Tomorrow Never Dies

Chapter 56 - "here's to the future"

"So yeah, overall it was an amazing experience but I'm just glad to be home." I smiled at my mum and the others who had come to my old house to welcome me back. I'd finished my six months aboard the Pride of Antigua, and although they'd offered to renew my contract, I declined, deciding instead to return to uni and pick up a new degree that would allow me do something other than dance - while I loved it I knew there would come a time when I wouldn't be able to dance any more, so I'd keep it on the side and start a journalism course. The money I'd earned on the ship gave me enough to start the new degree and put down a deposit for a small two bed apartment just outside the city, and Michael and I were moving in together.

"I've missed you," Mum said, kissing my head. "Does anyone want a drink?"

"No thanks Mum, I'm going to start moving some stuff to the apartment with Mike. I'll see you soon, love you," I replied, hugged her, and waved goodbye to my friends, going to the car and driving back to my old dorm. Grace was also moving out as she'd placed a job in a vet's surgery, and she was loving it. She and Ashton weren't moving in together but they were more in love than ever and it made me so happy to see my best friends in such a good place.

I was packing a few boxes into my car when Michael came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my neck and, when I turned to look at him, my lips.

"Hi housemate/girlfriend/my favourite person," he laughed. "Can I help?" I directed him to a few boxes that needed putting in the back seat.

"Are you nearly packed?" He nodded. "We need to get some furniture, it's not fully furnished but there's a bed in both rooms."

"IKEA trip?"

"IKEA trip," I agreed. "How exciting."

"Very," he kissed my nose. "Now?"

"May as well," I grinned, and pointed him to the passenger seat of the car. I drove us to IKEA, letting him choose the music and serenade me to his choice, and when we arrived I grabbed his hand to start walking around with him. We were welcomed by a greeter who could clearly tell we were shopping for our first apartment together as he directed us to a variety of fairly cheap furniture stands.

After walking round for a good two hours, we were well and truly lost, in the middle of the kids' bedroom section.

"I have no idea how to get out," I admitted to Michael, laughing lightly.

"Me neither," he grinned, looking around. "I can't wait to come back here when we're actually shopping for cribs and kids' beds and everything."

"Me neither, but not yet. We're still so young," I told him, and he nodded.

"I agree. But one day," he added hastily.

"One day." He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He started humming, and as soon as I recognised the tune I began singing along. "Someday you will find me, caught beneath the landslide, in a champagne supernova in the sky." He grinned and sang with me for a bit, putting me down and lowering his voice when a family came in behind us.

"One day we'll be like that," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you more," I said, and eventually we found our way out. We bought the pieces of furniture we'd picked up, including a bookcase, a table and lots of chairs, and set off home after fitting them all in the car with a lot of difficulty.

We unpacked all the packs and started trying to construct them. We had 2000s R&B playing over the speakers, and in that moment I felt so happy, like my life was finally coming together. I was starting a degree that would get me a good job at the end of it, a job that wouldn't end in my mid 30s when I couldn't get my leg up by my ear, I was moving in with my incredible boyfriend, I had a beautiful apartment with white walls that were just calling to be covered in photos and pictures from happy memories, and I was content. After years of constantly battling with numerous mental disorders, I felt happier than I'd ever been.

"I'm going to the toilet," Michael said, snapping me out of my deep thought.

"Okay, I'll keep working on this," I replied, and he hurried off. I frowned, because something seemed off. I shrugged it off, going back to hammering the pieces of wood together. When he returned, he was holding something behind his back, and he came to sit next to me on the floor. He produced a scrapbook and handed it to me, staying silent, a faint smile flickering over his face. I opened the book and started looking through it. It was filled with pictures of me, selfies of the two of us, anecdotes of things I'd done that made him laugh, or made him proud, things we'd done together, things that he loved about me.

Then I turned to the last page. A silver ring was tied to a red ribbon attached to the page, under the words "here's to the future". My heart skipped a beat. I wasn't ready for him to propose; as much as I loved him, I didn't want that level of commitment. I wanted to stay with him forever, but not as a married couple. The idea just made me feel so old.

"I'm not asking you to marry me, if that's what you're thinking," he said, and I removed my hands from my mouth. "I just- I want to spend the rest of my life with you Flora, I really do. I want you to be mine forever and I want a way of showing that to everyone. It's a promise ring, not an engagement ring, and I really hope you'll wear it." I untied the ring, turning it slowly in my fingers, then slipped it onto my left ring finger. The small sapphire glittered in the light, and the ring made my fingers look long and slender. "Do you like it?" There was a look of hopefulness in his eyes, and I died a little inside.

"I love it. I love you," I said, and suddenly he was kissing me passionately. His hand was on my cheek, caressing my skin softly, and his other arm was around my waist. He lifted me up, and we found our way to the master bedroom without breaking apart.

"Time to christen the new house?" he asked, pulling his top off.

"Perfect time," I smiled, doing the same, and we had a more passionate encounter than we'd ever had before.

***
We lay in bed, his hand lying protectively on my stomach as he slept, and I kept examining the ring on my finger. It was beautiful, a multi-faceted deep blue sapphire, encapsulated in a simple silver ring. I kissed it softly, the cold metal chilling against my warm lips, and I smiled. Life was even better than I thought it was.

*****
is it wrong to cry at your own story lmao
I'm just so happy for mora
IM ALSO V ILL WOO

song of the chapter: movin on up by primal scream