“Stand up,” he orders me, as I’m still kneeling by my mother’s side.
“Why?”
“So I can do this.”
He slides a hand into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. And then I follow in my mom’s footsteps, passing out on the grass next to her.
14
Soren
Once Sadie comes back to, we get both her and her mom out back of the house in the garden, each sitting on a chair as they sip on lemonades to try to get some sugar in their system.
“You okay?” I ask my woman, kissing her cheek gently.
“Yeah,” she says, taking the big glass in both hands.
“Good, because I can’t wait any longer to do this.”
Kneeling by her chair and pulling out the box for a second time, I pop the lid, and both Sadie and her mom gasp.
Rick looks at the ring and doesn’t say anything, which is a win in my book. Not to mention he doesn’t look as angry as he did not twenty minutes ago. I know my best friend. He’ll come around.
“Beautiful,” I begin. “My life has been one big journey. Here, there, everywhere. Here today, gone tomorrow. I’ve roamed this Earth for years without a home, only to finally realize home isn’t a place. It’s with you…by my side. I’m home now because I have you…because we’re about to have a family. Be the mother of my children, my wife, because you’re already my everything. Will you marry me?”
She nods immediately and voices a, “Yes.”
Without wasting another second I slide that diamond on her finger, signifying to the whole world that she’s mine…nobody else’s.
“Mine,” I growl into her ear before I kiss her.
“Yours,” she says.
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
Epilogue
Soren
One year later
“Next point wins,” my wife cheers, clapping our baby Silas’s hands together as she bounces him on her lap. The little guy lets out a laugh and it reminds me whether I win this basketball game against Sadie’s father or not, I’ve already won…because I’ve got her.
But I’m still a guy, a throwback, and now’s time for a little psychological warfare.
“You had me down by five points. All you needed was one bucket, but you couldn’t do it,” I say, checking the ball to Rick, who’s bent over trying to keep up with me. He checks the ball back, putting it into play. “I’m going to come back, steal this win from you just like I stole your daughter right out from under your nose.”
“Hey!” he says, rising up to protest and allowing me that split second I need to drive right past him for a thundering dunk.
“Game!” I call out. “Eleven to ten.” Quickly I move toward the sidelines where my wife and our baby boy sit. “Now how’s my perfect ten and our pride and joy?”
“We’re good, Daddy,” she says out of the side of her mouth as if Silas is saying the words. He giggles and I grab him carefully, pick him up like he’s more precious than the Hope Diamond, which he is to us.
Nothing compares to being a dad. Nothing. Okay, well maybe one thing and one thing only can top it.
Being the husband of the most amazing woman in the world. My woman, my wife, my life.