“Yes,” she responded confidently, hardly hesitating. Her heart had spoken for her and she blinked from the realization. Unable to give up contact just yet she nuzzled her nose against his cheek, trembling slightly from the intensity of her feelings and the events.
“I want to say always but I can’t promise..but I will try for forever. I want to be yours…” She continued, her words having a double meaning though she suspected they weren’t ready to go further than kissing for now. It was still too soon.
Unable to keep from touching her somehow, Jack nuzzled her in return. He tilted his head slightly, so that his forehead nudged affectionately against hers. The honesty in her words was sweeter and more comforting than any flowery promise would have been.
“I’ll try if you’ll try,” he whispered back.
The last thing she had said, I want to be yours, made him suddenly remember. Slipping one hand away from Katelynn’s waist for a moment, Jack reached into his pocket, and brought out the silver engagement ring he had given her on Valentine’s Day.
“When you … when you left,” he said quietly, “I kept this. I’ve been keeping it with me ever since. I … I guess it was kind of a charm. A hope, that you’d wear it again someday.” He looked up at Katelynn, and offered the ring to her. “Will you?”
She had nearly forgotten all about it she admitted to herself as her entire face colored in embarrassment. It was such a sweet, albeit bittersweet gesture. Lifting her hand to take it from him gently, she stated down at the beautiful ring and the promise it meant.
“I will,” she whispered, tears coming to her eyes even more as she smiled at him. Slipping the ring back on her finger, she couldn’t believe this was happening. The familiar weight was assuring as she twirled the ring around. “Because I still want it all with you. To have a life with you and only you.”
Looking up at him, she gave him a sweet smile.
He watched, love and hope welling up in a warm glow inside him, as she slipped the ring back on. And when she gave him that sweet smile, Jack pulled her into his arms again. “Then that’s what we’ll have, Katelynn,” he whispered against her hair.
The two of them cuddled like that for a while longer. Nothing was said – nothing needed to be. They had been apart for too long, and simply wanted to be as close as they could, just for now.
Eventually, though, Jack realized that her clothes were still torn, and she was grimy with soot and dirt. “Um … I guess you’d probably like to get cleaned up?” he asked, with an embarrassed smile.
Jack Maple 