he tells us. “Thanks for coming.” He winks and guides her away.
I look at my brother. “That was interesting.”
“Yeah, it was.”
An hour into the party, Essie sidles up beside me. “Come with me.”
“Everything okay?”
“Everything is great. I just need you for a minute.” She guides me out of the room and down the hall, glancing over her shoulder before she pushes her way through an ornately carved set of double doors. “Check this out.”
“Oh wow.” We’re standing in a stunning ballroom, but all I can see is the wonder on her face. “Imagine dancing in here.”
“We don’t have to imagine; we can do that right now.” I pull my phone out, cue up our favorite song, and hold my hand out to her.
Her smile widens, and she slips her fingers into mine, letting me pull her close. We move around the room, lost in each other and the music. I can see our life together unfolding a little more every day. And here, in this room that speaks of fairy tales and romance, I can envision her dressed in a wedding gown—not white, but the palest blush pink, satin and lace, her dark hair coiled on top of her head, smiling at me exactly the way she is now. And I want that future, the one full of possibilities and the kind of love that erases all my fears and replaces them with hope.
I stroke her cheek and brush my lips over hers. “Thank you for sharing your light with me.”
She presses her hand to my cheek, her smile soft and warm like sunshine. “Thank you for trusting me with your heart. I promise I’ll always keep it safe.”
One day, in the not-too-distant future, I’ll ask her to be my wife, and we can start our own forever.