4EVER

Chapter 36 - You're My Moon

By now, Prince knew her parents were watching yet Noelle was caught dumb by his unexpected response to her father's behavior, leaving. Nervously, she ate one of the cookies she snagged from the tray upon her exit.

The distance between her parents and them was enough that they couldn't hear Prince's soft tales of adulation, especially with the high ceilings.

"You've taught me so much Noelle...but one thing in particular is that we're all a little...fragile. That's why this ring isn't obnoxiously large like I first intended. When it came down to selecting your ring, I wanted something that reminded me of this. Fragility is not a weakness but a fineness."

It was a larger jewelry box than she expected, opened to reveal four of the tiniest, daintiest rings, each unique.

"The fella I bought these from, well I won't do his story justice but I'll try."

By now, Noelle united with Prince on the floor attentive to his soft words delivered in his famous sultry tone.

 "Noelle, the things we cherish most in life develop over the course of many moons. This ring symbolizes the passage of our albeit short time and the beauty of our journey. These each feature a row of more than two dozen white diamonds, reminiscent of the moon’s silent yet boldly pronounced journey through a night sky."

Prince choked up. "You're my moon Noelle."

There on the marble foyer floor at her parents' house, the same house where Marissa told her the truth about Jack, Noelle answered him the only way she knew how.

Kissing him, she whispered on his lips. "I can only agree to marry you on one condition." 

Prince was desperate for her yes. "Anything...I'll do anything."

"There has to be a wall reserved in our walk-in closet for Polly's picture that she took of you."

His amused chuckle was every bit enticing as his teeth lightly nipped at her lip. "Deal."

"I love you." She whispered, totally forgetting about her parents, crawling onto his lap like she had so many times before. 

Tiptoeing backwards, Juliette and Oliver backtracked taking the hint that they were not included at the moment. But in her excitedness, Juliette couldn't control herself sneaking another peek of the lovebirds in the hall.

"Really Juliette?" Oliver was embarrassed for his wife. "You know I still don't like him."

Turning to shush him, Juliette shamed him. "Don't you want your daughter to be happy?"

Oliver rolled his eyes as Myra entered with some tea.

"That's lovely Myra, thank you. You can leave the desserts."

Myra winked with approval. 

"Don't make this about her happiness because I seem to be the only one thinking about her happiness Juliette. For God's sake think. Pick up a tabloid. Search him on Lycos. But dammit don't let the fog of the romance fool you."

The teapot tipped, pouring spicy ginger into a pretty cup. "Oh Oliver be honest with yourself would you? There would never be anyone good enough for her unless it was someone you pre-approved, like maybe someone stuffy and nerdy from the firm. Noelle is a swan, she's grace and beauty, loyalty and trust...she's too elegant for ordinary."

She side-eyed him while dropping two tiny sugar cubes into the amber elixir. The spoon ting-a-ling against the cup with a bit sloshing onto the saucer before she made her last words on the subject known.

"You mind yourself Oliver."

"Or what?"

Exhausted by his testyness but trying to ignore him, Juliette took a bite and savored the tastiness of a Russian tea cake.