Unforgettable (26 page)

 
We looked at each other for what seemed like eternity. I was waiting impatiently for him to ask me, all the while thinking of how I would tell my future children about their father’s proposal to me. I was pretty sure I was going to leave the nakedness and post coital bliss part out. I was so wrapped up in my fantasy that I was caught off guard by his next words.

 
“I’m starving. I’m going to make a sandwich. Do you want me to make you anything?” What the
fuck
? I was lounging here
naked
, waiting for a marriage proposal and he wanted to make a
sandwich
? I sat up in outrage. Maybe I was missing something, but I thought we had just overcome a huge emotional hurdle. I wanted to be held and caressed. Hell, I wanted him to propose, not get up and eat. This wasn’t going the way I thought it would at all.

 
“No, I’m not hungry.” I don’t know how I managed to keep my voice steady, but it sounded clear and strong, not giving a hint of my jumbled emotions.

 
I watched as he stood up and grabbed his jeans off of the floor, pulling them on without underwear and leaving the button undone. He walked out, shooting me a smile as he left me alone and confused on the bed. What had just happened here? Hadn’t I laid my heart at his feet and admitted that I loved him more than anything else in the world? How could he pass up such a perfect opportunity to ask me? I got up too, pulling my own clothes back on hastily and barreling into the kitchen. He was piling shaved turkey onto his bread as I made my way into the room. He turned around with a smirk.

 
“Changed your mind about the food?”

 
“Changed your mind about the proposal?”

Chapter Twenty Four

 
Oh my god. Did that just come out of my mouth? I wanted to cringe and take the words back, but at the same time I wanted an answer. The look of surprise on Ethan’s face gave me clue that he may not have been on the same page as me at this moment.

 
It took him a second but after his initial shock wore off, Ethan finally answered. “No, of course I haven’t changed my mind.”

 
Whew, the fear I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge released its hold on my stomach and suddenly, that sandwich Ethan was making looked delicious.

 
“Well, I changed my mind about the sandwich. I’m hungry.”

 
He smiled and grabbed some more bread out of the bag. “Your wish is my command.” Oh how I wished that were true. He would be on one knee in front of me at this very second.

 
I walked over to stand next to him, pressing myself against his side. I felt like I had been woken from some weird coma in which I could see and hear everything but couldn’t really act on anything. I wanted to make up time that I had lost. Truthfully, I wanted to turn back the clock to Friday and never to have answered Elisa’s call. Ethan would have proposed to me on Saturday and I would be contentedly wearing that beautiful ring right now. There was no doubt in my mind that I would have told him yes. I only freaked out on Friday because I was left to wallow in my own mind, and that’s never a good idea.

 
I watched Ethan build another sandwich, slightly smaller than his own, and marveled again at the fact that I could have forgotten how vital he is to me. I looked up at his profile, taking in his lovely jaw line and his straight nose. I was going to burn his features into my brain so that I would never forget them again. I was ashamed of myself, even if I didn’t have total control of my brain’s decision to shield me from my stress. Stupid brain. It messed up everything.

 
I slung my arm around Ethan’s bare waist and I could feel his muscles quiver. It made my own insides tremble. I felt like a skittish horse, and I hadn’t felt this way since the beginning of our relationship, but unlike the beginnings of our relationship, I knew his mind now and didn’t have to guess at his feelings. I was confident in his love for me, the trembling was from excitement. I was on the verge of soldering him to me forever.

 
Ethan finished the sandwiches and slid my plate over. Our hands brushed as I picked it up and an electrical current seemed to shoot up my arm and straight to my heart. I carried my plate to the island and sat down while he walked around and sat down next to me. I felt good. I felt right. It seemed that the amnesia gave me the opportunity to have my old life back, and all I tried to do was claw my way back to the present. I realized now that I would never want to go back to the time before Ethan was the most important thing in my life. Why would I? I had the life I never even dreamed was possible before.

 
I took a huge bite of my sandwich while Ethan picked up his own. I smiled at him while I was chewing and he smiled back.

 
“Juliet, will you make me the happiest person in the world and marry me?”

 
What the hell? I swallowed part of what was in my mouth out of pure shock. I started coughing and what was still in my mouth flew out and onto my plate. Ethan threw down his own sandwich to slap me on my back. When I got my breath back I looked up at him through my tearing eyes.

 
He was looking at me guiltily and I couldn’t have that. I launched myself at him, grabbing him around his neck.

 
“Yes, yes, yes, yes.” His arms reached around to encircle me and for the first time in my entire life I felt like I was truly complete. This is the feeling I had to wait thirty two years to feel and it was fucking worth it. I wanted to dance around the kitchen in glee, but I didn’t want to let go of Ethan’s neck just in case the feeling somehow dissipated.

 
Ethan didn’t say anything, but I could feel wetness against my cheek. I pulled back slightly so that I could look at his face. Oh my god, he was actually crying.

 
“Are you all right?” I asked him in a soft voice because my heart had seized up at the sight of his tears.

 
“Jules, I have never been better. I was so scared for the past three days that I had lost you and now everything in my world is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.” He smiled the most brilliant smile and I found myself dazzled by the look in his eyes. My heart wanted to burst in my chest.

 
I took a deep breath and thought about the one thing that was missing. “Ethan, may I have my ring now?” Yeah, I had to break the moment. I wanted that ring on my finger, pronto.

 
His smile morphed into a smirk as he stood up and grasped my hand, practically dragging me along behind him. He stopped at the closet door and turned on the light, reaching under a stack of jeans and coming back with the familiar little box. I stopped breathing as he dropped to one knee and pulled the ring out. It looked even more breathtaking than before.

 
“Juliet Taylor, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” My heart was pounding in my chest and I was rendered speechless at his second, more formal proposal. All I could do was nod frantically and stare as he slipped the ring onto my finger torturously slowly. In the next second I leaned down to him again and grabbed him into a hug that knocked him down and onto the floor of the closet. I fell on top of him and started kissing his face in a frenzy of happiness.

 
I would have kept kissing him for long minutes, but I wanted to see how the ring looked on my finger. I sat up and held up the ring to the light. It was so magnificent that I turned my hand around in different positions so that I could see it from every angle. It was the loveliest ring I had ever seen and it was all mine, mine,
mine
. I wanted to run outside and shout to all my neighbors that I was marrying the most fantastic man on the planet, but I knew they would probably think I was crazy so I settled for the next best thing.

 
“I’ve got to call Carrie.” I announced in my next breath. I stood up and pulled Ethan up next to me. “I know she knows you’re going to ask me, but I have to tell her
now
.”

 
“That’s fine, she would probably be mad if you kept it from her anyway.” He grabbed a tee shirt from the closet and pulled it on. I felt a moment’s regret that he was covering his glorious body from me but my need to speak to Carrie overcame everything else.

 
I looked over to the bedside table and saw only my kisses, iced tea, and my book from the night before.

 
“Where’s my phone?” I wondered aloud.

 
“It’s in the kitchen.” He said the words almost guiltily, but I didn’t even care as I took off to the kitchen. When I got under the kitchen light the ring sparkled into my eyes almost blinding me with its radiance. I smiled and snatched my phone dialing Carrie at breakneck speed.

 
“Juliet? Is everything okay? It’s late.” Oops, in my fever to tell her my news, I forgot to look at the clock. Carrie and Nigel went to sleep early.

 
“Ethan asked me to marry him. I’m getting
married!
” I practically screamed into phone.

 
Carrie’s shriek made me pull the phone away from my ear. I could hear her rousing Nigel from his slumber.

 
She came back down to earth a second later. “Wait. Jules, what about your memory? Did you get it back?”

 
“Yes Carrie. I remember
everything
.” She shrieked again and I could imagine her bouncing up and down on her bed. Poor Nigel.

 
“Oh my god. Oh my
god
. You’re really going to be my
sister
. We’ve got to get planning your wedding. I have so many ideas.” Whoa, I needed to slow the Carrie freight train down and fast.

 
“Wait. I can’t think of any of that right now. It just happened. I just wanted to tell you right away.”

 
“Oh okay. Is my brother with you?”

 
I turned around and noticed Ethan standing beside the refrigerator with a smile. “Yeah he’s right here, do you want to talk to him?”

 
“Please. I’m so happy for you, Jules.”

 
“Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I handed the phone to Ethan and sat down on my stool to further admire my new ring. As beautiful as the emerald was, it really didn’t hold a candle to Ethan’s eyes. They were glowing as he looked at me while talking to his sister.

 
I got up and walked over to him mouthing “Hang up” when I got in front of him.

 
“Carrie I’ve got to go. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He hit the end button before she could say another word and I took his face in my hands and pulled him down to me.

 
“I love you so much. I have never felt even close to this wonderful in my whole life.” I kissed his lips lightly before I closed my eyes and sunk into him. I could feel myself branding this memory into my psyche forever. My kitchen would be linked to the happiest moment of my life for all time. How fitting.

 
I felt Lucy’s claws digging into my shin and looked down to see her standing on her hind legs waiting to be picked up. She could feel our happiness and wanted in on it. I reached down and scooped her up.

 
“Mommy and Daddy are getting married. Aren’t you excited?” She licked my face in response and I hugged her tighter. I put my other arm back around Ethan and we stood there, our happy little family unit.

Chapter Twenty Five

 
The doorbell’s incessant ringing was making my soufflé fall during a Food Network Challenge. My god, there was ten thousand dollars at stake, couldn’t
someone
get up and answer the damn door? Wait. Huh? I lifted my head and the sparkle from my gorgeous engagement ring caught my eye in the dim light. Oh yeah. My mind was fully alert now, and I could feel the smile stretching the morning-tired muscles of my face. All traces of my dream evaporated as I looked over to Ethan and saw him struggling to wake up, too.
 

 
“Who the heck would be mashing the doorbell so dang early?” My voice sounded hoarse to my ears.