Chapter 34: Never The Best: Chapter 34

“It’s someday,” I told Rhett proudly.

“Hmm?”

“Yeah, you said you wanted to go to Patagonia someday. Today is someday.”

That’s how we ended up in Patagonia in late spring when the weather felt like it still had one foot in winter and the other thinking hard about summer. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was warm enough to kiss the tops of the towering Andes mountains with golden light. The wide, untamed expanse of Torres del Paine National Park stretched out before us.

Rhett stood at the edge of the trail, hands on his hips, staring up at the jagged peaks of the Cordillera del Paine. The light wind tugged at his hair, and the blue of the sky reflected in his eyes as he turned to me, grinning like a kid who’d just been handed the keys to a candy shop.

“I can’t believe you brought me here.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Why not?” I asked, shrugging casually as I adjusted the straps on my daypack.

“Because I’ve been talking about this trip for years.” He took a deep breath as if sucking in the big, wide expanse. “And you just…you booked it? Just like that?”

I smirked, reaching into my pack to pull out a small travel guide I’d ordered on Amazon. I held it up like it was a mic drop. “It’s because I’m fabulous.”

For a moment, he looked at me, his eyes softening. He reached out, pulled me into his arms, and rested his forehead on mine.

“You certainly are, and I’m the luckiest motherfucker in the world to have you with me.” His voice was filled with so much emotion it made my chest ache.

“Good.” I leaned into him. “Because I’m not done being fabulous yet.”

We hiked all morning, the trail winding through fields of wildflowers and past shimmering glacial lakes that looked like they’d been painted in shades of turquoise and sapphire. Every turn seemed to reveal breathtaking nature—a waterfall cascading down moss-covered rocks, a herd of guanacos grazing in the distance, their caramel-colored coats blending into the rugged terrain.

By the time we reached Mirador Las Torres, I was out of breath, but it didn’t matter. The view was worth every single step.

The three granite towers that gave the park its name loomed in the distance, their peaks sharp and jagged against the bright blue sky. At their base, a glacial lagoon shimmered in hues of green and blue, the water so clear you could see the rocky bottom even from a distance. The wind whipped around us, carrying the scent of snow and earth, and the only sound was the soft rustle of the wind and the distant cry of a condor soaring overhead.

Rhett stopped at the edge of the overlook, his eyes wide as he took it all in. “Pearl,” he exclaimed reverently, “this is perfection.”

I smiled, dropping my pack onto the ground, and sat on a nearby rock to catch my breath. “Not bad for a last-minute trip, huh?”

“It’s unbelievable. You’re unbelievable.”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the way he was looking at me made my heart flutter.

Rhett walked over, crouching down in front of me so we were at eye level. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Hang with me, kid; I’ll keep surprising you.”

“I can’t wait.”

Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, weathered leather pouch. My breath caught as he opened it, revealing a simple platinum band with a small, glimmering diamond embedded in the center.

“Rhett?”

He took my hand, his grip firm. Looking at me, his blue eyes reflected the endless sky above us. “Pearl Beaumont,” he said with quiet conviction, “I don’t ever want to marry you.”

I blinked, caught between confusion and amusement. “What?”

He smiled, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles. “I don’t want the big white wedding, or the society circus, or any of the things we were raised to believe mattered. I don’t want any of it. I just want you. Forever. No papers, no pomp, no rules. Just us, doing things our way. Will you never marry me and make me the happiest man on Earth?”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest, as I absorbed what he’d just said. “This is for life?” I breathed.

“Absolutely.” His smile widened.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I didn’t bother wiping them away. “No expectations. No one else’s rules. Just you and me, building a life that makes sense for us?”

“Yes. So, what do you say?” he prompted, his grin turning playful.

I laughed because how could I not be with this man who made me so incredibly happy? “Yes, Rhett, I’ll never marry you.”

The relief and joy that washed over his face was pure. He slipped the ring onto my finger, and pulled me into his arms.

We stayed like that for a long moment, the wind whipping around us, the towers standing silently as witness to our promise.

Later, as we sat by the glacial lagoon, our boots off and our toes dipping into the icy water, I looked at the ring on my finger and smiled. It wasn’t flashy or ornate—it was simple, understated, and completely perfect.

“You know.” I rested on my hands. “A year ago, I never would’ve thought any of this would be possible.”

“Any of what?” Rhett asked, glancing over at me.

“All of this.” I gestured to the mountains, the water, the ring. “Being here. Being happy. I didn’t think I’d ever get to a place where I felt like I was enough.”

Rhett reached over, taking my hand in his. “And now?

I smiled, squeezing his hand. “I’m getting to a place where I believe that I’m more than enough,” I admitted. “But it’s a process, and, as you know, some days are harder than others.”

“And on those days,” he vowed, “you’ve got me. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. Always. Forever. Because, Pearl, you’re there for me every day as well, making me better.”

I looked at the man who had once been the source of my deepest pain but was now the love of my life. As I gazed at him, I felt something I had slowly grown used to since he reentered my world: hope.

“Forever,” I echoed, leaning into him as we both stared out at the jagged peaks and the endless sky, the world stretching wide and wild before us.

After all, today was someday. And it was just the beginning.