Chapter Fifty

#Chapter Fifty

They both froze and stared at Mike in shock.

"Nah, I'm just kidding," Mike said.

"Jesus," Alice said as she let out a long breath.

"I got you there, didn't I?"

"You sure did," Keanu said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Let's go, Alice."

Things went well after she was discharged and back to her life with Keanu. They were much, much better. Sure, some of her family still refused to give in, but the people who mattered the most to her were finally on their sides. Her mother heard about what Keanu did from Mike and she gladly gave them her approval as well.

Mike and Leonard invited the both of them to move back in, but they said they wanted to remain at their place instead. Everyone agreed to visit one another often and they spent a lot of time together.

Leonard's relationship with his father healed dramatically. He first began having dinner with him again, but it soon turned into long game nights where they had so much fun they forgot that it was already morning. Alice would always come into Keanu's man cave and complain about the noise they were making, and somehow she would end up joining them in a fight to the death.

Keanu also patched things up with Mike. They became best friends again, and were much closer than they had ever been. Having gone through such a hurdle in their friendship, they promised to stick with each other to the end. Keanu vowed to him that he would take good care of her, and he kept that promise.

Most of all, the love Keanu and Alice shared only grew and grew. Every day she spent with him was sheer perfection, but nothing could compare to that day.

She was walking home from the supermarket when she saw an envelope attached to the front door. Smiling, she unstuck it from the wood and opened it, reading the letter. It was a heartfelt message from Keanu, who told her how much he loved her and to find the next letter on the dining table.

When she was at the dining table, she saw another envelope. Inside were the five birthday cards that Keanu had mentioned previously. She read every one of them and laughed out loud when she saw what a mess his words were. She eventually reached a post-it note that told her to head to the pool.

She slid the door open to the pool, and there was Keanu, flanked by Mike and Leonard, who was holding up a camera to film them. There were rows of roses on either side of the road to him, and she walked to him, her eyes brimming with tears.

She stopped before him, and Keanu got on his knees. He took out a small box and opened it for her to see. There was a beautiful ring inside, with a diamond that shone beautifully. It was not too big, and just the way she liked it.

"Alice," he said. "Because of you, I found a reason to smile. You deserve the world and you're better than anything I can ever imagine or deserve. Today, I am asking you to let me be the reason why you always smile, and if I don't give you the world, I offer to give you mine. I know we didn't have the best of beginnings, but this I can promise you, we will have the best of journeys and endings."

She cried tears of joy, extending her finger out to him. She was already nodding.

"Will you marry me, Alice?" Keanu said.

"Yes! Yes! I will!" Alice cried. "I will!"

Keanu put the ring around her finger and got to his feet. She leapt into his arms and he lifted her off the ground, spinning her in the air in circles. When they finally came to a stop, he kissed her tears and her lips.

"Alice, I love you."

"And I love you, Keanu."

And their moment of perfection lasted forever.