We were situated a short walk from a town, and would go into it in the evenings for dinner and to get drinks at a local pub. It was one of the best, most relaxing weeks I’d ever had, and seeing Alice so utterly happy had me in a great mood the entire time.

“I say we buy a house here,” she said one evening as the sun was setting. We were cuddling on a blanket on one of the cliffs, looking out at the ocean and covered in another blanket to fight the chill.

I smiled and kissed her head. “Yeah, but then we’d never get any work done,” I joked. To be honest, I’d have done it in a heartbeat.

“Baby, as long as I have my computer, I can do my work from anywhere,” she replied. I hugged her, since she’d never called herself a writer before. Sensing it was a big step for her…hell, it was something she’d never planned to do for a living, I just held her for awhile.

“Will you marry me?” I murmured into her hair awhile later. I didn’t think about it first, but it seemed like the most natural thing on earth, and somehow I knew deep in my soul that she wouldn’t say no. That didn’t lessen my joy when she dug the ring out of her pocket, put it on her finger and turned so she could face me. She didn’t say anything, and quite frankly I don’t think she’d have been able to if she tried, since she was crying. She just nodded, and kept nodding as I hugged her so tightly I worried I’d cut off her circulation.

We made love on the cliffs that night, not saying a word and just holding each other. As we got up to go back to the house, she took my hand and interlaced our fingers, and I don’t remember a time I’d ever felt closer to her.

**********

Alice was looking at me with tears in her eyes when I finally came out of my reverie. I didn’t even notice that I was crying too as I moved closer to the bed and took her face in my hands gently. “That was the best day of my life, Alice. Hands down, totally and completely,” I whispered. I kissed her, although I knew she couldn’t reciprocate. It didn’t really matter; when I pulled back I could read in her eyes how much she wanted to.

“After everything, that’s probably the only time in my life I’ve ever felt perfect,” I told her. “Well, aside from the kids, and that’s a completely different kind of perfect.”

Her eyes shone with tears as Gemma came back into the room to check her IV. I couldn’t help but think that she had rather perfect timing when she turned to me shyly.

“I’m sorry, I was going to come in earlier but I heard you talking about taking her to Ireland and proposing,” she said. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I wanted to wait until you were done…”

I looked at Alice and smiled, and I could read the amusement in her eyes. “You’re fine,” I assured Gemma. “It’s one of the best stories I’ve got, there’s no harm done.”

“Yeah, but it’s private. I’m sorry,” she said again, looking worried. I just took her hand and took a quick glance at the clock. It was close to four, meaning that the kids would be here before too very long. I figured I could get through the wedding, the house and a few other things before they got here, which would be perfect. I smiled as I looked up at Gemma.

“Really, don’t worry about it. It was one of the best days of my entire life. I don’t mind that you heard it, and I can guarantee you that Alice doesn’t either. Please, don’t even think of it, okay?”

“It’s a beautiful story,” she replied shyly, leaving not two minutes later. I just smiled at Al when she’d gone.

“See? We were beautiful, baby. I’ve been telling you you’re beautiful for forty years now, but do you listen? No, but it doesn’t matter, because you’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I whispered to her. And I found that I didn’t need her to answer, because I already knew she felt the same way about me. I sat back in my chair content in that knowledge as I kept talking.