Chapter 23: Yes, in Daylight

Iris's POV

The roof of my school is flat tar and gravel with a view of the elevated train, and on Saturday at ten there were fourteen kids on it.

They were the art club.

They had come for the mural.

They did not know why I had asked them to bring their paint rags and stand by the water tank.

"Ms. Bannon," said the sophomore with the paint-stained hands, "are you in trouble? Your picture's on my mom's phone."

"A little."

"Are you rich?"

"Technically."

"Then why do you still make us clean the brushes?"

"Because the brushes are dirty."

They groaned happily.

Jack came up the stairwell at ten exactly in a plain navy suit, holding a small velvet box.

Fourteen teenagers fell silent, one after another.

The kid with the headphones took them off.

"Oh my God," someone whispered.

"Is that Mr. Sorrell from the news?"

"Is he going to propose?"

"Shut up, he's going to hear you."

Jack stopped in front of me.

The wind caught his tie and flipped it over his shoulder, and he did not fix it.

"It's daylight," I said.

"I noticed."

"You can ask."

He opened the box.

"Iris Dunhill Bannon," he said, steady this time, "will you marry me?"

"Yes."

I said it before he finished the last word.

The roof exploded.

Fourteen kids screamed and clapped and one of them threw a paintbrush in the air.

He slid the ring on my finger.

It fit exactly.

It was warm from his pocket, and the stone caught the light.

"Kiss her!" the sophomore yelled.

"Kiss her!" fourteen voices yelled.

So he did.

When I could breathe again, I told them the mural could wait till Monday.

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