I looked at my watch. It was an hour away from dawn and the sun peeked slowly from the horizon.

My hope grew at the sight of a bright purple and disappearance of stars from the sky above. A mild breeze kissed my cheeks and I took in a fresh grasp of air. I was finally free.

Someone took hold of my hands. It was Wes. I gazed at the scar on his arm. I felt sorry for him.

He placed my left hand on his chest and with his right hand he tilted my chin. Our eyes met.

"I'm Fine Ray." He said with the cutest smile I had ever seen.

"I'm sorry Wes. I'm sorry you had to go through all this just to find the Crucifier. I'm sorry you always meet with trouble whenever you're with me. I'm sorry you had to stay by my side for so long." I said.

"How about I stay by your side for a longer time? Let's say forever?" Wes asked.

"What?" I did not understand but I hoped my eyes had deceived me.

For in that moment, when the purple in the sky had begun to fade for the full birth of the sun and clouds, Wesley Stark got on one knee, with a ring in his hand.

I pressed my hands against my mouth which had been wide opened by surprise.

"Our lives have been filled with ups and downs. Joy and sadness. Sorrow and Happiness. Safety and Danger. Still, we've survived through it all. Ramona, I get these throbbing sounds in my heart whenever I'm beside you. I smile like a fool these days, even when I don't get what you're saying. I count my words just to make sure I don't sound stupid and at the end I sound more stupid. But you just laugh and then my heart is healed for putting a smile on your face. With you an hour seems like thirty minutes and a whole day, an hour. A part of me doesn't want to see your face because then, my palms get sweaty and my tongue runs dry. The other part of me always wants to be by your side because when you're absent, I'm filled with fear and worry. It's kind of like my heart's about to stop without you but, when you're with me I'm alive. It was confusing at first and weird. But it's clear now. I love you and I hope you'd give me the chance to love you until I die. I want to be by your side forever and always. Ramona Becky Taylor, will you marry me?" Wes asked on one knee.

Night larks gave way to the doves that fluttered their wings and dropped feathers like slow rain drops. Crickets kept shut, but birds chirped as though excited by Wes' question.

I looked at the sky. The purple had turned blue.

I was fascinated by that moment. I still have no ways to express the feelings that crowded my heart that day.

Wesley Stark had helped me find happiness as he had promised and I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him. I was ready to stay by Wesley's side until my last breath.

"Yes!!" I screamed with tears in my eyes.

Wes placed the ring on my finger. It was beautiful. The silver strolled in perfect curvature topped by a blue stone which sat in the midst of two tiny rubies and a cluster of white stones that seemed to be diamonds.

The ring spoke elegance, grace and most importantly love. Still, if Wesley Stark had proposed to me with a rubber band I would have said yes. For the love he made me feel was totally priceless.

In the joy we shared Wes swept me off my feet, and carried me like a babe.

In a few blinks through the fluttering and fallen feathers of doves in the alley, Wesley Stark planted a deep kiss on my lips. Then spun me around like a child he had longed to see. But like the woman I was, his forehead was on mine till another kiss found its way into my lips.

I gazed at Tina. She jumped in excitement, with her cheeks blushed in deep red. Some cops fired a few gunshots at the air and others screamed and whistled until their voices were gone.

Soon others who lived around the alley heard of the tale and applauded to the sound of celebration.

Wes and I ran away from the celebration and excitement. He took me to the rooftop of a really high building.

I could see half of the city from up there. I could see the pavement on which Wes had made a promise to me. Our pavement.

The wind blew my hair on all sides, but Wesley tucked my hair behind my ears.

"So... I guess we can love each other without fear." He said.

"Yeah!" I replied.

"Ray?"

"Yes." I answered.

I looked into Wes' eyes. Those eyes which were once a mystery were now filled with excitement and hope. I was glad that I had given Stark hope.

"Ray, from this point on, you're not a victim or a damsel in distress. You're my woman. My love. My other half. You're my wife and I won't love you as a girl who needs help and protection. I would love you as a woman who has become my wife and needs all of me." Wes said.

I loved romance and being cheesy, but sometimes I was no good at it, so I ruined the moment.

"Where the heck did you get that from? The internet?" I asked.

"No! You might not believe me, but soon you will, because you'll be hearing a lot of it from today." He replied.

We both laughed until our stomachs and chests hurt. Wesley held me close. I felt his heartbeat. It was calm like mine.

The wind was chilly, but Wes' hug made me feel warmth.

I stared at the sky. The puffy whites were out. Clearly it was a new day. And for the first time in a long time, I was truly free.