Ch 17: I promise

"Dylan told me that you were in the hospital, and I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I got back as soon as I could, but you had changed jobs and moved out of your apartment…"

"He told me that you were giving me time," Maya managed to sound normal. "I thought that meant that you had given up." "I would never give up on you," he said gently turning her to face him, and when he saw her tear-stained face he immediately took her in his arms and held her tight.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm so, so sorry." "I was so worried about you," she cried into his collar. "I thought something had happened to you in London, I was beside myself…"

"I know," he replied softly. "Dylan told me everything. These last few months must have been rough on you; Lord knows it's been hell for me.

I missed you so much; and the girls! I just couldn't find you. I asked Dylan but he said that you mentioned something about changing jobs, but you never said where exactly."

"Oh Lord," Maya exhaled. "I'm sorry; I thought he knew where I worked and where I had moved to." "No, he said he had asked you but whenever he called you had seemed rushed and full of excuses…"

"He kept trying to get me to go to his house for dinners," she said. "I didn't want to go alone. And I wasn't sure I wanted to run into you like that." "Why not?" He asked.

"We could have sorted this whole thing out a long time ago." Maya exhaled and closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the world lift from her shoulders. She had longed for him for so many months, wished for his touch, or just the sound of his voice…

Suddenly she felt him lift her chin, and she opened her eyes and looked deeply into his, and then he brought his lips to hers and kissed her long and hard. Finally, their lips parted and he looked deep into her eyes. "Promise me that you will never doubt me again," he said seriously. "I promise," she replied honestly.

"Good," he said. "Maya there is something I've been wanting to ask you since before all this… but then I had to leave and there was the chaos in London…" Isaac stood up and held out his hand to her and she let him lead her to the fountain; he stopped then and turned to face her, kissing her softly.

Then before Maya realized what was happening, Isaac went down on bended knee and pulled something from his jacket pocket. She gasped and looked around bashfully; Isabella and Samantha stood with Dylan and Victoria at the opening to the garden, and they all smiled happily at her.

She thought she even saw Samantha mouthing 'say yes', but she couldn't be sure. "Maya," Isaac said, and she turned her attention back to him. "I love you. I'm in love with you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you… and those two beautiful daughters of yours.