I moved my eyes slowly from the satin box in my hand up to her face. I focused on the bridge of her nose and tried to keep myself from looking away. She made it a little easier by staring at the box in my hand instead of at me. Her eyes were bright and glistened with unshed tears.
I watched her mouth open and close a couple of times, and her hesitation was almost long enough to make me get up and run from the room, but I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t back down from this, and I wouldn’t second-guess or hesitate.
This was a decision I wanted to make.
It was the most important decision of my life.
“Yes,” she said softly and simply.
“Oh, good.” I breathed in relief.
I stood up, and Mayra threw her arms around my neck, openly crying against my shoulder. My arms wrapped around her middle, and I held her tightly against my chest.
“That’s better.”
Mayra and I both turned at the sound of Megan’s voice. She wasn’t quite looking at us, but her head was turned in the right direction.
“Much better than a watch.”
I laughed, Mayra grinned, and Megan went back to counting the clocks on the tree.
“I love you,” I whispered in Mayra’s ear. “I will always love you.”
“I love you, too, Matthew.”
Like my dad always said—you win at some things in life, and you lose at others. Before Mayra, I’d been satisfied just trying to keep a balance. Now I felt like there was no way I could lose as long as she was with me.
Had I lost anything of value when I gave away almost all of that money? No, not really. I had Mayra. I had love and peace. As far as I was concerned, I had won.
~The End~