“Why?”
“Because you love it.”
“Wow, Dev, I don’t know what to say.”
“Wait, I’m not done with my speech.” Those earnest eyes were going to be the end of me. I was turning into a pile of mush at each revelation he made, each proclamation he proudly memorized.
“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. Where was I?” he asked, his eyes looked off to the side for just a moment. “Oh yes. Trust. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust. I’ll give you full access to my cell phone if you want. You can call back any number that calls me to make sure it’s work.”
“No,” I shook my head wildly and waved him away, “that’s not necessary. I trust you, I do. I should never have let Trupti or Craig get into my head.”
“Look, I know I’m a workaholic and that I have a temper sometimes. I know I say stupid shit and make a fool of myself.”
“Sometimes,” I said with a snicker.
“I know I’m not perfect, but I also know you’re perfect for me. And I’m gonna fight like hell to make you happy, because I’m in love with you, Lyra. I’m so in love with you I can barely see straight. And if you’ll give me one more chance, I’ll treat you like you deserve to be treated, like the Khaleesi that you are. My Khaleesi.”
I laughed, studying his face, drinking in his beautiful words. Knowing we would, indeed, have such a beautiful life.
My heart raced as the words flew out of my mouth. “I love you too. I love you so much it’s scary. I’ve never felt like this before.”
“Me neither,” he said, shaking his head. “Terrifying, isn’t it?”
“So terrifying.”
Dev cupped my face with his hands, pulling me in for a kiss. It was passionate yet gentle, his firm lips pressed to mine as his thumb stroked my cheek. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my fingers against the firm muscles of his back. He pressed his forehead down to mine, releasing a sigh of relief I know he’d been saving up as he waited for my answer.
“I hope you’re hungry. I got us enough samosas to feed your entire building.”
“Starving.”
“Good,” he took me by the hand. “Let’s eat. And then you’re gonna give me a Unicorns rematch.”
I stopped walking, scrunching my nose. “Wait. I didn’t agree to that.”
I was being deliberately difficult. After everything he’d done to win my heart, there was no way I’d deny him a silly rematch. But I wouldn’t let him win. I had to draw the line somewhere.
“C’mon, I need a chance to get my Unicorn dignity back. You can’t play me like that!”
“I mean…I can,” I said, placing a playful kiss on his cheek.
“For real?”
“I’ll think about it…after about twelve samosas.” I turned to face him, pulling on his collar. “And after I’ve had my way with you.”
“Wait, what?”
“You heard me.”
With a devilish grin, he bent down and hoisted me up by my thighs, throwing me over his shoulder. A surprised yelp left my lungs as I hung from his shoulder, one of his hands pressing against my thighs, the other playfully spanking my ass.
“Wait! What about the rematch?”
“It can wait!” he said, marching us down the hall toward my bedroom. Yellow flower petals flew around the room as he trampled through them.
“But what about the samosas?”
He changed course, walking back down the hall to the kitchen counter. “Grab one of those boxes. I don’t want you passing out on me, Khaleesi. Everything else can wait.”
And it did.
Epilogue
DEV
The following New Year’s Eve…
“Lyra!” I called, my fancy ass planted on the armchair as I waited for my gorgeous girlfriend to finally finish getting ready. “Everyone’s waiting downstairs. You almost done?”
“Yep,” Lyra called from the bathroom. “Two minutes.”
“You said that five minutes ago.”
“You sure? I don’t remember that,” she said, her voice totally guilty but playful.
My heart was racing for reasons Lyra knew nothing about. I had no poker face, so it was actually a blessing in disguise that she was taking so long to get ready for dinner and dancing at the New Year’s Eve party downstairs.
We were staying in the same suite at the same resort as the previous year. Only this time, we had it all to ourselves. Lyra gave me a hard time about wasting all the other bedrooms, but I didn’t mind shelling out the cash. It was going to be a trip we would never forget, and I was sparing no expense. None at all.
My planning had begun when Lyra spent Thanksgiving with my family and my mother officially fell in love with her. They’d met many times before, but this time my mom invited Lyra to help with the cooking. Lyra jumped at the chance, and the two of them prepared a traditional Modi family Thanksgiving meal. My mother beamed as we all tasted Lyra’s samosas. And Lyra couldn’t stop smiling when my mom wouldn’t shut up about her cooking abilities.
After dinner, Savita asked Lyra to help her put the finishing touches on the pies she’d baked. So, my mom took me by the hand and led me to her bedroom.
“I love her,” Mom said, pressing her hands over her heart and looking up at the ceiling.
“I do too, Mom. You have no idea.”
“She’s the one, Dev. I feel it in every bone of my body.”
“I feel it too. So, you know what this means—I’m gonna need that ring after all,” I said, of course referring to my nani’s ring. The one I’d wanted to send back to India. The one my mom insisted stay with her until my heart found love. Real love.
With a coy grin, my mom walked to her jewelry box. “I held on to it, just like I promised.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, as she placed the ring in the palm of my hand.
She pulled me into her arms. “Oh, pyaare bete, I’m so happy for you.”
“Me too, Mom. Me too.”
My planning continued when we flew to Los Angeles for Christmas with Lyra’s parents and extended family. While Lyra and her mother were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen with her aunt and cousins, I asked Mr. Castillo if he’d be willing to take a walk with me.
“I already know what you’re going to ask me,” he said, not moving from his armchair, looking past me at the Rudolph special on TV.
“You do?”
“Yep.” His voice was gruff, and I suddenly worried he might turn me down. My head spun with scenarios as I attempted to get my composure.
“Sir, I just want to tell you how much I love your daughter.”
“I know.”
“You don’t seem very happy about this. Have I done something to upset you? Do you not approve?”
“No, not at all,” he said, his expression softening. “I see the way you take care of her. You’re a good guy, Dev. It’s just…no father wants to lose his little girl, that’s all. If I listen to your question, then it all becomes real. I’m not ready for that. So I’m just going to sit here and listen to that silly elf sing about wanting to be a dentist.”