at me with unabashed joy. “This must be the lovely Lilly you told me about. Jack Sneed,” he said, holding out his hand to me.
I shook it. “Lilly Nightingale.”
“She’s as lovely as you described, my boy, just lovely.”
“Are we ready?” Brand asked Jack.
“Go on in. I’ll take care of everything else. It should be nice and warm in there. I turned the heat on for you.”
Brand took my hand and escorted me into one of the glass pods of the Ferris Wheel.
“What is this?” I asked as he escorted me to the other side of the capsule.
“It’s the London Eye.”
“We’re in England?”
“Yes, my love.” He turned me so I could look out at the London skyline. He stood behind me with his chest at my back, and put his arms around me loosely.
I could barely feel us move as the wheel slowly turned and took us higher into the air. It soon became evident that the steel straps I had seen on the outside of the pod were used to keep the pod level while the wheel turned. From our vantage point, I could see the Thames River, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. It was a gorgeous view at night. The city was lit up with myriad lights, showcasing how lovely London really was.
“What time is it here?” I asked just as we were nearing the top of the wheel.
“Around two in the morning,” Brand said, hugging me closer.
“Poor Jack! How did you talk him into doing this for us?”
Brand slowly turned me around to face him. He held both my hands in his and stared down at them for a few seconds before answering. He seemed shy to meet my eyes.
“Jack’s been a friend of mine for a long time. I told him I needed his help to make this moment special for us, and he was more than willing to lend a hand.”
Brand finally looked into my eyes, and I saw the uncertainty in his expression by the dim light of our glass bubble. There wasn’t an actual light inside the pod, but the illumination of the wheel itself cast a soft glow around us.
Brand knelt in front of me on one knee. I thought my heart would stop beating from the implication of such a gesture.
“I know you want to wait until after you get out of school to get married, and I’m perfectly fine with that, Lilly. I’ve waited for centuries to find you. A few more years doesn’t bother me. But I don’t see any reason why I should wait to ask you to be my wife. Even if we don’t actually say our vows for four more years, I want everyone to know how much we love each other. I don’t want you to ever doubt that you are the center of my world and my life. Lilly, will you accept me, knowing all my faults, and grant me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I was speechless. How had my life led me to this moment? Picture perfect was too clichéd to describe it, but no other words came to mind. How else do you describe the perfect setting, the perfect man, and the perfect question?
It was only the doubt in Brand’s eyes at my continued silence that finally prodded me into giving him my answer.
“Yes.”
Brand reached into an inner pocket of his tuxedo and slipped a ring onto my finger. I didn’t even look at it before I made him stand up. I kissed him so hard I hoped he wouldn’t have any more doubts about how much I loved and needed him.
When I finally let him go, I noticed we were back on the ground. Jack had his back to our pod, obviously trying to give us some privacy.
I looked up at Brand and smiled. “Did you really think I wouldn’t say yes?”
“I hoped you would, but I wasn’t sure how you would respond to me doing it so soon. I was a little worried you might think it was too early. We still have almost four years until we can make it official.”
“It seems almost silly, doesn’t it? Waiting so long,” I said, wondering if I was making the right decision.
“No, it’s not silly,” Brand leaned down and kissed me softly. “I want to make your life as perfect as you’ve imagined it for yourself. If waiting until you
I shook it. “Lilly Nightingale.”
“She’s as lovely as you described, my boy, just lovely.”
“Are we ready?” Brand asked Jack.
“Go on in. I’ll take care of everything else. It should be nice and warm in there. I turned the heat on for you.”
Brand took my hand and escorted me into one of the glass pods of the Ferris Wheel.
“What is this?” I asked as he escorted me to the other side of the capsule.
“It’s the London Eye.”
“We’re in England?”
“Yes, my love.” He turned me so I could look out at the London skyline. He stood behind me with his chest at my back, and put his arms around me loosely.
I could barely feel us move as the wheel slowly turned and took us higher into the air. It soon became evident that the steel straps I had seen on the outside of the pod were used to keep the pod level while the wheel turned. From our vantage point, I could see the Thames River, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. It was a gorgeous view at night. The city was lit up with myriad lights, showcasing how lovely London really was.
“What time is it here?” I asked just as we were nearing the top of the wheel.
“Around two in the morning,” Brand said, hugging me closer.
“Poor Jack! How did you talk him into doing this for us?”
Brand slowly turned me around to face him. He held both my hands in his and stared down at them for a few seconds before answering. He seemed shy to meet my eyes.
“Jack’s been a friend of mine for a long time. I told him I needed his help to make this moment special for us, and he was more than willing to lend a hand.”
Brand finally looked into my eyes, and I saw the uncertainty in his expression by the dim light of our glass bubble. There wasn’t an actual light inside the pod, but the illumination of the wheel itself cast a soft glow around us.
Brand knelt in front of me on one knee. I thought my heart would stop beating from the implication of such a gesture.
“I know you want to wait until after you get out of school to get married, and I’m perfectly fine with that, Lilly. I’ve waited for centuries to find you. A few more years doesn’t bother me. But I don’t see any reason why I should wait to ask you to be my wife. Even if we don’t actually say our vows for four more years, I want everyone to know how much we love each other. I don’t want you to ever doubt that you are the center of my world and my life. Lilly, will you accept me, knowing all my faults, and grant me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I was speechless. How had my life led me to this moment? Picture perfect was too clichéd to describe it, but no other words came to mind. How else do you describe the perfect setting, the perfect man, and the perfect question?
It was only the doubt in Brand’s eyes at my continued silence that finally prodded me into giving him my answer.
“Yes.”
Brand reached into an inner pocket of his tuxedo and slipped a ring onto my finger. I didn’t even look at it before I made him stand up. I kissed him so hard I hoped he wouldn’t have any more doubts about how much I loved and needed him.
When I finally let him go, I noticed we were back on the ground. Jack had his back to our pod, obviously trying to give us some privacy.
I looked up at Brand and smiled. “Did you really think I wouldn’t say yes?”
“I hoped you would, but I wasn’t sure how you would respond to me doing it so soon. I was a little worried you might think it was too early. We still have almost four years until we can make it official.”
“It seems almost silly, doesn’t it? Waiting so long,” I said, wondering if I was making the right decision.
“No, it’s not silly,” Brand leaned down and kissed me softly. “I want to make your life as perfect as you’ve imagined it for yourself. If waiting until you
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