What? Cory nearly fell off the cannon in shock. She was nowhere near to expecting Adrian to just spring this question on her like that. The big question. The question every woman dreams of being asked at one point or the other in her life. She was at a total loss for words.
She had to steady herself on the cannon.
“Adrian, what’re you asking me?” was all she could muster at this point. Then he opened the box in his hand. And there it lay. Sparkling in the setting sun. The ring. No, the most beautiful solitaire she’d ever seen stared back at her. How did he know? This was her dream ring. Ever since she was a little girl, Cory had dreamed and imagined what this day would be like. Nothing she had come up with then could have compared to this moment now.
Adrian was looking at her expectantly, probably waiting on her answer. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Do you really love me, Adrian? Because if you’re playing with me … .”
“I’m not playing, Cory,” Adrian interrupted her. “I’ve fallen so completely in love with you. I adore you. I came to this island never expecting anything really. And here I was able to find you. To find love. Baby, I’ve never needed anyone like I do you, Cory. If that answers your question?”
Cory had wanted to hear these words coming from Adrian so much. The tears started slowly rolling down her cheeks now. “Yeah, but are you seriously asking me to marry you?”
“Yes, I am, Cory. I’ve never been more serious in my life. If I didn’t want you to be my wife, I wouldn’t have asked you such a question. I want this more than anything,” he smiled. That gorgeous, heartwarming smile that made her feel like flying with angels.
“Then, yes. I’ll marry you, baby.” Adrian quickly slipped the solitaire onto her wedding finger. “I’ll be everything you need.”
Cory smiled between the tears as Adrian lifted her off the cannon. “I love you so much, Adrian. I can’t even describe what I’m feeling right now. I’m just so happy, baby,” she said.
Overcome with emotion, Cory was laughing and crying at the same time. She quickly forgot the anger she had felt earlier. She was now experiencing the greatest feeling in the world. It was indescribable, the moment unforgettable. She was literally on top of the world, high up on the most beautiful fort, more than a thousand feet above the city. In one of the most breathtaking and most romantic places on the island and the man she loved more than anything just unexpectedly proposed to her. Cory couldn’t help but wonder if Adrian’s reason for proposing here had anything to do with the fort’s military history. That would definitely be a very sentimental thing for him. Fort George was a military fortification built in 1804 by the British to protect the capital from invaders.
Adrian had been in love with her all the while. He wanted her to be his wife. So nothing else mattered. Cory was so close to being in heaven right now. She kissed him. She never wanted to let go of him. She thought she might wake up at any moment and this would all be a dream if she ever let go of him. It felt so surreal. Only this was so real.
“I love you so much,” Adrian said again.
When Cory suggested that they get married sooner rather than later, Adrian was only too happy to oblige. First, she had the daunting task of telling her father about their impending nuptials. So far, she only wore her engagement ring when she was with Adrian because of the disaster that nearly erupted when both men had met. Cory knew she had to prepare herself for another battle.
When she finally mustered the courage, she came home from work early one afternoon. Albeit, she was a nervous wreck, Cory really felt that a heart-to-heart talk with her father was the best way to tell him the good news. Her father never tried to actually hide how he really felt about Adrian, so this was going to be very difficult indeed. She knew she was going to do her best sales pitch as clearly and as quickly as possible. She had to sell her love for Adrian and his love for her and the fact that they wanted to be together.
They were doing the right thing by getting married, anyway. Her father should be happy about that. They weren’t going to just move in and live together as was the norm these days. Cory knew he would hit the roof and probably disown her in the process if she ever decided to do that. She also hoped that maturity would prevail and he would try to be happy for his only daughter.
“Hey, Dad,” Cory cheerfully greeted her father as she planted a big kiss on his cheek, something she hadn’t done in a while.
“Hi, Princess. You’re home early today.”
“Yeah, I know. Isn’t that great though? I can finally spend some quality time with my favorite dad.” She passed her hand through his straight graying hair.
“Okay, what do you want?” an ever-alert Jonathan asked.
Cory threw her handbag and car keys on the coffee table and grabbed an armchair next to him in the living room.
“What makes you think I want anything?” she asked, with a broad smile spreading on her face.
“So what’s all of this about, then? The cheerfulness, the kiss, the … .”
“Dad, I always kiss you,” Cory said.
“Not anymore, you don’t,” he huffed.
“Oh, forget it. I do have some good news, though,” she announced.
“Please tell me that you got a big promotion so I can finally retire.”
“Dad? You’re retiring next year, anyway.”
“Okay, okay. So what’s your good news?”
Cory took a deep breath. “Adrian asked me to marry him, Dad.”
She waited for her father’s response. Silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Cory asked, “Dad, did you hear what I just said?”
“I heard,” Jonathan replied coldly as he removed his glasses. “So what’s the rush? Are you pregnant, Cory?”
“Dad … no!” a horrified Cory exclaimed. “We just love each other and we want to get married.”
“This is all happening rather quickly, don’t you think? I mean you only just introduced the guy to me two weeks ago.”
“Yes, I know that … but we’ve been seeing each other before that. We know what we’re getting into, Dad.”
“Do you? Well, something just isn’t sitting well with me on this one, Cory,” he said, playing with his well-trimmed graying beard.
“Dad, I just want you to be happy for me. Besides, you have always wanted to walk me down the aisle and give me away on my wedding day, right?”
“I don’t think I’m prepared to do that under these circumstances.”
“What circumstances? Dad … what’re you saying?” a shaky Cory asked.
“Cory, you’re an intelligent girl. I just cannot accept this whole marriage proposal thing … something just doesn’t seem right. So I’m telling you from now. Don’t expect me to be at this wedding,” Jonathan said matter-of-factly.
Cory couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was her father refusing to even attend his only daughter’s wedding?
“I think you should really listen to me and not go against my wishes. Take your time, Cory … get to know this young man some more before you rush off and make the biggest mistake of your life,” Jonathan pleaded with her.
“Dad, you’re being so unfair to Adrian. You don’t even know him. He really is a good, decent man. He’s not like the others. I told you he’s different. Why are you being so stereotypical?” There, she finally said it to her father’s face.
Those words felt strange coming from her own mouth. A few months ago she had been the very same way but at least she was smart enough to have overcome it. She owed this all to Adrian. He was successful in making her see things differently. This was the first lesson he had taught her on only the first day.
“Well, Cory, I guess I don’t want to see my only daughter get hurt and then divorced and then end up as another single mother living on this island.”
“Dad, that’s not going to happen. You and Mom were married soon after meeting each other too,” she shot back.
“That was different. This is not one of those damn romance novels you read all the time. This is real life.”
“I know this is real life. This is my life,” she shouted. Cory inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. “Look, Dad. I’m really tired … I’m so tired of having to fight you about everything ever since Mom died. And you know what? I am going to marry Adrian whether you like it or not. And if you don’t want to be at our wedding, well, then that’s your choice. No one’s forcing you but do know that this wedding is going to happen, with or without your blessings.”
With that, she purposely walked away and left a shocked Jonathan still sitting there. When she opened the door to her bedroom, the tears started rushing down her cheeks. Her entire body shook with violent sobs. What did you really expect, Cory? You were a fool to think he’d ever accept Adrian.
She pulled out the stack of boxes from beneath her bed and began to grab clothing out of her closet and angrily shoved them into the boxes.
Cory finally felt the need to be set free and be on her own again. And this was the best opportunity she had so she was going to take it. Cory slipped her engagement ring onto her finger, for good this time. Between her tears, she was admiring the fine quality of the sparkling diamond in the light, thinking about the wedding and what her new life with Adrian would be like. There was a bitter-sweet feeling in her heart but finally, she was going to marry her knight.