Runaway Cleo

Ch. 11: Are you Ready?

I wake up early the next morning, satisfied with the life I've been given so far. Everything seems to be coming together and I'll enjoy it until the day they begin to fall apart.

I head straight to the airport and buy 2 one trip tickets. I plan to give Cleo the best last few months of her life. When I get home with our tickets, I immediately book an ensuite for 4 months, that gives us enough time to live and then to come home and celebrate a life well spent.

It's now about 2:30pm, an hour and a half before I need to meet Cleo. I drive by my bank and walk through the doors.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Baker. Would you like to make a transaction today?" It's my normal banker so I just smile,
"Id like to add somebody to my account actually." She looks at me and nods her head a few times.
"Sir, are you sure that's what you want? That's a bid decision."
"I'm sure." So I signed the papers and it was done, Cleo was officially mine and I was hers.

My last stop before the river was the mall, I got a few little things and then began preparing myself for the journey ahead.

•••

I get to the river about 15 minutes early and run out there. I have a whole speech planned and it would be miraculous if I actually said any of it the right way.

I sit in the grass, looking longingly towards the clouds. Nothing can make this day go wrong.

"Hey there loser." She smiles down at me and I feel the huge grin grow on my face.
"Hi..." she sits down next to me and lays her head on my chest. "Cleo as much as I'd love to just sit here, I have to tell you something."

"Go for it, babe." I look at her, just to remind myself of our love. I smirk slightly at her and I can practically see her eyes sparkle even more.

I pull out the envelope I have for her and shake it, " This holds our future for the next few months. And if it's fine by you, I'd like for you to accept it. I've always had money to spend but nothing to spend it on. Now I do...." I hand her the envelope and she slowly opens it.

The minute she sees what it is her mouth drops. "Chris you can not actually be serious right now!! Is this real??"
"Anything for you, love. I'd buy you the world if that's what you wanted. But wait, there's more." I point at the envelope and watch as She takes out the plane tickets and looks deeper into the envelope. I see tears come in her eyes when she notices what it is.

"Is that for me?" She stares at me with a look of disbelief.
"You will always be mine, I love you." I kiss her forehead as she places the simple, diamond ring on her finger.

I raise my left hand to show her my matching ring that I don't think she noticed at first. "I can't have forever with you, but I will have now. Go with me and love me in the time you have left. Love me, Cleo. Choose me, Cleo. The only question is, Are you ready?"

She looks at me with tears in her eyes, I swear, when is she not crying? "I'm ready."

I laugh at her and wipe away her tears, rolling down her face. "We're going to Europe and all you want to do is cry??"

She smiles into her lap and then curls closer into me. "Mr. and Mrs. Christian Baker really does have a nice ring to it."

She laughs one final time before I stand up and grab her hands, pulling her up beside me. I wrap both my arms around her and pull her in.

"I love you, Cleopatra Lynn."

"Christian Baker, I swear if you call me that again you'll be going alone." I laugh letting her go and holding her hand.

We walk back to my car, heading to our home, before packing to go on the best adventure Cleo will ever have.