On some weekends, we would go back to Continental so Joseph could see his sister and I could see my Dad, who seemed to get teary-eyed each time I left home and my sisters – we still did not get along all the time but it didn’t bother me. Vincent was no longer in town but we sometimes talked on the phone – Joseph wasn’t jealous of him anymore.
Needless to say, Joseph and I were getting along perfectly. Ever since we reconciled, we had never argued – well, we argued just once, when we couldn’t decide which movie to watch, which we resolved by tossing a coin, but that didn’t really count. We went back to how we were before our break-up, although this time, we seemed more comfortable with each other, more open to each other. We knew how each other felt, after all, and we had all the time in the world to enjoy what we had.
After dinner, Joseph and I went for a walk on the beach, his arm around my shoulder. After a while, we sat down on the sand side by side, then I lay down so I could see the stars and he did the same, both of us lying side by side with our hands joined under the starry skies just as I had once envisioned.
As we looked up at the stars, I wondered if my Mom was looking down at me and I hoped that wherever she was, she was happy for me. Even though I wasn’t sure if she was watching me, I knew someone was and I smiled up at Him, thanking Him for giving me strength and guidance, for leading me to the happiness I now had.
Suddenly, Joseph sat up, as if he had suddenly remembered something. I sat up, as well.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Well, now seems to be a good opportunity for me to give you this.” He presented me with a small, satin box.
Even without seeing what was inside the box, I gasped and the moment I did see it, I thought I would faint.
“Will you, Rebecca Swinton, do me the honor of being my wife?” he asked.
For a moment, I just looked at the ring, seemingly mesmerized. Then, I wrapped my arms around him.
“Is that a yes?”
I nodded. “Yes, it is a yes. I would love to be your wife, Joseph.”
“Good,” he said, smiling. “Because I was afraid you would run away again and I don’t ever want to lose you.”
“Silly,” I told him.
We kissed, our lips gently meeting like the waves that were meeting with the sand. Then, I leaned my head against his chest, smiling.
I had a feeling I would never be running away again because everything I needed was right here by my side.
With Joseph beside me, I knew I needed nothing more.
A Love to Live For Page 10
