The Lily (The Flowering Series Book 1) (12 page)

By the time we were ready to leave for the city I felt confident my mother could handle herself alone. We piled in Damon’s car and headed to meet my past head on. It was time to introduce Damon to Jake and get Carmine and Nancy’s blessing.

Being amazing, wonderful and generous people Carmine and Nancy welcomed Damon into the family with only a few tough questions that he passed with flying colors. The next day Damon and I were headed to the cemetery while Carmine and Nancy spoiled Joshua rotten.

In the morning I woke to an empty bed so I got ready and headed downstairs to find Damon. I saw him standing in the kitchen staring out the window and I hugged him from behind. That is when I saw the lilies. Damon had clearly gotten up early to go and buy lilies for us to take to Jake today.

I could not stop the tears and Damon thought they were making me sad so he moved to throw the flowers away. I quickly snagged them out of his hand and held them to my chest showing him that my tears were not sadness but joy that I found someone to love that would be so thoughtful.

We got to the cemetery and made our way to Jake’s plot. As we got closer I saw a lily across both Aidan and Jake’s stones that looked like they were exactly like the ones in my hand. I started to ask Damon but he just tugged my hand forward.

When we were finally standing in front of the stones I realized for the first time I was not crying at Jake’s grave.

I began to introduce Damon to Jake when Damon stopped me and said, “We’ve already met.”

He explained that this morning he had come to the cemetery after the flower shop to introduce himself and talk man-to-man with Jake. I did not know what to make of this development and Damon must have seen the confusion on my face because he broke out a devastating smile.

I looked back and forth between Jake’s stone and Damon but I could not for the life of me figure out what in the world was going on.

“Someone told me you liked surprises,” Damon said.

What was he talking about? Was there a surprise I was missing.

Then Damon dropped to one knee and I stopped breathing. My body was fighting an overwhelming sense of panic until I saw the black box. Damon took my hand.

In a nervous voice I was not used to Damon continued, “I came this morning to ask Jake for permission to propose to you.”

“I have already talked to Joshua and Carmine but I felt that the final nod of approval needed to come from Jake,” Damon stated.

I felt slightly embarrassed by my non-reaction but I was fighting with myself over the existence of such an amazing man. Not too mention the fact that I was being given the chance to be happy again.

“Morgan will you marry me?” Damon finally asked.

I smelled the fresh cut cemetery grass and the lilies still in my hand. I heard the distant sounds of traffic and the birds in the nearby trees. All of my senses were alive but the only important thing was that my heart was already Damon’s.

I fell to my knees and said, “Only if you’ll marry me too.”

The kiss was quick but appropriate and Damon said he would go get the car and let me say goodbye alone. I stared at Jake’s stone so lovingly designed by people who missed him dearly. I waited for the uncontrollable sobs to come but my eyes stayed dry.

I took one more deep breath and drop the lilies on Jake’s grave and said, “Thank you Jake for your love, for your strength and for giving me the chance to find happiness again.”

I turned to walk back to Damon’s car when I noticed a couple walking down the path. They had yet to notice me but something about their behavior pulled me to them. Once they got a little closer I could clearly see it was Lily and Mike. I started to call out to them when Mike leaned down and kissed Lily with an intensity that shocked me.

Any onlooker could see they were crazy in love with each other and fighting it every step of the way. I wanted to tell them to be happy but instead I decided to keep their secret and continued on to my happy.