I have one more personal hurdle to cross.

Ethan has been encouraging me, but it's something I want to prove to myself that, I can overcome my fear. I'm getting back on the horse.

We're going sledding.

It's a Friday afternoon, and Ethan took time off of work to do this with me. We decide not to go to the same hill where I had my accident. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back there. We go to a hill closer to his house, not as steep and not very close to any roadway.

We get out of his car, fetch the sleds from his trunk, and we start to trudge up the hill. My new knee with the microprocessor is quite helpful in the endeavor, although it's still a bit of a struggle to get it to cooperate on this steep incline. Ethan is patient, talking me through it while I maneuver up the hill.

When we get to the top, he asks, "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yeah," I say with a deep breath. "I think so."

He sits down on a sled and I sit down on the one next to him. But then I look over and tell him, "I don't want to go alone." He pats his lap so I crawl over onto the sled with him. He wraps his arms around me and pushes us off slowly. I don't feel anything, really, as we get started. But as we pick up speed, I have a few very brief moments of panic, just not enjoying the feeling of not being in control. By the time we stop at the bottom, I'm laughing and crying, mostly from sheer joy at the fact that I finally did it.

We sit in the sled at the bottom for a while. Ethan whispers, his breath warm against my cold cheeks. "I'm so proud of you, Sarah."

"Thank you. For everything, for saving my life, for being here with me today."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," he whispers and we sit a while longer, enjoying the silence of the flakes of snow falling around us.

We go down the hill two or three more times, but that's enough to prove our point. We'll come back later in the winter and go sledding with our friends, or maybe with his siblings. For now, we climb back into his car and get the heat running so we can warm up.

"I'd like to go somewhere else, if you don't mind," Ethan suggests as we drive away from the hill.

"Sure."

I'm quite surprised when Ethan drives into Frances Park. One road is plowed, so we go through as far as we can, and then we get out and walk through the snow. It's getting dark, since it's mid-December, and there are lights strung along some of the pillars and draped over the pergola. Once again, we're knee deep in snow, since this path hasn't been shoveled or plowed since the last snow.

When we arrive at the top of the lookout, Ethan kisses me, which is something I always enjoy.

"Sarah," Ethan says seriously. "Do you remember Patrick's wedding, when I told you that I've never more proud of anything in my whole life than to be able to call you my girlfriend?"

I nod, remembering his sweet remark.

"I wasn't telling the whole truth. There's something that would make me more proud. In fact, it would make me the happiest man in the world."

My eyes widen and my heart starts racing. I think I know what he's going to say. "What's that?" I ask in barely a whisper.

"I hope you don't think I'm crazy, since we haven't even known each other for a year, but I don't need any more time to know that I love you more than I could ever love anyone else. You don't even have to answer me tonight, but I want you to know that I'm ready to love you forever."

He stops for a moment, pulls off his gloves and digs into his pocket. Then he lowers himself to one knee, deep in the snow, and asks, "Sarah, will you be my wife?"

I'm flooded with emotions as I look down at his beautiful blue eyes and wonderfully ruddy cheeks. This man who saved my life is kneeling in front of me with a ring, asking if I will spend my life with him. I can't control the waves of delirious delight that are flowing through me. Tears begin to cascade down my face. I yank off my glove and hold my hand out to him, saying, "Yes! Yes, Ethan I will be your wife!"

He slides the ring on my finger and then stands up to pull me in for a kiss that leaves me breathless. I bring my hands up to caress his face while he tightens his grip around my waist. Then slowly he slides his hand up my back and into my hair, gently pulling my head even closer so that our lips are all but smashed together.

After several minutes of a delightfully heated kiss, Ethan nuzzles his face into my neck. "I love you so much, Sarah."

"Well, that's good because you're stuck with me now," I laugh.

"And I couldn't be happier," he whispers.

We spend a long time holding each other, admiring the beautiful view from the small bluff in Frances Park that overlooks the Grand River.

Finally, he asks, "Should we go and tell our parents?"

I nod excitedly.

When we arrive at my house, my parents meet us at the door.

Once we are seated, I make the announcement. "Ethan and I are getting married!"

My mother's jaw drops open and my father just stares at us with a stunned look on his face.

"So...?" I ask, waiting for any kind of response from my parents besides stunned silence. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

My dad blinks several times and then says, "Of..of course. Congratulations." He stands up and walks over to us, extending his hand to Ethan. Then he hugs me. I can't help but feel like he's somewhat robotic about it, as if he's either truly shocked or unhappy. Or both.

"Mom?" I question.

"Um, wow, mija. This is really sudden. I...I'm not sure what to say."

"You could start with 'Congratulations' or 'I'm happy for you,'" I tell her, trying to blink back the tears that have started pooling in my eyes.

"Well, you know we love Ethan," she continues, looking at me and speaking if Ethan isn't even there with his arm around me. "It's just so sudden," she says again.

Ten months is a short amount of time. I can understand what she's saying, but the past ten months have seemed like an eternity to me. And Ethan has been a crucial part of every moment of my recovery. Maybe we were forced to get to know each other due to the circumstances, but I know with all my heart that I truly love Ethan and he loves me deeply. I guess it may not seem obvious to everyone, but it's abundantly clear to me.

I swallow hard, still trying to blink away the tears of disappointment that my parents didn't break open the champagne for us.

Finally, Ethan speaks up. "Mr. and Mrs. Stoker, I know it doesn't seem like we've known each other very long-"

"Ten months!" My mother snaps. "That's not even a year!"

"Right, it's only been ten months," he continues calmly. "But I can assure you that my feelings for Sarah are sincere, and that I'm committed to her for the rest of my life."

"How can you know that?" My mother snaps again. "How can you know her well enough to marry her, and especially when she's gone through hell and back in that time?"

"With all due respect, Mrs. Stoker, I've been there every step of the way. I've watched her struggle and I've watched her fall, and I've watched her get back up again. I think I've gotten to know Sarah better than I ever could have if the accident never happened. I know all of her strengths and weaknesses, and I still love her no matter what."

"We do love you, Ethan," my father interjects. It's strange to hear him speak so affectionately to Ethan. "This just happened kind of fast. We want you both to make sure you're ready."

At this point, my mother completely loses it. "They're not ready! What are you talking about, Marshall?" She turns to me and continues yelling, "You're too young! Maybe Ethan is too old for you if he's ready to get married and you're not!"

"I'm ready," I whisper, feeling less sure now that my mother has done a complete 180.

"Gabby, please. Let's just sleep on this, okay?" My dad says in his classic diplomatic voice.

"No! I will not sleep on this! Sarah is not getting married and that's final!" She storms out of the room and slams her bedroom door behind her.

I can't hold back the tears anymore. "I need some fresh air," I whisper, quickly walking out the door and to Ethan's car. He joins me a few moments later, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Do you want to go for a drive?"

"I want to go home with you," I tell him quietly.

"I don't think that will help matters, Sarah. If you spend the night at my house, your mom will only get more angry, don't you think?"

"I don't care!"

He opens the door, heads back into the house and re-emerges about ten minutes later.

"I talked to your dad. It's cool," he tells me. "Do you want to pack anything?"

I get out of the car, and Ethan comes around to make sure I don't slip on the slick spots. I make my way quickly to my bedroom, throw a few things in a bag and then head back out the door. I don't even look at my dad, and he doesn't make any effort to soothe me. As we open the front door, I hear Ethan say, "I'll take good care of her, I promise."

My father's voice sounds faint as the door is closing. "I know you will, Ethan."

I sob all the way back to Lansing, with Ethan holding my hand and occasionally wiping the stray tears off my cheek when he can afford to glance away from the road.

When we pull into his driveway, he comes to open my door and all but yanks me out of the car and into his chest. It triggers another round of sobbing and he pulls me even tighter. "Ssshh," he whispers, stroking my hair. "It'll be okay, angel. I promise."

I finally calm down enough to hear his heartbeat. His arms still feel so tight around me, I don't ever want him to let go.

"I think my dad is still awake," he tells me gently. "Should we go in and talk to him?"

"Not if he's going to react the way my parents did."

"He already knows," he tells me as he pulls away just enough to smile down at me. "I told him I was going to ask you."

"And he didn't freak out?" I ask, a little too sarcastically.

"No, he said that you're a wonderful girl, that you will make a great mother, and that you will make me very happy. I told him that you already do."

I hug him tightly one more time and let him lead me into the house.

Ethan's dad rushes over to us with enthusiasm that I haven't seen him display before. He squeezes me into a hug and says, "Welcome, Sarah." His actions immediately put me at ease, and I know he must be excited for us, so I relax and let wide smile cross my face again.

He pulls back and I can see the question written across his face as his eyes widen towards Ethan. I can almost hear him asking, "Well...?"

"She said yes!" He grins at his dad, who grabs us both into another giant squeeze of a hug.

"This calls for some champagne!" Mr. Broadwell exclaims. "However, wine will have to do, since I have no champagne," he laughs. He heads to the kitchen and comes back with a tray bearing three wine glasses and a bottle of Chardonnay. He quickly fills the glasses, handing one to each of us, and immediately raises his glass, "To Ethan and Sarah. May your marriage bring you a lifetime of happiness and many, many children."

I blush at the mention of children. Ethan pulls me close to his side and squeezes my shoulder. "See, I told you everything would be okay."

Mr. Broadwell raises his eyebrows. Ethan responds to his unspoken question. "Sarah's parents aren't very happy about the engagement."

"Oh, I see," Mr. Broadwell says sympathetically. "I can understand how hard it must be for them. You're young, Sarah, and you're their only child. They're still going through the trauma and grief of what happened to you."

I nod, absorbing his explanation for my parents' unexpected behavior.

He goes on, "When Ethan got cancer, his mom and I felt like our life stopped. Nothing else mattered but helping him to get well again. We were devastated when they had to take his leg, but thrilled when the cancer was eliminated. You see, as parents, we're so fiercely protective of our kids, we'll do anything to make sure they're okay."

"Yeah, I know. My parents have always been there for me, especially since the accident. My mom took a leave of absence from work and my dad started working from home so that they could take care of me."

"Right," Mr. Broadwell agreed. "They will do anything to take care of you. Something terribly traumatic happened to you and they put everything on hold to be there for you. In their eyes, you're still their little girl. I'm sure it will just take them some time to figure out how to let go."

I swallow a little lump in my throat and choke back the tears, telling Mr. Broadwell, "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Dad," Ethan changes the subject. "Sarah is going to spend the night here. I talked to her dad and he knows."

"Certainly," Mr. Broadwell smiles at the two of us. "The guest room should be clean. Tanya had a friend sleep over last week and I told her to change the sheets on the bed." As he gets up to say good-night, he hugs me again and tells me, "Don't worry. Your parents will come around." And then he kisses my cheek.

"Thank you."

"Cheers," he says again and finishes off his glass of Chardonnay.

I close my eyes and relax for a few moments while sipping the last bit of wine. Today has been quite eventful, to say the least. First the sledding, then the proposal, then my mom's temper tantrum. But the day is still ending on the happiest note. I'm going to marry the most incredible person I've ever met.

I open my eyes to examine the gorgeous ring on my finger, and the delicate flower sculpted into the design.

Ethan catches me looking at it. "It's called a protea flower," he explains. "It grows in South Africa, I think. Anyway, it's a symbol of bravery and strength."

The tears come again, but this time they're happy tears. "Oh, Ethan, what did I ever do to deserve you?" I cry, throwing my arms around his shoulders and smashing a kiss onto his cheek.

"I could ask the same thing," he replies.

He leads me to the guest room and I rush into the bathroom to change into my comfy t-shirt and cozy pajama pants.

When I come back out, Ethan pulls me in tightly.

He then moves his face to my neck and starts kissing lightly, tenderly, starting at my collarbone and moving up and back toward my ear. I can feel little sparks everywhere his lips touch my neck. He isn't making this easy for me, I'm losing control very quickly. "Ethan."

"Yes, angel," he responds in between kisses.

"Stop, please. You're making me want you more than I should."

"Why shouldn't you want me? I'm going to be your husband," he teases.

"Yes, but you're not my husband yet, and therein lies the problem," I giggle. "We already agreed that we would wait until we're married."

"I know. You're right," he tells me. "We have to exercise some self control if we're going to make it to our wedding night."

"I'm not ready to go to bed yet, though," I tell him. "Can we watch a movie or something?"

Ethan goes to change into sweats and a t-shirt. We go back out to the living room and flip on a late night talk show, which we completely ignore while we talk.

"I have something to tell you," Ethan says with a cute little smile on his face.

"Ethan!" I laugh. "How many secrets are you going to keep from me?"

"It's not a big secret," he says, laughing a little too. "It's just...I come across as being pretty confident, right?"

"Yeah," I say, my voice vibrating with a little disbelief that he's even asking me. He's the most confident person I know.

"Well, I'm not. It's a pretty good show, though, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask. "You exude confidence."

He shakes his head and whispers, "I fake it. A lot!"

"You kissed me in the hospital! That was surprising because it was such a bold move!"

"Do you know what I did after that?" He asks.

I shake my head no.

"I went home and stayed up the entire night, second-guessing it, wondering if it was the wrong thing to do, whether you just kissed me back because you felt like you had to. I was a wreck the next day. I was glad that I wouldn't see you until the following day when you came to the clinic for therapy. It was a major effort to collect myself."

"Really? I spent the whole day telling myself that I didn't need a man to help me through this and that I should just learn to be self-sufficient. But I couldn't talk myself out of replaying that kiss over and over in my head," I feel a little embarrassed by admitting that. I shouldn't be since we're getting married but I still haven't quite processed that yet. But I should be able to tell him anything.

He smiles generously at me and then leans over to kiss me again.

"Actually, my biggest test of confidence was in trusting God," he tells me.

"Meaning what?"

"I told you I always wanted to marry a strong Christian woman, and to be honest, I was a little discouraged when you first told me that you didn't go to church. But I prayed a lot over the past several months, and every time I prayed about you and me, I just felt like God kept telling me to trust him. That's why I could tell you with confidence that it wouldn't matter if you didn't become serious about your faith. But I really wanted you to, and all God kept telling me was that I had to trust him."

I nod in understanding, but I feel just a small twinge of guilt that one of his biggest tests of trust in God was about me.

"Well, I hope I don't make you that nervous again," I smile.

"I wasn't nervous exactly," he says, with a pensive look on his face. "I just wanted to know how it was all going to work out, and God didn't show me everything right up front."

"Today was the best day of my life, with the exception of my parents freaking out a little," I giggle awkwardly.

"They'll come around, just like my dad said. You're very responsible and mature, and they'll grow to understand that you're ready."

"I love you, Ethan."

"I love you, too, Sarah."

With that, we curl up together on the couch and talk into the wee hours of the morning, never even deciding on a movie to watch.

* * * * *

Did any of you catch the faint outline of the ring in the sledding photo? I tried to make it obscure so that you wouldn't guess what was going to happen in the chapter. I'm so sneaky! lol