She rolled her eyes when he examined himself, but it stopped abruptly as he just shifted and her eyes widened comically. "I didn't know you meant now," just sort of fell out of her mouth, and then she exhaled in a rush, like she was letting go of still more troubles.

"So when you get down on one knee and open the box," she said as she moved closer to him, "And say something like Will you marry me... I'll say something like, there is nothing I want more to spend my life with you, Jackson. I love you." She bent to kiss him, her hand cupping his cheek, before she spoke lowly. "Yes. Yes, if you're sure." Her eyes searched his and there was hope there - fledgling, the spark of it that'd appeared the first time when he'd forgiven her, and it was starting to fan into an actual flame, even if it was still young and new.