Chapter 12
The morning sun poured through the large bedroom windows,
casting warm and golden pools of light across the hardwood floor,
and waking Mave from the deepest sleep she had ever known.
She stretched her arms above her head,
feeling the unfamiliar weight of the diamond on her left hand,
and a bright smile instantly broke across her face.
Landon was already awake,
propped up on one elbow and simply watching her breathe,
his expression relaxed and completely unguarded.
He reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her cheek,
his touch incredibly gentle,
and he wished her a good morning in a low and rumbling voice.
Mave rolled over to press a soft kiss against his chest,
listening to the steady and reassuring beat of his heart,
and she told him that it was the best morning of her entire life.
They stayed in bed for another hour,
talking quietly about their plans for the upcoming week,
and enjoying the rare luxury of having nowhere else to be.
Eventually,
the sweet smell of brewing coffee drifted upstairs,
prompting them to finally leave the warm comfort of the blankets,
and head down to the sunny kitchen.
Mave wore one of Landon's oversized grey shirts,
which fell to her mid-thigh and made her look incredibly small,
while Landon wore comfortable sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt.
Mrs. Pruitt had prepared a massive breakfast spread,
featuring fresh fruit,
warm pastries,
and perfectly scrambled eggs,
which she served with a knowing and joyful smile.
As they sat at the marble island eating their food,
Mave's phone suddenly vibrated loudly on the counter,
displaying an incoming video call from June.
Mave answered the call immediately,
propping the phone up against a ceramic vase,
and June's bright and excited face filled the screen.
June was sitting in her college dorm room,
surrounded by posters and textbooks,
and she immediately demanded to know how the charity gala had gone.
Mave smiled conspiratorially at Landon,
who was sipping his coffee and trying to hide his own amusement,
and she casually lifted her left hand to brush a crumb from her lip.
June stopped mid-sentence,
her eyes widening to the size of saucers as she spotted the massive diamond,
and she let out a loud and ear-piercing scream of absolute delight.
She jumped up from her desk chair,
bouncing excitedly around her small dorm room,
and yelled that she had been waiting for this exact moment for over a year.
Landon laughed out loud,
a rich and unrestrained sound that filled the kitchen,
and he told his sister that she was being overly dramatic.
June ignored him completely,
pressing her face close to the camera,
and demanded to see the ring up close.
Mave held her hand up to the lens,
letting the morning sunlight catch the intricate facets of the diamond,
and June sighed in pure,
romantic appreciation.
She immediately declared that she was going to be the maid of honor,
and that she was already planning a trip home to help pick out the wedding dress,
refusing to take no for an answer.
Mave felt tears of happy emotion pricking at the corners of her eyes,
realizing how truly blessed she was to have this incredible girl in her life,
and she eagerly agreed to all of June's enthusiastic demands.
They talked for another thirty minutes,
discussing color palettes and floral arrangements,
before June finally had to hang up to attend her morning literature class.
When the screen went dark,
Mave leaned her head against Landon's strong shoulder,
May you like
feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude and absolute peace,
knowing that their family was perfectly and completely whole.
