Chapter 22: At Last

David and Jasmine were almost speechless as the plane rose higher and higher in the evening sky. As they looked around them they could see absolutely breathtaking views of the sandy beach, the endless ocean, and the mountains. It was spectacular.

“This is just amazing,” said Jasmine, stunned at what they were seeing.

“Wow…” said David, equally as mesmerized by the view.

As the plane approached the target altitude, their instructors, who would assist them with the jump, gave them final instructions and pointers to make sure they were prepared.

“Well, this is it. Are you ready?” asked Jasmine, gazing at David.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” David replied. “Are you?”

“Definitely…I’m so glad that we’re sharing this together,” she said.

“So am I,” said David, smiling. “Any last words?”

Jasmine laughed. “Just this…” she said, leaning over and kissing him.

“That’s exactly what I was going to say,” he said, grinning.

“Alright, it’s about that time,” said Neal, one of their instructors.

David felt his heart pounding with both nervousness and excitement.  There’s no turning back now, he thought, preparing himself for the jump. Slowly, they began to move closer to the exit as the cargo door opened…

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“Oh, my goodness! Wow!!” yelled Jasmine as they landed on the beach.

“What an amazing rush! I can’t believe we just did that!” David exclaimed.

The sky dive had been an exhilarating experience for both of them. The view, the feeling of almost flying and free falling through the air…it was mind blowing.

Since they’d done a tandem jump their instructors had performed the jump with them. Now, they handed their gear over to them.

“Thanks so much, guys,” said David.

“Yes, thank you. It was amazing,” said Jasmine, grinning.

“You’re welcome. You guys did great,” said Neal. “Will we see you again?”

“Uh, I don’t know about that,” said David, laughing, “but it was awesome.”

Neal smiled. “Alright guys. Take care,” he said.

“Thanks again,” said David.

As Neal turned to walk back to the skydive hangar, Jasmine smiled at David. “So, it was awesome, huh? I told you,” she teased, hugging him.

“Yeah, you did,” said David, laughing. “By the way, you forgot something.”

“What?” she asked confused.

“Oh! I forgot to take off the goggles!” she said, laughing as he tapped them with his finger.

“That’s okay. I’ll go return them… and then I thought maybe we could hang out here for a while. It’s such a beautiful evening,” he said.

“That sounds great,” she said, taking off the goggles and handing them to him.

“Okay. I’ll be right back,” said David, heading back to the hanger.

What a wonderful day it’s been, Jasmine thought as she looked out at the ocean. The sky dive had been incredible and she was so glad that David had changed his mind about it. Now she was looking forward to spending the evening together, which they hadn’t been able to do for a while now because of their schedules. She felt so blessed to have him in her life again and to be more in love with him than ever before. Thank you, God, she prayed silently.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear David approaching. She’d worn her hair in a ponytail for the sky dive and now, taking the rubber band out of her hair, she bent forward to untangle it. I’m glad I pulled my hair back, she thought to herself. Otherwise, it would have really been a mess.

“Even after jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet you’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” said David.

Surprised that she hadn’t heard him return, Jasmine looked up at him. “Ah…that’s so sweet,” she said softly, smiling at him. “Thank you.”

“It’s true,” he continued, gazing at her more seriously now. “That wonderful smile that lights up a room, that contagious laugh that I love so much, and those beautiful eyes that I could get lost in forever. Looking at you takes my breath away.”

Jasmine was taken aback. There was something in his voice, something about the way he was looking at her.

“And yet there’s so much more that I love about you, Jasmine” he said, coming closer and taking her hand. “I'm so very proud of you and how you've fought so hard to not give in to your fears. I love your love for life, your love for God. I love your passion and your ambition. You move me, challenge me, inspire me. I love everything about you.”

“The time that we were apart were some of the worst days of my life. I felt like I was drowning without you. And yet, it taught me so much about true love and about faith and perseverance. Losing you made me realize how much you mean to me and how much I need you, how much I’ll always need you.  I think about that scripture in 1 Corinthians 13 that says that 'love never fails.' It keeps going even when things seem hopeless. As much as it hurt to be away from you, I wouldn't change it. I'd go through it over and over again if it meant that I could be with you and love you for the rest of my life."  

Jasmine felt her eyes well up with tears. She opened her mouth to speak but found that nothing came out.

Suddenly, he knelt down on one knee. Then looking up at her with tears in his own eyes, he said, “You are my heart. You are the love of my life, my soul mate. I am desperately in love with you and if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you’ve made me.” Then, pausing, he asked: “Jasmine, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?”

Jasmine felt her mind spinning. She felt so overwhelmed with emotion that she could barely utter what her heart was screaming.

“Yes,” she managed to whisper through her tears. “Yes!”

David quickly rose to his feet and took her in his arms. “I love you so much. You’ve made me so happy!” Jasmine said tearfully, as they embraced.

For a few moments neither of them spoke as it was impossible to articulate all that they were feeling. Then, wiping away her tears, David kissed Jasmine tenderly.  “I am the luckiest man alive,” he said, pulling back to look into her eyes.

Then suddenly, smiling softly, he said, “Oh, I guess I forgot something kind of important.” 

Stepping back, he reached into his pocket and took out a ring case.

“David, it’s stunning,” said Jasmine, in awe, as she looked at the elegant diamond ring. It was absolutely beautiful.

With his hands trembling, David slipped the ring on her finger. “It’s perfect,” said Jasmine, smiling, as he kissed her hand. “You’re perfect.”

Putting her hand to his cheek, Jasmine gazed into his eyes. “I don't deserve you but I love you so much” she said, her voice breaking. “There’s nothing I want more than to spend my life showing you.”

“You’ve already shown me,” said David, overwhelmed with love and gratitude. “I’m so thankful that I get to spend forever with you.”

“So am I,” said Jasmine, kissing him softly. And holding her close, David returned her kiss passionately as the sun began to set in the evening sky.