Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Our journey to each other.
Our journey to the healing power of love.
I couldn’t help but picture Cael back then. Dressed in all black, black beanie on his head and his messy hair that I thought was perfect. Today, he was wearing navy-blue cargo shorts and a white button-up. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his mass of intricate tattoos over his muscled forearms. He looked beautiful. I was in a blue summer dress. Cael loved me in blue. He said it matched my eyes.
“Peaches …” Cael said, and I opened my eyes.
My heart began to race when I was met with Cael on one knee, holding a ring in his hand. I covered my mouth in shock. Cael’s eyes swam with happy tears, and I fought to breathe.
“Savannah,” he said, voice hoarse. “When we came here years ago, we were both broken. We both felt there was no way back to happiness.” I saw the flash of sadness those words brought up in Cael’s gaze. “But we didn’t know we would find each other on this trip. We didn’t know we would find our soulmate and the other half of our heart outside of the States and across the world.” Cael smiled as tears began to stream down my cheeks. “That trip changed my whole life. It taught me to live, to be strong, but mostly, it taught me to love, even through pain. And I have, Peaches. I have loved you more than I ever thought possible. You are my reason for breathing. You make me happier than I could have ever dreamed. You are the greatest thing in my life, and I wanted to ask … if you’d do me the honor of being my wife.”
Everything stilled—the birds, the swaying branches, my heart, as he uttered the two most precious words, “Marry me.”
My world filled with light as I reached out and kneeled before him. As I cupped his perfect, handsome face and pressed my lips to his. “Yes,” I said, nodding, crying, overcome with so much happiness. “Yes, it’s absolutely a yes.” With shaking hands, Cael pushed the blue sapphire and diamond ring on my finger and it sparkled in the twilight.
“I waited so long to do this as I wanted to give you space for your studies without the pressure of a wedding. But honestly, baby, I couldn’t wait one more day to have a ring on your finger and truly make you mine. Officially.”
“I love you,” I said. There wasn’t a person on this planet who understood me more than this man.
Then he blew me away when he said, “I wasn’t at a training camp last weekend.” I furrowed my brows in confusion. “I was in Georgia asking your daddy for permission to marry his baby girl.”
“Cael …” I said, heart melting.
“I wanted to do this right,” he said and brushed my hair from my face. He pulled me to him, my back to his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me. “I want you as my wife so badly I almost can’t stand it.”
And I could just see it now. We would get married. I would be a doctor and Cael would continue living his dream with hockey. Then we would have a family and be so happy that there wouldn’t be a single day wasted in our lives. We would love each other with our entire hearts and make the most of our brief time on this earth. Life had taught us not to take a single day for granted, and to not waste a minute.
“I love you,” I said again, turning to kiss him and filled with so much happiness I almost couldn’t take it. He kissed me thoroughly, deeply and with so much adoration I knew our love would never fade. Just like the stars, I thought, looking up at them now. I used to look up at Orion’s Belt and think it represented Poppy, Ida, and me. Now, when I looked at it, I saw Poppy, Rune, and Cillian, looking down at us, watching us live, showering us with their celestial love too.
And then there was the north star. For Tala.
“They’re celebrating up there now too, you know that, don’t you?” Cael said, looking at the stars too. Because I did. Losing a loved one, no matter the circumstances, was the most heartbreaking thing a person could endure. But living for them, loving them even after loss, was healing too. Because they would always be around us, wanting us to live with all our hearts. Wanting us to love and wanting us to live a life so full, there would be no room for regrets when our time to pass arrived.
I had that with Cael. A life so sweet I could never want anything more. I was happy. Truly happy. And I was holding onto that with both hands.