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Jasper idly ran his fingers through Bella's hair as she chatted with her father, paying no attention to the specifics of the banter but marveling at the love and affection laced throughout her voice and words. He had never had that sort of familial bond until Bella, her father, and her small but tight circle of friends wove themselves into his life. Every day he was grateful he had become part of her family.
Bella was saying her goodbyes, chuckling at whatever her father said in reply. "Dad says we're getting lumps of coal in our stockings if we aren't there promptly for dinner tomorrow night," she said as she hung up the phone.
"We'll be there on time. And speaking of stockings and lumps of coal… " He reached down and drew out the stocking he had hidden underneath the pillows, dangling it in front of Bella.
She grinned happily and grabbed at it, fingering the sumptuous red velvet and lightly tracing the gold thread spelling out her name. She prodded the small lump in the foot. "A lump of coal in a pretty package! Just what I always wanted! How did you know?"
"Well, I do know exactly how naughty you've been this year, and I'd be glad to relive those memories…" He trailed off suggestively, but she ignored him in favor of the gift.
She reached in and pulled out the small black box, flipping the lid open to reveal the diamond ring inside. Her eyes were wide when she looked up at him a lifetime later. "Jasper?" Her voice shook, and he could see tears gathering.
After so many years with Bella, Jasper had become an expert at reading the slightest nuances of her expressions. The pounding of his heart and the unreasoning terror that despite everything they had built she was going to regress to skittish and bolt decimated his usual uncanny ability to interpret her moods. A number of different emotions flickered across her face, and he was helpless to read a single one.
Her long silence unnerved him. "Bella-"
That was all he got out before she threw herself into his arms, fusing her lips with his. His world started again.
"Yes!" she murmured fiercely when they broke apart to breathe. "Yes, I'll marry you."
He laughed, relieved she had said yes, awed that she wanted him, and gloating that she was his. He drew back further so he could see her face. "Do I get to properly ask the question?"
"The ring was the question." She dove back in for another kiss, warm hands running under his shirt and up his sides. "This is the answer."
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