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Inside the box, sitting on a layer of plush, folded velvet, was a pocket watch The newly-polished gold glea hands, Jacqui slowly re the round object like a treasure, letting the chain drape over her fingers

She turned the watch over and found the word “Always” engraved on the back, right above her parents’ na

Jacqui gasped through tears, one hand held to heron to her father’s pocket watch for dear life

“Where did you…Khizar, how did find you find my father’s watch?”

He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug

“The investigator I have on staff is very good Plus, this watch is a piece of true crafts, but he and I were able to track it down”

“You found it before you proposed?”

“I found out where it was, but it required a trip out of Milwaukee to get it I retrieved it right before I flew back to the city I wanted to polish it and ave it to you, and I didn’t have tiht When you were napping today, I took it towatches, and it didn’t take hi to make the watch perfect for you”

Jacqui clutched the watch in both hands, holding them to her face as she cried She’d lost so much of her parents, and Khizar had tracked down this precious object that was dearer to her than anything else He hadn’t needed to do that She’d said yes to his proposal without it, with no expectation of even asking him to find it

But he’d listened when she’d said it was important to her And he’d taken the ti

It was an act of love

Jacqui brushed her tears away and studied him He had been more open since their trip to Alabama He’d introduced her to his parents, and shown her his city and his hoized, sincerely

They still needed to talk about things, but Jacqui no longer felt any of the uncertainty she’d felt before

“Thank you, Khizar”

She htly around his neck

He wrapped his arms around her and held her “I love you, Jacqui”

She pulled back just a little and smiled at him “I love you, too, Khizar”

Khizar narrowed his eyes “Does this ive me?”

Jacqui laughed, and ran one hand across her eyes again