Violet only laughed. “You know I’m right, Iris. Sometimes the younger one can be the wiser one.”
“Perhaps.”
“Sleep on it. And decide tomorrow when he calls on you.”
“How do you know he’ll call tomorrow?”
“Oh, he’ll call tomorrow.” With a wink, Violet quit the room, leaving Iris alone. Far too alone.
And yes, Tristan did call the next day.
Before tea could even be served, he was reaching out for her hand. “Forgive me, Iris. I have known you my whole life, yet I still have much to learn about you. I shouldn’t have assumed what you wanted in life.” By that, he was referring to the gallery. “And I shouldn’t have assumed what you didn’t want.” And by that, he was referring to him. “I should spend less time trying to read your mind and more time simply asking you what’s on it. I want a future with you. Whatever that looks like. Please forgive me. Please marry me. Please say you’ll be mine. Without you in my life, I’m just an empty canvas, waiting to be painted. Please paint me, Iris.”
She was not expecting a marriage proposal in the apology, but it was there all the same. But that wasn’t the most shocking aspect of his plea. The most shocking aspect was that she was not expecting his words to tear into her soul and reveal her darkest secret. One that she had hidden from herself. To have him use the same words,empty canvas, exposed a truth. And the strangest thing happened. Her own image permeated her mind. For the first time ever. Fully saturated. In great detail. How utterly bizarre, yet how utterly inspiring to finally see oneself.
And she knew it was because of him.
“Yes,” she managed to say past the enormous lump of sand in her throat.
“Yes?” he echoed hopefully.
“Yes, I forgive you. And yes, I’ll marry you.”
And then her brain absorbed more images. Those of the future. Her wedding. Her family. Her future children. And her husband in all of them.
Truth rushed out of her. “I never gave you a self-portrait because I could never paint myself. And that was because I couldn’t really see myself. But now I do. I see myself. Because of you.” She threw her arms around him. “All because of you, Tristan.”
“I love you, Iris. It’s always been you. It will always be you.”
“I love you, Tristan. You’ve always seen me, known me. Been there for me. I will love you always.”
Epilogue
“Now, before you go getting any ideas, this is just a one time thing.” Iris paused, adjusting the blindfold over Tristan’s eyes.
“You can blindfold me anytime you like, Iris.”
“Quiet with you.” She tugged his hand gently forward. “Take one more step and then we’ll be on the sand.” He followed her lead. “And remember, this is just a small unveiling. Of course, I wanted to see your reaction first, but I’ve only invited a few people to this.”
“I understand. And I’m honored to be the one to see the first painting you’ve done while in Kisswick.”
Her heart beat incessantly within as she tightened her grip on his hand. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. After all this time. It didn’t seem real.
“I should admit that your plans to feature me in a gallery exhibit did inspire me.”
“Oh?” His lip tugged upward, and he looked adorably handsome despite the fact that she couldn’t see his eyes.
“Yes. So I have to thank you for that.”
“I will always put you first, Iris.” His thumb rubbed a soft circle on the inside of her wrist. “Even if I make mistakes while doing it, my heart beats for you, my love.”
His words seeped into her chest building another layer of love. She had longed for his affection for so long, that now, to truly have it, still felt like pure bliss.
As she turned him toward the easel, it was like her knees forgot how to work, they were trembling so bad. “You can open your eyes now.” And even though he was perfectly capable, she reached up on tiptoes to undo the blindfold.
His breath caught.
She held hers.