The sound of his heartbeat set a tempo for them as they held each other and swayed in the quiet of the night. Corrie felt as if they were entrapped in a snow globe and no outside force could shatter the shield around them.

When a gust of wind, however, slammed into them, Alex pulled her closer until her head was tucked under her chin.

"I knew I should have brought you inside first," he murmured.

Corrie laughed again. "You would have had a captive audience in Christina and Jack. Even my Aunt Elisabet is your acolyte now."

"They'll all know soon enough," Alex said.

The thought seemed to shatter their glass shell and a thousand thoughts rushed in, those thoughts that had served as excuses but were not so difficult to face with him by her side.

"What about my family?" Corrie queried, cocking her neck back to look at him.

Alex grinned down at her. "They already know; I asked your parents' permission. Apparently I'm a much better match than a recently widowed pastor with several children." Corrie laughed at the jibe. "I really wasn't sure if you would say yes, but since you have, I have two gifts for you."

"Besides the ring?" Corrie inquired, admiring the simple, stately diamond on her finger.

"Of course. First, I want you to have this journal. It's quite a mess, frankly, but if you ever doubt me, let this be a testament to what I feel, what I've always felt." Corrie accepted the journal from his outstretched hand and resisted the urge to start reading it immediately. "And this gift, well, I was afraid you would think that I would keep you from your dreams. Do you remember the poem you asked me to read?" Corrie nodded though she had forgotten it until now. "Well, I read it and sent it to a friend of mine anonymously, requesting if he thought it would be publishable. This was his response."

Alex proffered the letter and Corrie felt a tingle of anticipation. How had so much changed? Hours ago she was planning for a life as a governess with meager aspirations, yet now...

Taking the letter, she scanned a few lines and then read aloud. "This poem could easily, with minor edits, be published in our upcoming poetry anthology. Your anonymous poet has quite the talent and I hope he will not remain in hiding for long."

"Do you like it? I hope you don't mind..."

"Alex, this is perfect!" Corrie exclaimed. "You don't know, you can't know..."

"Know what?"

Corrie grimaced. "There's a letter being sent to you right now. In it, I told you that I was leaving Irvington and returning to New York where I was going to work as a governess and pursue publishing. I didn't think...I thought I had to choose between my emotions and my aspirations, but now, you've given me both." Corrie took his hand, so large it swallowed hers. "How can I ever thank for everything you've done?"

"You don't have to thank me," he said with a grin. "You just have to marry me."

Corrie laughed, and it felt as if the reservoir of hope inside her was overflowing. She knew she had been wrong to suppress it; Dr. Benjamin, Alex, was a good man, better perhaps than she deserved.

"What about the war?" Corrie asked.

"If you approve, we can stay in Irvington until it ends, which it must, and then we'll find a way for you to finish your education even if we have to move to New York City."

Corrie leaned her head back. "What about you? What about your dreams?"

"My dreams? They're already coming true. This is all I want," he murmured softly in her ear.

Corrie rested in his nearness, in the assurance of his constancy. How foolish she had been and how lucky she was now.

"Are those lanterns coming from your aunt's house?" Alex questioned, and Corrie knew what must have occurred.

"I suppose Christina and Jack discovered that you're here and they're trying to spy on us. They do lack a bit of subtlety."

"I wonder what it was that tipped them off: Hannah's arrival or my use of your father's automobile."

Corrie marveled at Alex for a moment. "My father's car?"

"This ring was your maternal grandmother's," Alex explained, taking her hand and running his thumb down her third finger. "I would have bought one for you myself, but, well, I didn't realize I would be proposing so soon."

He let out an embarrassed laugh, reaching his free hand to comb through his hair. Corrie caught his hand mid flight and brought their hands together.

"It's perfect. But I am still at a loss; how did you convince my father to give you the ring?"

"Well, when I realized what a cowardly fool I'd been, I went to your parents' home and begged their permission." He offered her a sheepish grin. "That was this morning. When I declared my intentions to propose to you this evening and waste no time on a long courtship, they acquiesced. Your father is convinced that our expedited engagement will only prove the rumors true, but I told them I didn't care and your mother convinced him your reputation could fall no lower. Your mother gave me the ring and allowed me to borrow the automobile. And now I'm here."

"Today?" Corrie stuttered. "You decided all of this today?"

"No, Corrie, not today. My heart decided for me long ago, and since your engagement ended, I've planned to tell you how I feel, but then I was afraid I had imagined your feelings and I...I wondered if I would be happier loving you from afar than being rejected up close. I had no hope." He sighed.

"What changed today?" Corrie asked, recognizing the great amount of courage it must have taken him to prostrate himself before her and subject himself to her potential rejection.

"Then I was walking through the practice, and even though Hannah and all of the soldiers were still there, it felt empty. I realized that you've become a constant in my life, and it felt so empty without your quiet presence. I knew that if there was an inkling of a chance, like the poem you wrote led me to believe, I had to try."

"I'm sorry, I..." Corrie didn't know how to verbalize her feelings. "I'm sorry I was so afraid. I was afraid you wouldn't want me because of my reputation, and I didn't want my ignominy to fall on you and Hannah. And...I was afraid I wouldn't, couldn't, share myself with Christina and Jack and my parents and you and still be able to build some semblance of a life for myself, and..."
Alex hushed her by reaching a thumb up to touch her lips, silencing her and sending shockwaves through her. "We can't have it all, but I swear we can try."

It seemed so luxurious to imagine a life beyond her poor existence in New York, living in a closet sized apartment and spending every day either in classes, studying, or working as a typist until her fingers felt as if they would break. This luxury, however, was not the materialism of her father or Edwin's dandified lifestyle; she and Alex would never be wealthy, but if they could love those they cared about, pursue their dreams, and be together, they would be the richest in the world.

"Are you done yet?" The voice broke into their snowglobe again and Corrie recognized Hannah's teasing tone.

"How did Hannah manage to come along?"

Alex grinned. "As soon as she heard what I was planning, she insisted I needed her help. Your mother agreed to watch the practice in our absence and we set off at once. She spent the entire ride coaching me on what to say, making me more nervous than I already was."

"And did you heed her advice?"

"Not a word of it," he said with a grin, taking her arm and guiding them towards the house.

The cold that had only moments ago felt as if it would transform Corrie into a statue of ice now seemed to dissipate around them as Dr. Benjamin wrapped his jacket more closely around Corrie and kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked back towards the beachside house.

"I can't believe this is happening," Corrie breathed. "It seems too good to be true. I...I've been fighting it for so long..."

"Why? It would have made it much less stressful for me if you hadn't," Alex teased.

"Well, first there was Edwin. I couldn't betray his trust, but I also couldn't help what I felt. And then, well, fear, I suppose. I didn't think anyone of your standing and integrity would deign to consider Edwin's leftovers."

Corrie's insecurity sounded ludicrous in light of Alex's confession, but such discrepancies in reputation were known to scare off men nearly as good as he. Alex, however, had the insight and desire to see through society's censure.

Alex allowed quiet to rest between them for a few minutes, and then whispered, "Do you think we should invite Edwin to the wedding? Without him, we wouldn't be here today."

"Or perhaps we would have gotten here much sooner." Corrie elbowed him and laughed as they reached the back door of the home. Opening the door, they were showered in grains of rice and the shouts of their friends.

"Congratulations!"

Hope was blooming inside of Corrie, but instead of starving it, this time she let it blossom into happiness.

~~~~~

Just when you thought Dr. B couldn't get any better, he does! There's one final chapter remaining in Sharing Corrie, and then this story will officially come to a close. But don't worry, this isn't the last we'll hear from our friends in Irvington :)

~ Hannah