A/N: In honor of finishing the February Chelsie Challenge, and the US season finale of Downton Abbey, I've combined the remaining prompts into this little drabble. Enjoy, and HAPPY DOWNTON DAY!

"Who knows what the future may hold."

Never did she imagine what would tumble out of his mouth after she said that. She never expected him to purchase the house under both names, never foreseen a proposal, an indirect proclamation of love. Well, to say she never wanted a proposal was clearly false, and she would be lying to herself if she said otherwise. How much time has gone by? Fifteen years? Twenty? For every day of those years she thought of him; whether it was good or bad. At first it was just for silly trivial things like remembering to tell him about her Ladyship's request, or to ask about how the interviews were going for the hall boy position. But somewhere along the line her thoughts shifted, and began to involve feelings:

I hope I didn't sound too harsh.

I need to hold back my tears for his sake.

I hope he can tell how much I care for him.

And that's when she realized she was in deep, much deeper than she ever could have comprehended. With the emotions came physical "ailments" like racing heartbeat, heavy breathing, loss of focus. The rotas required multiple calculations for she lost count frequently. She walked into rooms and forgot what she came in for. She passed by his pantry when his door was open so she could take a peek at him. She was losing control to love.

During the season when he was gone, it was almost unbearable. No one would ever know it because she was so excellent at hiding it. They wrote letters to each other frequently, and sometimes she would have to stop herself from writing multiple pages. She traced her fingers on the edges of the paper, imagining him touching it. She faintly smelt his cologne each time she opened the envelope. She would even take it with her to bed so she could have something comforting to help her fall asleep. She still has each one of those letters.

And now they are standing close together, his hand covering her hand on his arm. It is so simple. His promise is so simple. It's almost like releasing your breath after holding it in from anticipation, to feel like a weight is lifted from your shoulders. She feels like she's flying in the sky atop a cloud of cotton candy, drifting away into paradise. She can't think because she is so in shock and exhilarated and happy. So very, very happy.

A/N: Thank you all so much for following along with me on this journey. I hope you've truly enjoyed each of my drabbles. And thank you to all the other writers out there including reviewers. This fandom is composed of a fantastic group of people J