Cherry

Sous Les Étoiles

Celestia

          Ramon brought everyone over and Steph, Lu, Rose, and I stayed in one room while Ethan, Luke, James, and Ramon stayed in another.

"I wonder why he's invited all of us as well," questions Steph as she zips up the rest of her dress.
"I definitely know, but I'm keeping my mouth shut." smiles Rose.
"What?" I say as I whip my head around to look at her. "He told you where he was taking us?"
"Yep, all I'm going to say is that it's far and we have to take his jet. But that's all I'm giving you. This is your surprise after all."
"Awe dammit, can't you at least tell me the place we're going? Y'all know I hate surprises. Hence why I was scared finding out that I'm growing an actual human being in my stomach." I reply as I point to my belly.
"Girl, you'll be fine, It's a cute surprise," she says.
"Yeah, it's gonna be so adorable!" perks up Lucy.
          I gasp as she places the last pin in my hair.
"Don't tell me that you're in it too,"
"I am, I had to help him with something, you're not getting anything out of me," she says as she spins me around in my chair to give my hair and makeup a once over.
"Am I the only one here that doesn't know?" I pout.
"Yep, well besides Steph of course, but she'll find out later," replies Rose.
"Y'all are so cruel to me."
"It's for your own good," Lucy laughs as she glides the makeup brush across my cheek. "Alright, all done, go put on your dress."
          I get up and go to the closet to pull out the white dress hanging in it. It was one of the whitest dresses I've probably ever worn. It has a slit on the right leg, both sides near the waist were open with a diamond-like pattern to show off my skin. There were no sleeves and the top of the dress almost looked like the ears of a cat. I take it off of the hanger and Rose helps me inside of it, zipping me up. I look at myself in the mirror and smile. Lucy comes next to me and lays her hands and head on my shoulder.
"You look absolutely breathtaking C,"
"Thank you, this dress does take my breath away," I sigh.
"You're so lucky, your man has taste in fashion." giggles Rose. "Step out with me Steph,"
          I put on my silver earrings and bracelet and the new white-collar Ramon gave me this morning. It was a simple thin collar with a silver heart in the middle.
When Steph and Rose step back into the room, Stephanie had a smile on her face from ear to ear.
"Damn, not you too," I pout again.
"No pouting, you're gonna mess up your face," says Lucy as she uses her fingers to gently lift up my cheeks.
"Okay, okay, no more pouting."

          We then hear a knock at the door.
"We're all dressed, come in," says Rose.
          James opens the door and I catch him smiling at Lucy before he enters the room.
"You all look beautiful, Ramon wants to know if you all are ready to go."
"Yeah?" questions Rose as she looks back at us to confirm.
          I nod my head as I slip on my flats and grab my purse in one hand and my heels in the other. We leave the room and follow James downstairs to the living room where the others were waiting.
          Luke whistles in approval and Stephanie giggles. Ramon walks up to me slowly and smiles at me, kissing me fondly.
"Hi, Queen,"
"Hi King," I smile back.
"You ready?"
"Always,"

__________

          Seven or so hours can make you think quite a lot. I wondered about the baby that I now had growing inside of me. I wondered about how far Ramon and I came along. And I wondered about how proud my dad would be to see his little girl all grown up.

          I look out and see the Eiffel Tower, gleaming with lights, as we fly by it.
"You brought us to Paris?" I whisper to Ramon, my head laying on his shoulder.
"I did, your mother told me that you've always wanted to come here."
"She did?" I reply, looking up at him.
"She did. And she told me every embarrassing thing that you've ever done. Including the time when you had your first period." he smiles.
"She. Did. Not." I say as my eyes go wide.
          His grin gets wider and he just nods.
"Oh, God. Kill me now," I whine and turn away from him.
          Ramon laughs and only pulls me closer to him.
"Why would she tell you that?" I shake my head.
"She got on the memory train and I couldn't stop her, plus being able to see your baby pictures was fun, you are so cute," he replies as he nuzzles his head in my neck.
"Better I wasn't there then, I would've been so embarrassed," I say, putting my face in my hands.
          He chuckles a little then turns my face to face him. He lightly kisses me and smiles down at me.
"I love you," I whisper to him as I look him in the eye.
"And I love you," he replies kissing me again.

__________

          We were staying at another place of Ramon's. I'm convinced that he has a place in every country at this point. We went out to eat and now we were on our way to Versailles, France after an afternoon in Paris. 

          It was dark out now, but all the dim lights looked like little stars that had fallen from the sky. 
"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" I ask Ramon as he takes my hand and helps me out of the car.
"Nope, you'll find out soon enough," he smiles.
          I look to my left and Lucy gives me a small wink.
"I love how easily gullible you are," she says and giggles.
"Don't tell her that!" James says and he pulls her away from me.
          Ramon wraps his arms around my waist and we walk for a few minutes in silence. As we walk, I notice that we were in a garden. A very large and spread out one at that. As the walkways came from different sides and connected in different places it looked like we were going through a maze.
"We're in the back of the Versailles Palace, my love," he whispers to me as he notices me looking at the huge architecture.
"It's so beautiful, I've only seen it in pictures-oh, what's this?" I ask as I see a string quartet playing in the middle of the garden right behind the large circle of water. My friends were already dancing together and I smile, remembering the first time we were like this.
"Another night of dancing," he replies and holds out his hands.
          I smile, placing my hands in his, and he spins me into his arms.
"Can I ask you a question?" I ask mid-dance.
"Yes,"
"Is there a reason behind all this or did you just want a lovely night out with your girl and your friends?"
"Both," he grins.
"Awe, come on, you gotta give me something baby,"
"Nope, as I said before, you'll find out soon enough,"
          I sigh and he pulls me closer and places my head on his shoulder as we move back and forth.
          The song seemed to be coming to an end and I notice that James had vanished and come of them were sitting by the bushes.

"Remember that day when I brought you a few gifts before you went to the club?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember what you guessed it was?"
"Uhh," I look up as I think back to that day. "I don't remember."
"Well, you ask for something and today, I brought it for you." he smiles. "Turn around."
     I turn and gasp at the small Maltipoo puppy in the arms of James.
"A puppy?"
"Not only a puppy," James says and gives me a wink.
          He lets the dog go and it jumps from his arms and runs over to me. I scoop it up in my arms and gently pet its head as he licks my face. It was the cutest thing ever.
"I can't believe you actually got me a puppy. What in the world could be better than this precious pup-?" I question as I turn around.

          Ramon was on one knee. With a ring box in his hand. With a beautiful ring inside of it. With a wide smile on his face. Tears start to form in my eyes and my lips start to quiver.

"Celestia, for years I have quietly watched you from afar and the biggest mistake I have ever made was not talking to you sooner. I am so glad to have met you and I am ready to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't wait to start a family with you. And I can't wait for you to be the first person I wake up to and go to sleep to. So, Celestia Hadleigh Crowe, will you marry me?"

"Yes, a million times yes!"