A/N: I feel so torn when writing this because I want to stick to the show but I also want to add in my own, unique spins. Hope you guys like this one!
Henry's Point of View
I owe Ali. I owe her so much. There's no amount of pistachio ice cream that can ever be enough to repay her. I told her I wanted to propose to Elizabeth and not only did she manage to make me even more excited to do that with just her reaction, but she was able to get me Elizabeth's ring size and let me in on a piece of information that I wouldn't have been able to figure out otherwise… Elizabeth loves emerald cut diamonds.
Stevie helped me actually pick it out and with Elizabeth, Ali, and Jase in India, this was the perfect time to do that. I initially thought she would want yellow gold, I even considered if she would like rose gold, but Stevie reminded me that she wears a silver watch every day… white gold would probably be best.
We looked at diamond after diamond, ring after ring, just trying to find the perfect match. I remember exactly how it felt when I found the one. She's going to love it! The center stone is emerald cut, just like she likes. It's got two small, round diamonds on either side; in my head I tell myself that it's one for Ali and one for Jason.
It was much more expensive than two months of my pay like I thought it was supposed to be. I went in with a bit of a budget… mainly something I was ok with spending that day… and quickly spent much more than that. I won't tell her that though. I would spend every dime that I make for the rest of my life to have her by my side. She's an incredible woman, and she deserves a ring just as incredible as she is.
Now that I've got the ring, I know how I'm going to ask her. We've been talking about going on a trip for our anniversary, we haven't picked where but we know it'll just be a weekend away. There are three destinations we're really considering: New York City, Savannah, and Santo Domingo. I don't think the last one is really possible in all honesty… there's too much to see to try to make it a weekend trip. Maybe that will be our honeymoon.
I think we'll end up going to New York City… at least I hope we do! Elizabeth has mentioned this french restaurant that she loves many times and I'd love for her to be able to go back. I know how I'd do it in New York… I have no idea how I'd do it in Savannah.
I don't think she's expecting anything just yet… I know she's expecting something but I don't think she thinks it's coming any time soon. I like that I'll be able to surprise her.
Doing it the first day of our trip is too expected, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep the ring hidden and my mouth shut for most of the trip. If we end up going to New York, we'll go to the french restaurant she loves our second night. Maybe we'll go out for drinks or more wine, better wine than before of course, and then head back to our room.
I really wanted the kids there at first but the more I thought about it… I wanted them to have as much input into other aspects of it that actually asking her to marry me was the only thing I really got to do just myself. Over time, I started to realize how it will be so much more special if Ali and Jase (and Stevie too) are a part of the things she'll have forever instead of just one moment in a long life ahead.
Before we head back to our room, I'll beg her to take a walk around Central Park. It's only a few blocks from our hotel so it shouldn't be too hard to convince her. I'm hoping her detail will help me with some of the details but even if they won't, it'll be ok.
I'll find the perfect spot… I don't know the park well enough to know exactly what that spot is, but like meeting her, when I know, I'll know. She'll look around, maybe at candles, maybe at just the beauty of the night, and when she isn't expecting it, I'll drop to one knee and confess my love to her. Of course I'll ask her to marry me in that speech but to me, it's so much more than just "will you marry me?"
Then we'll walk back to our room, enjoy a bottle of champagne and each other. Each time with her feels like the first time. It's a constant reminder of how lucky I am to be the one with her, the one she chooses to love. My heart still races when I think about getting to make love to her next. My heart races any time I think of her.
I don't know if I've ever been this in love with someone. I was in love with Michaela, so deeply in love but this is… different. It's the same, but it's different. Maybe this is still the honeymoon phase and dark days will come that even it back out, or maybe this is what love feels like when you appreciate it so deeply because you've had love taken from you before.
Maybe this is just what it's like to love her.
No matter what it is, I can't wait to do it forever. I can't wait for her to come home from India, it means another day closer to starting forever with her.
