“What time is it?” she murmured.
“We have a couple of hours before we have to meet your parents.”
“We could cancel.”
Mantis smiled. “We have a lifetime ahead of us, Manon.”
“I know. I’ve just missed you so much.”
He could feel the wetness of her tears on his chest. “Don’t cry, baby. We’re together now.”
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Gehring. I’m sorry I asked you to choose. I was wrong to do that.”
“I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
“I want you to know that I understand now. I know you didn’t have a choice.”
“Thank you,” he said, just above a whisper, willing his own tears to stay at bay. He’d mourn his brother for the rest of his life, and he’d still fight against the forces of evil that threatened the lives of the people he cared about, but now, he and Alegria would do it side by side.
—:—
Alegria couldn’t name what part of her life made her happiest tonight. Knowing she and Mantis would one day be married and spend their life together, or that her mother had such promising news about her cancer treatment, or that she and her father had bonded in a way she’d never dreamed they would.
He looked at her with such pride that she felt as though her heart would burst. She’d wanted to see that look in his eyes all of her life. And now, there it was. Every time he looked at her, she knew he loved her and was proud of her.
Mantis brought her hand to his lips. “I love you, Manon. Do you know how much?”
“I do.”
He let go of her hand and pushed his chair back from the table. “Are you sure you know how much?”
She watched as he knelt next to her, took her hand in his, and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket.
“If you ever doubt my love for you, I want you to look at the ring I’m about to put on your finger, and know that I love you with every cell of my body, my whole heart, every breath I take.”
“I know,” she whispered as he slid the ring on her finger.
Mantis leaned forward. “You still want to marry me, right?” he whispered.
“Yes!” she practically shouted. “Yes, I want to marry you.”
She could hear her parents murmuring congratulations, maybe even other people in the restaurant, offering theirs too, but none of it mattered. Listening to Mantis tell her he loved her was all she wanted to hear, not just now, but for the rest of her life.
—:—
They rode the elevator with Pierre and Matille, saying goodnight when they got off on the second floor.
“There’s something I need to show you,” Mantis said to Alegria, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I received this on our way back from the restaurant.”
He held the phone out to her.
“What is it?”
He smiled as she read the text that had come through from the man who had been his and her best friend since their days at the Air Force Academy.
Don’t you worry. The best man will be back in time for the wedding. Congratulations, and I love you both.
Epilogue