Chapter 47

• She looked at him with hurt in her eyes, and Ernest couldn't help but laugh. He quickly regretted it. He flashed her his lopsided smile and said, "It's hardly a huge ass dragon's egg." He removed it from the box and set it on her finger, saying, "It weighs scarcely anything at all." "My crazy matches your crazy, and you're correct, we are engaged and getting married in a few days," to paraphrase one of my favorite superheroes. He spoke softly.
• She said, "If you don't care about the agreement, we should postpone it," and wondered why he wasn't canceling the deal outright.
• "No, we cannot postpone because I do not wish to continue our seemingly weekly debate. I can actually see you, Amanda—the real you, the one who has the fortitude to deal with losing her parents at such a young age. I see the you who, despite the odds being against her, has the self-assurance and business acumen to turn a failing company around. I recognize the person who endured all of the abuse from her stepfamily and persisted despite it. I see a woman who, in spite of everything the world has thrown at her, still shows kindness and generosity to strangers in need, like Ravi and Selena, and treats them with the same respect and consideration as she treats my mother. I see you all, Amanda, and I adore the lady you have become." Her face was tipped up to Ernest's, and he grinned. "And you cherish me. So, would you kindly stop pushing me away right away?"