Characters: Actor Chris Evans, OFC Kayla Brooks
Warnings: None, Fluff

Chapter 17 – Final

EIGHT MONTHS LATER – January 2016

“What are we doing here?” Kayla had told Chris very little about their nighttime excursion. So when they pulled up to the Griffith Observatory Chris was somewhat confused.

“Just be patient. All will reveal itself in time.” Kayla was deliberately coy. She led him from her beat up Ford down the path to the doors of the observatory where she knocked. A man answered and smiled as he silently led them inside and into the inner chamber. Chris whispered “Is this part of some evil cult? Are there zombies planned? Because I’m not prepared for an apocalypse.”

Kayla elbowed him in the ribs as they were escorted to the first row of seats in the empty theater and they made themselves comfortable. “What’s going on?” Chris was intrigued.

Kayla shushed him. “You’ll see. Just wait.” She trained her eye on the ceiling above and waited. Soon their guide started the show and a bright night sky began to form above them. Chris’ smile grew and Kayla looked at him from the side of her eyes without turning her head, her emotions bubbling to the surface. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this.

They watched in silence for a while, sitting side by side without touching, without any movement. While the stars danced on the ceiling above them and Chris stared in wonder, Kayla gathered her courage. It’s now or never. She reached for Chris’ hand and he intertwined his fingers with hers as if they were one, without skipping a beat or moving his eyes from the ceiling. He was entranced by the view. She whispered into his ear.

“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward. It’s e. e. cummings.” Chris grinned knowingly. “Okay, I got it from a movie and that may be cheesy to you. But the message is true for me. You taught me to trust my heart again and open it to love. It’s something I had given up on. But you were persistent and you never gave up. I love you for that.”

Chris turned to look at her. “You were worth the effort. You are worth it. Every day I thank those stars” he pointed at the ceiling, “that I ran into you, literally, at the store that day. Because you changed my life. You made me a better man. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

That was all she needed to hear. “Christopher Robert Evans, will you marry me?” She held her breath and looked at him, waiting, hoping for the right answer. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see his face, his eyes, those ocean blue eyes that always captivated her.

Chris stared in awe. He never in a million years expected Kayla to be the one proposing marriage. He was almost speechless. Except he noticed she was holding her breath. He took both of her hands in his. “Yes. I will marry you. I love you Kayla and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”

She reached into her purse and pulled out a candy ring pop and he threw his hand to his chest, letting out a loud laugh that echoed inside the domed chamber. Kayla pushed it onto his pinky finger, the only one on his hand that it would fit and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s what I could afford on a student’s salary. Plus, it’s delicious.” She bent her head to lick it, looking up at him with a wicked grin.

“Kayla Hope Kimberly Brady Brooks, what am I going to do with you?” He lifted her chin and kissed her softly, savoring the taste of cherry on her tongue.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something. You do know that your life will never be the same right?” He nodded and smiled.

“I’m counting on it.”

She turned her gaze back to the stars on the ceiling. “Then let’s enjoy the rest of the show and you can take me home and we’ll start a new journey.”

Although the stars shone bright above them, Chris couldn’t take his eyes off of Kayla. She was the brightest thing in the room, in his life. She always would be. He sighed in contentment thanking the stars above him that he would spend the rest of his life with the brightly shining little star sitting next to him.