Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

I had known Bennett for precisely one year; we were going to celebrate with reading a book outside by the heater tonight; he had started dressing more typical for a kid his age, but reading was still his number one hobby, and I couldn't fault him for that. He was the most brilliant, amazing little boy I had ever met, and I had fallen in love with him just like I had with Liam. I couldn't imagine a life without either of them in it.

"Liam.... Where are you taking me?" I yelped out when Liam had thrown me over his shoulder and waited for the elevator to open up on our level. Everyone had cleared out of the top floor for the night, and we were the only three left. Bennett was standing beside him with a smirk on his face, and I knew he was his partner in crime.

FlyLeaf Publishing was one of Bennett's favorite places to be after school; he had so many questions to ask and enough people to ask them. We were the place that made "books come to live," as he had said so many times to me. I knew he didn't believe in magic, but Fly Leaf Publishing was the most magical place to him if he did. 

"Liam... Are we there yet?" I asked. He had blindfolded me, and I had no clue where we were going.

"Almost. Did anyone ever tell you patience is a virtue?" And he sounded like Bennett. 

"Just one person," I said back to him. We had multiple fights throughout the year, but we were no longer mad at the other one every night before we went to bed.

"Are you ready?" Liam asked after the car had been put into park.

"I think so?" I said, trying to get the blindfold off; he slapped my hand away and got out of the car. He helped me out of the car; we took ten steps when he untied it.

We were standing outside of my childhood house.

"This is..."

"I know," Liam said, smiling at me. Tears were forming already. I hadn't been back since the funeral of my mothers. I had driven away from this road every time I had a chance. Last I knew, Wanda sold the house to some Irish Farmer, and I never asked her about it again after she mentioned it.

"It's your baby," Liam said, opening the front door for me, Bennett following us in.

"It's ours," I said, stepping through the front door, so many emotions hitting me at once. The wood was still warped from where my mother had sat in the living room, the rain falling into the living room. The stairs still squeaked each step you took to the top, and it was still a hundred degrees in there with no air conditioning. We had made it through the house when I led Liam and Bennett to the backyard. The hammock my mom and I would lay in looking up at the stars was still there. It had seen better days, but it was still there.

I turned to find Liam staring at me; he grabbed me in his arms.

"Vinessa Beatrice Dempsey, I have known since day one there was something special about you. You have struck me with whatever magic in that body of yours you have. You have completely bewitched me, and I would not want it any other way" he tucked one of my curls behind my ear; it had become one of my favorite things he did. "I want to have more children with you and grow old with you. I want to build you our dream house and raise them right here. As long as you will marry me...." He said as he and Bennett both got down on one knee, their ever-so-hazel eyes staring up at me.

"Yes," I said, kissing Liam and then embracing Bennett into the biggest hug he had ever received. "A million times, yes."