Finally

The older man took the woman’s face in his hands. Her arms wrapped themselves around him. His faintly quivering fingers were like ice against her blushing face and neck. For a moment, they stared at each other, almost alarmed at the suddenness and forwardness of their own actions. The man, summoning his last ounce of courage, drew her towards him and touched his lips to hers. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before, her warm lips against his cold ones, her hands pressing against his back and pulling him closer towards her. After a time they slowly broke apart.  The woman stared, eyes half closed and red lips parted, and he stared back, chest heaving and stomach churning.

“Well, Peter…” she said at last, resting her hand to his chest and feeling his heartbeat against her palm. “It’s about time.”

He brushed his thumb against her cheek and smiled. “I’m sorry it took me this long to realize how much of an idiot I was being.”

She raised her hand and touched his cold face. “I don’t mind,” she whispered. “I always knew I would have to wait a long time for you. You’re that kind of man. You had to see everything else before you realized what was right in front of you.”

He smiled a little and looked down. “I love you, Shelly,” he said, drawing her close to him again, “And I want you to marry me. Will you?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “I will.”

Slowly, their lips touched again, finding a joy there they never would have thought imaginable.