The ride home was a quiet one. When they got back to Linka's place, she put the leftovers in the fridge while he went upstairs and changed into more comfortable clothes. Linka also changed and met him back downstairs, where he had taken the liberty of starting a fire in the fireplace.

"Wheeler, why are all the lights off, I could hardly see coming down the stairs."

"I'm conserving energy Babe. Come sit with me."

"I am getting a glass of wine. Do you want some?"

"Sure."

She handed him his glass and curled up next to him on the couch.

"Spasibo Babe."

"Nice job Yankee! And, pazhaluista."

"Whoa, that one sounds like a mouthful! I think I'll stick to the easy ones. Sorry Linka, but I don't think I'll ever be able to speak Russian other than a few phrases. I mean, you don't even use the same letters as us!"

"Da I know! It was not easy for me either. It is easier when you learn a new language at a young age. I can not believe your father still remembers some from his days in the Army. I was impressed with how well he spoke it. His pronunciation was perfect."

"Yeah, he surprised me too tonight. I'm glad we did that. It was good seeing Ma, and I didn't even recognize Pop. He's a completely different person when he's sober. Thanks for being there with me." Wheeler kissed the top of her head.

"You are welcome. I am glad we did that too. I wanted to meet your parents and get to know them, and I wanted them to know me. They are both lovely people."

"And they really liked you too. I could tell Ma was impressed when you helped her in the kitchen. Pop liked you too...and I love you."

Wheeler took her wine glass, set it on the coffee table next to his glass, and proceeded to pull her into his arms and kiss her. After a few minutes of that, he stood up, bringing her with him. He cradled her face in his hands and smiled as he looked in her eyes.

"Linka, in the last 24 hours, you've made me happier than I've ever been. I hope you feel the same."

"Da, of course I do."

"I love you so much. I want every day of our lives to feel like this past day. I wanna know that for the rest of my life, you'll be there to pick me up when I fall, you'll get me through the bad times, and you'll be the cause of all the good times."

"I will be there for you Wheeler. No matter what. I love you, and I want the same things you want."

"Good, because I want you to know that I'll be there for you to pick you up when you fall, I'll get you through the bad times, and I'll be the cause of all your good times. I'll do everything in my power to protect you, even if it means dying for you."

"And I will do the same for you Yankee, but please, must we talk about dying? Let us focus on living long, happy lives."

"Yes, let's focus on living long, happy lives together…" Wheeler took her left hand in his and she put her other hand on the nape of his neck and was about to pull him down to kiss her again, but he kept moving downwards so that he was now kneeling in front of her. "…forever. Linka Kovalev, will you marry me?" Wheeler held her hand, poised to place his grandmother's ring on her finger as soon as she said yes, or in Linka's case, "da."

"DA! Kanyechna. Of course I will marry you! Ya lublu tebya, Yankee. I love you!" Wheeler slid the ring onto her finger and she knelt down in front of him. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her for a kiss. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs, never losing contact with her lips. He laid her down on the bed and broke their contact.

"You promised me dessert Babe."

"Then I must keep that promise. I hope you leave room to have seconds."

"Oh I'm pretty hungry. I could have seconds, thirds, and fourths!" Wheeler said with a devilish grin as he slid into bed next to her.

Linka woke up the next morning with her back against Wheeler's chest as he was curled behind her. Linka marveled at how perfectly they fit together. Every inch of her was touching Wheeler, from where her head was nestled underneath his chin, all the way down to her feet. One of Wheeler's arms was pillowing Linka's head while the other was draped over her waist. She took the opportunity to examine the engagement ring he had given her the night before. The band had an antique design to it, which made it sparkle more. The diamond was round and on each side of it was a pear shaped blue sapphire. It must have cost him a fortune, but it was beautiful. She felt him stirring behind her and turned to face him.

"Good mornin' Babe."

"Dobre utra, Yankee."

"Oooh, that ones kinda easy. Dobre utra. I'll remember that one."

"I will have you speaking Russian in no time!" Linka joked.

"I'm too tired to learn anything right now. You wore me out." He teased.

Linka went to smack him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could connect. "You move fast for someone who is worn out!" She said.

"I just wanted to get a better look at how great that ring looks on your finger."

"Wheeler, it is absolutely beautiful. And so unique. Where did you find it?" Linka asked.

"It was my grandmother's. She left it to me when she died. I was only 11 when she died so she had my parents hang onto it with specific instructions that they weren't to give it to me until I found 'the one.' Pop gave it to me last night to give to you."

Linka was touched by the sentiment. Not only did Wheeler give her something that was a part of his family history, signifying that he was confident they would last forever, but also his FATHER thought she was worthy enough to have something that once belonged to his mother.

"Wheeler, that is amazing! This ring is so beautifully made, I thought it was designed to look like an antique, but it truly is one. And knowing that it has special meaning to your family, makes it even more special to me. Perhaps someday, I will also have a grandson to leave it to so he can carry on the tradition."

"I don't wanna think about that. It's a nice sentiment, but it also means we're dead! I wanted to get you a ring and when I mentioned it to Pop, he gave me this one. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was perfect. It's elegant, unique, and beautiful...like you. I just can't believe Pop still had it and didn't pawn it for gambling or beer money. My grandparents had a really nice place in Eastchester, which is just a few miles south of here. I never knew my Grandpa, but Ma told me he had his own business and did really well for himself. My dad used to work for the family business and the plan was that one day, he'd run it. Then he got drafted into the Army. When he came back from serving his term, that's when the drinking started. There was no one to take over the business so Grandpa had to sell it. When he died, Grandma was still well taken care of because Grandpa had saved up and invested alot of his money. Ma and Pop got some of that money too, but he squandered it all away on booze and gambling. That's why instead of living the good life in the suburbs, we lived in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn."

"Wow. Your dad must have so many regrets. And your poor mom…she has been through alot too," Linka said.

"I never understood why she stayed with him. Obviously she loves him, but he didn't make it easy."

"Money can not fix everything. Sometimes it makes relationships harder. It really says alot about what a strong woman your mother is to be able to endure so much."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Besides, look at us. You loved me even though you knew I came from nothing. I loved you knowing you grew up pretty much the same way. It did not matter whether you had millions or nothing."

"You're right," Wheeler admitted.

"Get used to it Yankee. You will be saying those words alot!" Linka reluctantly crawled out of bed and Wheeler protested by trying to pull her back.

"Let go Yankee! I have got a present for you."

"Another one? You've already given me the best present ever by saying 'yes.'"

Linka pulled a small bag out of her luggage, handed it to Wheeler, and crawled back into bed. He pulled a small rectangular box out of the bag.

"Go ahead. Open it," Linka instructed.

When he did, he saw that the box contained a silver rope chain necklace with a charm. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the charm had a picture of the Sacred Heart on it.

"I got it while you were packing up your things. I know you are not religious, but it has got the burning heart and I thought that since you liked my tattoo so much, this would be a way for you to always have 'us' with you."

"I know. As soon as I saw it, I knew that's why you got it. It's perfect. Will you put it on me?"

Linka took the chain from him, put it around his neck, and fastened the clasp.

"Thank you. I love it. I love you." Wheeler put his arm around her and kissed her. They laid there in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying their time together. Wheeler was the first to speak,

"Linka, I know you were planning on selling this place, but would it be crazy if you…WE kept it. I know it seems senseless to have this gorgeous house and have no one living in it while we're back on Hope Island, but…I don't know. I guess I'm being sentimental about it. Never mind. It's stupid. Forget I mentioned it."

"No. I was thinking about it too. This house is special now. It is where we got engaged, and maybe it would not be a bad idea to keep it. We would have a place to come to when we need to get away or have time off. And I was thinking, once the guest house is finished, maybe it would be nice if your parents moved in there." Linka suggested.

"What?! Are you serious?"

"Da. It will be much nicer for them to live in Scarsdale than Brooklyn. And the guest house will give them way more space than their apartment. Plus one day they will have grandchildren, and I am sure they will want to be closer."

"And it'd be nice to have babysitters so close so we can enjoy a night out on the town every once in a while!"

"I was thinking it would just be nice for your parents to spend the rest of their lives close to family and finally have the nice things they deserve," Linka said.

"Yeah, especially since Pop probably doesn't have much time left. It'll be nice for Ma to be close to us."

"What? Is your dad getting worse?" Linka asked.

"He's doing ok now. He won't get on the donor list. He doesn't think he deserves it. I tried to reason with him and told him that he couldn't do that to Ma. He said he never thought of that. Hopefully he'll reconsider. Now he's got even more to look forward to with us getting married."

"Then it is settled. They will move into the guesthouse when it is completed and we will get your father the best medical care. I will call the contractor later and ask him to hurry with the construction. For the most part, it is almost done. Just needs some finishing touches inside, decorated, and I need to decide on the siding."

"I can't believe you're willing to do all this for my family. You're the best, Babe!"

"They are my family now too. Both of my parents died when I was young. I do not remember what it is like to have a mother…other than the love that was given to me by my Grandma. Then your mother welcomed me into her home and made me feel like a part of the family. Your dad was just as nice. My grandmother was a huge part of my life, and I think it is important that when we have kids, they should be close to their grandparents."

"Thanks Linka. I was so worried my family would scare you away, but here you are, willing to fit right in to it. I know I'm not that close with my parents, but they're getting older now; I think that just hit me today. I've wasted so much time with them…seems to be a reoccurring theme with me these days…first you and me, now my parents."

"Wheeler, the time you and I missed out on was my fault, not yours," Linka sadly stated.

"Maybe if I'd have been more mature, you'd have taken me more seriously sooner and we would have gotten here sooner."

Linka sat up and gently pushed Wheeler backwards so that he was lying on his back. She then leaned over him, placing both hands on either side of his head, and said,

"Stop it. Stop thinking about what happened in the past. It has happened. It is over. It cannot be changed. The only thing we have control over is the present and the future. The decisions we make now will affect the future. I do not want to dwell on the past. I want to focus on what is happening right now. And that…" she bent down to place a kiss on his chest "…is my…" placed a kiss on his neck "…future…" kissed him on the cheek "…husband," and finally ended her teasing by kissing him on the lips. Wheeler put his arms around her and pulled her down so that she was laying flush against him. When she pulled away and smiled at him, she asked, "Still want to think about what did NOT happen in the past? Or what IS happening now?"

"Neither." He quickly flipped her over so that their positions had changed. He now had her pinned underneath him. His quick movements caused the waterbed mattress to pitch back and forth like a boat on the ocean. This caused them to laugh and their laughter made the waves continue.

"Neither? What kind of answer is that Yankee? You do not want to think about what is happening right now? That does not make me happy."

The way she was looking at him, lying beneath him with her arms stretched above her head, looking up at him with a pouting look on her face was more than he could stand. "I don't want to focus on the past, I don't want to focus on the present…I want to focus on the future…more specifically, what's going to happen 10 seconds from now…and I plan on making you very happy!" Wheeler decided that the first thing he was going to focus on was her neck. As he ran his lips over the sensitive skin of her neck and along her jaw line, he said the words he would never get tired of saying to her, "I love you Babe."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, played with the sprigs of hair at the nape of his neck, and guided his head so that his forehead was resting against hers, "and I love you...so much." she said against his lips. She moved her hands to the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair as she pulled him closer and deepened their kiss.