My beautiful Molly,

You have been absolutely glowing with happiness over the past two weeks. It is most unfortunate that Mycroft arrived earlier than planned, as we were busy tasting the leftover frosting off of each other. I suppose his facial expression was worth it even though I could not join you in the shower. Ah, well, we had plenty of time for that on my own birthday long passed. Thank you for helping me pull this off. Dinner was wonderful, sweetheart. I enjoyed helping you with it. Mycroft was pleasantly surprised, so I believe we succeeded in our endeavor.

You're in big trouble, Molly Hooper. Do not ever feel the need to apologise for going off on a tangent. I want to learn everything about you; the fact that you're just now beginning to really open up about your family makes me happy. You feel comfortable enough and trust me enough to let me in to that part of your past. I know it's not easy for you to talk about it; you lost your parents much too early in life. I am sorry that they are gone, but their memory lives on in you. I silently thank them every single day for creating you. Do not be afraid to cry in front of me; I know you try not to but there's no reason to hold back. I will hold you and sing to you until you smile again.

Remember how you had voiced to me in the beginning stages of our courtship that you were scared to become a distraction for me from my work? I knew then you wouldn't be, and it still rings true now. Not only have you always been a huge help to my profession, but giving my love to you and having it returned has helped me greatly with cases that involve affairs of the heart. You could never be a hindrance to me, Molly. I came across the first letter I ever wrote to you, and compared to the last letter I had given you, I saw a different man; a better man. Molly, you have helped me grow over this past year in so many ways. I'm proud of who I am as a whole rather than just my intellect. I can still be a stubborn arse who can't always hold his tongue and sometimes I can be quite lazy or ignorant, but as you have told me, everyone has faults and that's okay. Thank you for everything. I hope you are proud to call me your future husband as much as I am proud to call you my future wife.

With all my love,

William xxx

p.s. I love you.