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"Hey, where have you--Hey You look gorgeous," he said, whistling I stood before him in my white dress, thanked him for the compliment, took his hand, and walked with hioing on? Aren’t we going to dinner with those guys?" he asked

"Not just yet," I answered, looking ahead to the beach, where I could see a few candles lit and a tiki torch or two "I wanted to talk to you, before they join us"

"What are you up to, Caroline?" he asked, looking carefully at o in a little boutique in Mendocino, when I was visiting Viv I was on ht when I saw it in theacross the street I couldn’t takeany reason to wear it, and not a clue why I was doing it, I bought it, straight off the mannequin It didn’t even fit thened; it was too short for e, probably froreat on you," he said, holding ihed, and then twirled The dress was ivory, bedecked with old lace along the bodice, with a gauzy lace overlay along the skirt An afternoon dress, it was ardens It was likely ith stockings and lace-up shoes I was rocking it barefoot And in those bare feet, I tugged on his hand once more and continued on the path toward the beach

"When Benja had happened to you, I went into crisis-etting to you To have you that far away, and not be able to know exactly rong or how to help you--I can’t think of the words to tell you how that felt How it felt to have someone you love so much possibly taken away froave way to sand "But then, I don’t have to give you words Because you already knohat that’s like"

A storrasped both of o through all of that"

"No no, it’s actually fine," I said, stepping into his ar the I had hours in an airplane, with nothing to do and no one to talk to, and the only thing I could think about was you And us And how much I love you" I walked hiht a lot about so else"

"What’s that?" He raised an eyebrow

"Garlic foam," I answered, then spun hier

Hundreds of candles Tiki torches dancing as far as the eye could see Lanterns in shades of violet, indigo, e breakers splashing lazily against the beach In the distance, an earlyBay, with its ancient islands and peaks covered in mist and moss And before us? An aisle lined with votiveswith Jillian and Benja with them, the Vietnamese equivalent of a justice of the peace

"Marry ht noithout any bullshit Marry me, with just our two friends to see it happen No parents, no work friends, no clients, no peppercorn-encrusted blah-blah, just you andif I was ever going to see your eyes staring back at ain unless I’ive one tiny shit about a big fancy wedding, especially without you getting to have your garlic foa for you back in the iant prawns I want you, only you, for the rest of"Marryas he looked around at the fairy tale laid out in front of hiht for us On this very i our clasped hands to his lips and placing a kiss right below

"Hit ht in a pod?"

"Seriously? I ask you to marry me, and that’s the line you picked out?"