The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(73)

He swallows deeply and clears his throat.
“Bree. I lost you once when we were eight years old. I didn’t even realize that my heart had been searching for yours through all the years since, until that one day when I walked into my Boarding Buddy’s room.” He breaks his speech to grin at Quinn before looking back to me. “And even though you didn’t know it at the time, I knew I had finally found you. My soul breathed for the first time in ten years. That’s how I knew it was you. It was always you.”
A lump forms in my throat and tears begin to roll down my cheeks.
“I lost you again soon after. I allowed you to disappear into your darkness. But I always knew you were still in there somewhere. You see, we’re intertwined. Tethered. Bound. And even while you thought you were alone, you weren’t. I had a strong hold on that cord connecting us and there was no way in hell I was letting you go. I will always be your anchor, Bree.”
His eyes narrow as he gestures between us. “These ties can’t be broken. Our bonds are secure.”
Quinn sniffles beside me, but my eyes remain trained on Kaeleb.
“But I couldn’t tell you that, because this time around, it wasn’t about my search for you. It was about you finding yourself. Your courage. Your strength. Your love. All the amazing things that make you, you. And somehow, you managed to do it. You worked your way back up, pull by painstaking pull, until you rose up and finally found your way back to me.”
His eyes shine as he finishes his proposal. “And I guess what I’m asking is now that you’ve found your way home” he gives me a crooked smile, “would you like to continue this journey through life together, as my wife?”
He flips open the box and I cover my mouth.
Inside is a perfectly cut, round, canary diamond. It’s outlined with a single crescent shape filled with tiny clear diamonds of its own. I smile to myself, and my heart leaps at the thought of wearing a constant reminder of Kaeleb’s love.
I remain mesmerized by the sight as he says, “You have always been and will always be, my sunshine.”
“The sun and the moon,” I whisper in response, my eyes still trained on the ring.
“Naturally,” he responds, as murmurs and gasps fill the crowd around us.
My eyes land on his just as someone from the surrounding horde yells, “ANSWER HIM!”
A smile breaks across my face as I nod vigorously. “Yes!”
Rising up off his knee, Kaeleb whisks the ring out of the box. He takes my hand into his, leaning forward and brushing his lips against mine. “I love you, Bree.”
“I love you too, Kaeleb.” He pulls back and holds the ring in my direct line of sight, tilting it so I can see the inscription on the inside of the band.
Shine bright. Shine always.
I release a sob and once again face Kaeleb. My eyes latch onto his as I whisper back, “Always.”
He nods and slides the ring onto my finger before placing another kiss on my lips. The crowd hoots and hollers around us, causing us to break apart. My face reddens as I hurriedly take my seat across from Quinn. Kaeleb, however, bows to the crowd, eliciting an eruption of more cheers.
Quinn bounds off her seat, clapping. “You guys are getting married! I told you! I knew it!”
I roll my eyes and shake my head, then grin.
Yep.
That boy is all mine.
For the rest of our lives.
Thirty minutes later, after we’ve finished lunch, we all grab our backpacks and head to the parking lot. Passing through another horde gathered for some student function, Quinn leads the way as Kaeleb and I walk hand-in-hand behind her. I glance up to him, smiling widely. He grins back and leans into me, brushing his lips against my forehead.
We’re so lost in our bubble of love that we run right into the back of Quinn, who has stopped unexpectedly. “Quinn!” I laugh. “What’s wrong with you?”
Pulling Kaeleb behind me, I step beside her as a nasty, evil, malicious snicker rises above the murmurs of the crowd around us.
My eyes break away from Quinn, and I turn to see Sabrina standing there with a contorted leer on her face, eyeing us like she just stepped in dog shit. I narrow my eyes at her and can feel Kaeleb’s seething anger beating against the back of my neck.
“Oh. My. Gawd,” she begins, thrusting her huge purse over her shoulder while smacking her gum. “Look. It’s the freak and the freak lover, getting married,” she scoffs as her eyes land on my hand. “I can’t wait to see the monstrosities you spit out of your body, Raven. I’m sure you’ll have a household of freaks at your disposal.”
“It’s Aubrey,” I reply calmly. Kaeleb’s body tenses against the back of mine, so I reach behind me to keep him still.
“Whatever, Aubrey. A tiger can’t change its stripes, no matter how much dye it uses to cover them up. Once a freak, always a freak.”
And for the second time today, we find ourselves surrounded by a mass of curious people, most likely drawn by Sabrina’s threatening tone.
Quinn steps directly in front of us, placing her tiny body protectively in front of mine and Kaeleb’s. I try really hard not to smile, but I find it damn near impossible. Kaeleb doesn’t even bother as the warmth of his laughter hits the shell of my ear.
“Get the f*ck out of here, Sabrina. No one wants to hear the hateful shit that comes out of your mouth,” Quinn spits. And just as Sabrina opens said mouth, Quinn’s voice strengthens and she yells, “Do you?” She gestures to the people around us. “Does ANYONE want to hear ANYTHING that she has to say?”
There’s a collective “no” amongst the herd. Someone adds, “Yeah, you’re a bitch!” while another person throws in, “Go away, Sabrina!” just before a squeaky, timid voice from the back somewhere shouts, “You’re an awful person!”