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"Rhett."

"I'm not done." He opens the box. Inside, on a small cushion of dark blue velvet, is a ring. Simple. A warm gold band with a single stone that catches the morning light coming through the trees. It shifts color in the light. Green, then amber, then something in between.

"I had it made in Galena. The stone is a tourmaline. The jeweler said it changes color depending on the light." He swallows. "Reminded me of you. Different in every room. Beautiful in all of them."

My coffee is going to hit the ground in approximately two seconds because my hands are shaking too hard to hold it. I set it on the rock next to his.

"I spent three years at the end of a dead end street convincing myself I was fine. You spent twenty two years holding everyone together convincing yourself you had to." He steps closer. Takes my hands. His palms are warm and calloused and trembling. "I don't want you to hold things together anymore, Kennedy. I want to hold them with you."

Tears. Everywhere. Down my cheeks, off my chin, blurring The Falls behind him into a wash of white and green.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes." No hesitation. No pause. "Yes, you impossible man."

He slides the ring onto my finger. His hands are still shaking. Mine are too. The tourmaline catches the light filtering through the April trees and turns gold.

He pulls me against his chest. Holds me so tight I can feel his heartbeat through both our coats. His mouth presses into my hair.

"I called your mom this morning," he says. "Asked for her blessing."

I pull back. "You called my mama?"

"She cried. Then she told me if I ever make you sad she knows where I live." He pauses. "She wasn't wrong. She's twelve minutes away."

"That's my mama. She also called me twice before nine to ask if I'd picked up her prescription yet." I wipe my eyes. "Did you tell your mom?"

"Called her after yours. She screamed so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. Pretty sure half of Phoenix heard."

He stares at me. Then starts laughing. Full, chest deep laughter that echoes off the rock face and mixes with the sound of the waterfall. I'm laughing too, crying and laughing, standing in the clearing at The Falls with a tourmaline ring on my finger and a man who called my mother for permission at seven a.m. on a Saturday.

"Ms. Shelly knew," I say, wiping my eyes. "She's been acting weird all week."

"Ms. Shelly helped me pick the stone. She came to Galena with me last weekend."

"You took Ms. Shelly to Galena?"

"She insisted. Said she wasn't trusting me to pick a ring without supervision." He wipes a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Lina knows too. Hank knows. Dolly knows. Maya knows. I'm fairly certain the entire town knows because I asked Hank to keep a secret and Hank told Dolly within the hour."

"Everyone knew except me."

"Everyone helped." His forehead drops to mine. "This town. These people. They've been holding me together since I got here. I just didn't let them until you showed me how."

The Falls roar behind us. Spring light through the trees. His arms around me. The ring warm on my finger.

My phone buzzes. Then again. Then again.

Ms. Shelly:

DID YOU SAY YES?

Lina:

I'm crying at the cafe. Three customers asked if I need help.

Hank:

Drinks on me tonight. Both of you. Don't be late.