FLORENCE'S POV:
There were things that I have loved forever. My dad, my little team that had become family, memories of my mom, tennis, and friends.
Then Charles came into my life two years ago and easily flipped everything upside down. I probably fell in love with Charles the moment I met him, but I would never admit that and it truly felt like a lifetime ago that memory didn't serve me correctly. He has held my heart entirely through everything, even when I stepped away from him.
After Charles, I fell in love with life away from tennis. It was a feat I never thought possible because a life separate from tennis was unimaginable for so long.
These new things in my life enchant me everyday. There's being on our boat in the water. No place makes me happier than the Mediterranean Sea. It is the easiest get away when Charles and I want to leave anything behind us and be in the present. We simply pack a weekend bag and pull off from the dock with a swimsuit and new book.
Then there's a new favorite love. When Charles reads out loud every night. Some adventure book fills my imagination until we finish it after a few weeks. Then comes a new book, likely to be a new story of exploration. My body leaned back and rested into his chest with my eyes closed. His free hand always rested on my stomach while he speaks in Italian or French, whichever one he is feeling for the night.
I have new friendships that I cherish. Laurie always being the old faithful, but now seeing her and Lando together brings a whole other element. Kelly and Max becoming like family. Kelly felt like a sister. Holidays often spent together, couples trips taken, or going to any event as a solid group of four. Kika would then come in from Paris to always keep life exciting, and Pierre and I always had an understanding of what the other was thinking.
Finally, there was an overflowing amount of love I had for our unborn baby. I'm sure they knew the sound of my voice, that I talked too much to my belly, and that I couldn't stop moving in anticipation to meet the little one. My instinct of nesting had completely taken over as I worked on every corner of our new house. The nursery was my favorite room. Cloud walls with a window overlooking the sea.
Finally, Monaco becoming home. The relaxation our home brought me. The tennis family I was able to come into. The family I built with Charles mom and brothers. My dad venturing to us often with his now girlfriend and everything feeling right when we were all together.
Now we just needed to meet the little one. Something everyone was anticipating in less than two months. My stomach continued to grow, but Charles always made me feel beautiful. Plus I was fortunate to still feel active. My casual training with tennis was on pause, but I still enjoyed the swims in our pool, dips in the warming ocean, and my walks around Monaco. Walking was becoming more tiring though, but I continued to go on short ones around the streets of our home. My bike was retired for now.
Charles and I were taking one of our last getaways before the baby came. I would be staying in Monaco until the baby arrived. Charles with three more races, an off week when the baby was to arrive fortunately, one more race, then summer break.
For this weekend of no racing, we took off on the boat just the two of us.
~
The swim had tired me out for the day. Charles snorkeling and diving around me while I stayed up on the surface swimming around then resting on the floating mat.
He was quiet ever since we woke up, but there was something telling me he just enjoyed being relaxed physically and mentally while we were away from the world.
Charles popped up in the surface next to me holding on to the mat attached to the boat. He threw off his mask near me and took a deep breath.
"How was it," I asked curiously keeping my eyes on the clouds.
I felt the mat shift next to me, pooling a little more cool water to where I was laying. His hand then grabbed mine.
"Peaceful," he said simply. "The fish miss you."
I chuckled and looked at him. He was now on his back too with his eyes already closed. "Didn't want to scare them off with a whale in the water," I said.
"Please," Charles scoffed. "They are only scared of killer whales. You're more like the friendly humpback," he teased.
The scoff came out of my mouth and I splashed him with the water pooled around me. "Culo [you ass]."
Charles chuckled beside me then moved into action. He rolled over towards me and before I knew it his face was in front of mine, arms on both sides of my head, chest above mine, then left the rest of his body to the side of me but pressed close.
His green eyes were looking down at me and dimples next to his large smile. "I really like whales," he said simply.
"You do?"
He nodded and leaned his head down to quickly kiss my lips. He didn't stop there though as he moved his lips to my jaw then floated featherlike kisses down to my collarbone. My jaw clenched as I tried to hold in little sighs from his actions.
"Yes. I can't seem to control myself when I'm around them," Charles whispered against my skin pulling at a strap on my swimsuit while his lips moved to my neck.
I felt my skin heat up at his touch and let out a moan. There was a split moment where I was about to just let him have his way right where we were, but I knew there were a couple boats within eyeshot. I giggled. "You're causing problems I might not be able to stop. There may be eyes."
"Good, I'll keep the pictures," he said lifting his head.
I scoffed, "Charles!"
He gave me a grin and planted one more kiss against my lips. "So we can take it inside?"
My head didn't even have to think, I nodded eagerly. Charles pulled himself off of me and slipped into the water swimming to the boat. I was right behind him.
~
I stepped out of the bathroom after freshening up. Charles had moved from the bed to the couch, only in sweatpants and his hair a mess. He had lounged the usual way where I could sit and rest against him. He tapped against his chest and I happily followed his direction sitting between his legs and leaning back.
"What about a quick chapter before cooking. We might be too tired to read after dinner," Charles offered. I simply nodded and rested my head back and closed my eyes. Charles began reading a chapter but his hand didn't fall to my stomach like usual. I put my hand on my stomach instead and listened to the French Charles spoke In The Heart of the Sea into existence. The lull of his low voice grumbling and the vibrations of his chest relaxing me so much I didn't realize the chapter ended.
"You fall asleep?" Charles voice cut through in English, but I could hear something off.
I nodded keeping my eyes closed. Instead of talking he cleared his throat, which made me open my eyes in confusion. In the front of my vision was the book rested in Charles hands. As my eyes focused, the text was clear in front of me but there was a ring sitting in the middle of the pages. I took a deep breath as I took in the item. Gold, a beautiful bezel around the clear softly squared stone. The stone was a diamond.
"Charles what is that," I whispered posturing myself further up. I bumped the book which resulted in him swinging his other hand around to grab the ring before it fell. I could hear a nervous laugh come from him. In a blink the ring on the book was gone and Charles was no longer behind me. He was in front of me on one knee, the ring now in a hand. His eyes were glistening, his grin shining through even though I could see a little quiver in his lower lip.
"Charles," I asked with my voice shaky.
He took a deep breath and his words followed. Strong but full of emotion. The smile in his eyes prominent.
"Florence, you caught my eye the moment I saw you on the tennis court. You brought me back to my roots the instant I got to talk to you. You are my angel and show me different ways to see the world every day. I love you so much. Simply as you then everything else that's coming soon. Florence Bonsee, will you marry me?"
I was shocked there were no tears coming from my eyes. Only a hand over my mouth that was covering the largest smile I have ever held. "You're serious?" It was the only thing I could manage to say. My eyes were glued to his face the whole time. I didn't even think what was happening was real, much less he was holding an actual ring.
Charles never stopped smiling or took his eyes off me, but he shook his head in disbelief. "Very, this is the best I got."
Finally it came, the word I was looking for. "Yes," I yelled out throwing my arms around him. "This is perfect. I love you so much. A thousand times yes," I whispered while I showered his face in kisses.
He stood and pulled me close as I got up off the couch. I just stared up into his green eyes as we embraced.
"You're gonna need this," Charles grinned pulling the ring into my view.
"It's beautiful," I whispered finally studying it after the first glance on the book. I forced myself to loosen my grip as Charles took the ring out of the box and slipped in onto my finger.
Dailymail: Massive diamond on Florence Bonsee's left hand couldn't be ignored at Monaco Yachting Event.