He didn’t know how or when he was going to ask her.
Not now, he knew that much.
Not while she was so focused on Romeo and Juliet. And not while he didn’t have a plan for how they would be together.
He’d looked into some locations for a restaurant in the city, but nothing stood out as the spot, yet. It needed to feel right. The same way spending the rest of forever with Willow felt right. The way he knew the ring he wanted when he’d decided to pop the question. It had belonged to his grandmother and considering he shared a birthday with Willow’s grandfather, it seemed only right that she wear it.
* * *
Even through the grainy connection of their video chat, Harry could see exhaustion etched into Willow’s face. “You look pooped. Do you need to hang up and get to bed?”
She pushed a stray hair out of her face. “No way. I looked forward to this conversation all day. In fact, it was the one thing that kept me from losing it completely.”
While they talked, Harry kept glimpsing the little black box on the table and it warmed him from top to bottom. “What happened, my angel? Tell me all about it.”
“It was just a hundred little things, you know?” Willow sat back and propped an ankle on her knee so she could rub her foot. “I got a painful blister that bled on and off all day. I got in an argument with the guy playing Romeo about one of our lifts. I spilled my coffee in the bathroom. Rehearsal didn’t go well. And all I wanted all day was you.”
“I wish I could rub your feet for you.” He meant it. He wished he could draw her a bubble bath with candles. While she soaked, he would cook them a wonderful dinner.
“I’d kill for that.” She sighed and he could see how much she really meant it.
“What went wrong in rehearsal?”
She pouted. “My Romeo sucks.”
Harry couldn’t help but laugh. “You mean I don’t have to worry about him stealing you away from me?”
“God no.” Willow shook her head. “He doesn’t even like the music. And we can’t agree on the tempo—”
“Wait.” Harry’s eyes widened incredulously. “He doesn’t like the music? Does he not have a soul?”
“Exactly! And he wants all the wrong parts fast and all the worse than wrong parts slow, and his hands are always super sweaty.” She grimaced. “And not only is that gross, but I don’t feel safe. I take his hand and actually slip. I’ve lost my balance twice now because of it. And then, there’s this one really challenging lift and if he doesn’t wipe his hands before he grabs me, I literally slide out of his grasp, which sucks because I’m upside down and over his head and falling is really scary that way.”
“I don’t like that. Not at all. What can you do about Sir Sweaty Palms? Can you bring it up to your boss?”
“I guess I could, but I’m not sure what to do about it. It’s not like they can fire the guy because he sweats.”
“If he hurts you, he’ll end up wishing he was fired.” Harry heard the threat in his voice and dialed it back a notch. “You’re my girl and I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to you.”
“The truth is, I thought that getting this part would be the happiest moment in my life, but in reality, it’s just work. And I still want you more than anything. All the rest feels hollow.” She made a gesture that Harry guessed was supposed to mean her life in New York. There was a genuine sadness in her eyes, one he’d seen hints of that very first day she arrived in Bliss, but he didn’t think she realized it existed. As he watched her loose a heavy sigh, it looked like the realization had hit like a freight train.
Harry smiled as brightly as he possibly could. “You’ve worked so hard for this. Enjoy it, my love. Don’t let missing me taint it. I’d feel awful if you couldn’t bask in the glory of your accomplishments because of me.”
Willow shrugged as a tear slid down her cheek. “I’m sorry.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t mean to be a downer.” She leaned in toward the camera and damn if she didn’t look like part of her was breaking. “I love you.”
“Oh, Willow, my sweet, sweet girl. I love you, too.”
“I’m gonna go,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I need a long bath and a long sleep and I’m sure I’ll feel better in the morning.”
“I think that sounds like a great idea, but let me add two more things to your list, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, though it looked like the idea of two more things to do before bed was more than she could handle.
“First, make yourself something decent to eat. No protein bars. Something warm and filled with sustenance.”
She nodded her head in concession. “That’s probably also a really good idea.”
Harry smiled. “Of course it is. That’s the only kind of idea we Moores have.” He waited for her to laugh and was thankful when the sound was genuine. “The second thing is the most important one. You ready?”
“More than you know,” she said and it felt like she was answering more than the question he just asked.
“Okay, the second thing, the biggest most important thing I want you to do is…” Harry paused and lifted an eyebrow. Waited for the smile on her face to grow until it reached her eyes. “Remember that I love you more than anything in this world.”
Willow covered her mouth and her eyebrows drew together as tears glistened in her eyes. “I love you, too,” she said, moving her hand to her chest and trying to smile.
They said their goodbyes, each of them touching the screen as if they could touch each other’s face. Harry took a
