A/N: I am soooo sorry for the long wait, you guys. No excuses here. All I can say is that inspiration has been a hard thing to find lately. And now to top it off, this is a short chapter -- I actually would've made it longer, but with what happens in this chapter, I figured it best fitting to cut it off where I did. I really hopr you guys enjoy this chappie -
Anyway, just so you know, I have NO intention whatsoever of dropping this story. I do not lie. No matter how long it takes me to get a chapter out in the future (though I pray to the higher power that it doesn't take anywhere near this long again), it's not because I've lost interest. You guys have been ar too good to me with reviews and appreciation of this story, and I'm not going to let that go. You all are amazing, and I love each and every one of you! )
Oh, and no, this isn't the last chapter.
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
"Though We Walk Through the Valley"
Chapter 13 - "More Than Perfect"
-----------
--------------------------------------
-----------
Happiness… true happiness seemed like such a fleeting thing. As though you could at one time grasp it in your hand, but if you weren't careful, you could lose it forever. Almost like a butterfly.
Emily had always thought that way. Well… not always. Only since Barkis had betrayed her. She believed she had been truly happy, and would feel that way for the rest of her life. But it was gone as quickly as it had come. She thought she had felt it.
But now, it was so entirely different. Now she knew that what she felt inside when she was with Victor was the utmost happiness that anyone could feel. She couldn't even compare to how happy Barkis had made her, or how happy she was when she thought Victor had proposed to her in the woods. For now… she knew Victor felt the same way for her now. She could see it in his eyes every time their gazes met. She heard it in his voice when she spoke to her, felt it in his touch and kiss, and more than anything else, she could sense it all the way down to her very core every single time he said those three words to her. And she would never get tired of hearing him say those words.
It had been two days. Two days filled with more love than most people could wish for in years. The two of them spent all of their time together, hardly letting each other out of their sight. As they walked down the cobblestone roads, others waved happily to them, some even verbally congratulated them on their happiness. News had gotten around quite quickly about their relationship, and they all were happy for them.
Victor had left behind every negative emotion that ever plagued him. It now seemed so pointless to feel bad about anything when you were this happy, when everyone around you was this happy. No one ever had a frown on their face, and even if you didn't know someone, you would say hello and ask them how they were. And with Emily happily by his side, he wondered if there was a word that went beyond the definition of 'perfect'. Though once in a while Victor still felt nervous, because he knew there was still one more thing he had to talk to Emily about before he could truly be content.
That afternoon, the two of them were sitting in what was now their 'spot' – the bench atop the balcony that overlooked the entire city. Emily had her head set against Victor's chest and was idly playing with the sleeve of his jacket. He had his cheek rested on the top of her head and was watching her hands. He decided to bring up the subject.
"Emily?" he said quietly.
"Mm?" was her response.
For a little while, he didn't say anything. He thought for a moment, but was also kind of spaced out from being so comfortable. He blinked, trying to knock himself out of it. "You know… I was thinking," he stated finally.
She shifted to let him know she had heard. "What about?" she asked. She also felt a bit drowsy from being in the position for nearly an hour. She found it hard to stay alert to everything around her when she was in one of her cuddle positions with Victor.
He shifted his gaze a bit. "Maybe…" he started, but trailed off, not knowing exactly how he was going to word it. "I was thinking maybe we should take a big step with this," he finished.
Her fingered ceased their movement. "What do you mean?" she inquired. He had gotten her attention.
"I mean…" Victor was sure how to say it without actually saying it. So as gently as he could, he pulled away from Emily and stood up from the bench. Immediately he missed the warmth. She looked up at him, confused.
And then he went down on one knee.
A hand shot up to Emily's mouth, stifling a gasp. He took her other hand in both of his and smiled at her, nothing but love shining from his eyes. He glanced down at her hand for a moment, the back to her. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she allowed her hand to come back into her lap. She smiled at him.
"Emily, I love you more than anything," he began. "And I forever will. And I… I wish for nothing more… than to live out the rest of this life, and the next…" He paused to lean forward and kiss her lips. He brought a hand up to touch her cheek, and he pulled away to look her in the eyes.
"… With you. Will you allow me your hand in marriage, Emily?"
For what felt like the longest amount of time in her life, Emily could do nothing. She never knew that so much happiness could numb you over. She choked back a sob as she looked on at the man before her, on one knee. It was far more than she could have ever hoped for. The one she truly, and with all her being loved more than the world itself was in front of her, asking if he could spend the rest of his life with her. And in their situation, offering his very life for that.
"Oh, Victor," she managed. And she responded to his question in the only way she could at that moment. She threw herself at him, knocking him clear to the ground with her arms locked around his neck.