Page 114 of Cruel King
“I like to get into my baking. You need to try the sugar cookies. They’re delicious! Everyone is going to love them.”
“Any chance you can tear yourself away for a little while? I have something I want to talk to you about before our families descend on us later today.”
“Sure, yeah! We’re just about done.”
Turning around to face Eleanor, she says, “I’ll be back in a few minutes to help you get everything set up and clean this kitchen. Now that I’m looking around, it looks like a bomb went off in here.”
She waves her off with a smile. “No hurry. I’ve got this. I’m sure you have a million things to do before everyone gets here.”
Ava slips her dirty apron over her head and sets it on a pile of dish cloths that need to be washed. “I had fun today. We made some great cookies, Eleanor.”
“We did! I bet everyone is going to love them. Now go take care of whatever you need to do. I’ll have this all cleaned up and ready for guests in no time.”
With that assurance, I gently begin guiding Ava down the hallway toward the living room. The lights on the tree glow a warm white against the silver ornaments that are traditional for the King family Christmas decorations, and a fire roars in the fireplace making the room perfect for what I have in mind.
“What are we doing? I should go change, Matthias. That apron didn’t help much, so I’m covered in cookie dough and flour,” she says as I take her by the hand and lead her to the couch directly looking at the fourteen-foot Christmas tree.
“You’re fine. Please, sit and relax. You’ve been slaving away in that kitchen all day.”
She does as I command and sits, but I see in her expression she’s uneasy. “Okay, but it wasn’t anything like work, you know. I like baking, and Eleanor makes it so much fun. Wait until you try this recipe she and I found for these lacy cookies I saw in one of her cookbooks. She’s never made them before, but they’re so pretty, I wanted to try. They came out so good.”
“I’ll have to look for them,” I say, my mind on what I have planned more than on some cookies.
The two of us fall silent as I try to remember everything I rehearsed to say. Unfortunately, there’s not a single word anywhere in my head at this moment. Damnit! I wanted this to be perfect.
“Matthias, is something wrong? You’re still dressed in your suit, even though you quit working hours ago for the holiday.”
She abruptly stops and bolts up from the sofa. “Did something happen? Is someone not coming? Who? Why?”
This plan is quickly falling apart. My hands on her shoulders, I gently sit her down again so I can do what I’ve been waiting to do for days.
“Everyone’s coming, and if I don’t get through this, they’re going to be here before I get done.”
As she breathes a sigh of relief, she says, “If everything’s okay, what are we doing then?”
I take that as my cue from the universe it’s time to start and bend down on one knee in front of her. Sliding the black velvet box out of my suit coat pocket, I set it in the palm of my hand and slowly open the lid.
“Ava, I’ve loved you for so long I can’t remember a time when you weren’t the woman I’m absolutely crazy about. You make me smile when no one else can. You make me want to be the kind of man who deserves you. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I adore you. Will you marry me?”
Her eyes grow wide, and she covers her face with her hands as she begins to cry. From behind them, I hear her say, “Oh, my God! Of course I’ll marry you.”
I slip the three-carat round diamond engagement ring onto her finger and watch as she looks at her hand in awe. “Matthias, this is gorgeous. I’ve never seen a more beautiful ring in my life.”
“You like it?” I ask as I study it on her hand and have to admit the jeweler was right. It’s perfect for Ava.
“Like it? I love it!” she squeals before throwing her arms around me. “I love you.”
I hold her to me and sigh in relief. She said yes.
“I love you. Now tomorrow when everyone’s here, they’ll get to see we’re engaged.”
Ava leans back away from me and smiles as she holds her left hand up to admire her ring. “I guess we won’t have to announce it. Wait until Eden sees this. She’s going to go crazy!”
Seeing the woman I love so happy fills my heart with joy. It’s been a long road we’ve traveled together, and finally, I’ll soon be able to say Ava is my wife.
“I love you, Ava. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.”
She leans forward and kisses me softly on the lips. “And thank you for making me the happiest woman in the world. I love you, Matthias. More than you can ever know, I love you.”