Home for the Holidays, page 28
“Are you okay?” Heidi placed her hand on Iris’s cheek. “You’re warm. Are you feeling all right?”
Iris’s smile was so sincere. “I promise I’m okay.”
“You positive?” Heidi ran her hand down Iris’s arm to her hand and intertwined their fingers. She brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles.
“I’ve never been more positive of anything in my entire life.” Iris’s words were said with such sincerity that it made Heidi’s stomach bottom out.
“Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…” Zac and Evan were yelling from their places next to Kevin and Stanley. Nora was joining in now, too, since she’d woken up from her ten o’clock cat nap exactly as Karen had predicted.
Heidi glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at her, which suddenly made her feel super self-conscious. Oh my god. She suddenly knew exactly what was going on. As soon as that thought passed through her head, she saw Iris get down on one knee.
“Heidi, will you marry me?”
“Iris… baby”—Heidi looked down at her, at the happiness in her blue eyes, the joy on her gorgeous face—“you know you’re doing this in front of god and everyone?”
“Ten, nine, eight…”
Iris nodded. “I want to spend the rest of my days with you. In front of god and everyone. And I’m sorry I was so afraid that this wasn’t real, that you weren’t real, because you and us? We are everything I have ever wanted. And I will not let you go. Ever. You’re who I want. Forever.” The smile she gave was almost as powerful as her words.
“Yes.” Heidi yanked Iris from the floor and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her deeply as the countdown ended and the rest of them shouted to greet the new year.
“You will?” Iris pulled away, shock all over her face.
“Oh, Iris, yes, yes, yes. I am never letting you go. Ever.” Heidi watched as Iris slipped the ring on her finger. It was beautiful, a solitary, princess-cut diamond. Exactly what she would have wanted. And the band of diamonds from the year before matched it perfectly. Of course it was perfect; Iris was perfect and exactly who she wanted. She leaned in and kissed her again and again.
Life really was too short. And, in the end, Heidi thought, why shouldn’t they spend the rest of their lives finding out what is instead of wondering what could have been?
CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF ERIN?
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Erin Zak, Home for the Holidays
