Watermelon

Last Minute

Camila woke up to the sunshine peering through the sheer curtains in her and Shawn's bedroom. She turned to face him only to be greeted with a sleeping Maggie in the spot where he usually slept. Her curls were messy and her arms were stretched out to her sides. Camila smiled at the young girl before spotting a note on the nightstand. She reached over and grabbed it, her eyes scanning over the words scribbled by her boyfriend as her brows pinched together in confusion.

Good morning baby! I kinda made a last minute impromptu decision to do something that I'll tell you all about as soon as I get home (late tonight - technically tomorrow morning). You'll love it. I promise. Text or call me whenever you want — just know that I'm not giving you any hints. PS: I tried not to wake Maggie up when I left but it didn't work. She wanted to snuggle. I figured you wouldn't mind. :) I love you more than anything. See you soon! -Shawn

"What's your daddy up to, hm?" Camila whispered as she looked at the sleepy toddler next to her. She little girl just sniffled and repositioned herself, laying in a way that Camila thought for sure couldn't be comfortable but Maggie seemed happy so who was she to judge.

Meanwhile, Shawn was on an airplane for the second time that week. Camila had assured him countless times since they had decided to get married that it wasn't necessary for him to ask her parents for her hand in marriage in person but he still felt weird about doing it over FaceTime. After all, they had only met him once. He didn't want them to think that earning their respect wasn't important to him — it was. Which is why he had made the last minute decision to buy the first ticket to Miami he could book so he could ask them properly.

Was he nervous? Yes. Was it risky? Maybe.

But Camila's parents seemed like wonderful people. And although they might be shocked by Shawn showing up at their front door asking to marry their daughter, he had a feeling it would mean a lot to them.

When he landed in Miami, he had a text from Camila with only a simple emoji.

C: 🤨

He couldn't help but laugh. Imagining her confusion when she woke up made him smile; she always looked so cute when she was puzzled about something. Her eyebrows would scrunch together and she'd wrinkle up her nose, her lips pursing together in thought.

S: ...yes?

C: Gimme a hint

S: No! LOL I already told you I wasn't gonna give you any hints

C: Can you at least tell me when you think you'll be home?

S: It'll be late...probably like 2 am

C: I'm so confused

S: I know. It'll make sense soon - promise. 🤍

Showing up at Camila's parents' house unannounced was a risk. There was a chance they wouldn't even be home. Or maybe they'd be upset that he didn't give them any warning that he'd be there. There was only one way to find out. He took a deep breath where he stood on their front porch before lifting his hand and finally ringing their doorbell. The door opened to reveal Camila's little sister, Sofi, standing there with a blank expression on her face.

"Hey Sofi!" The teenage girl squinted suspiciously at Shawn before looking behind him for Camila. "She's not here," he told her. "It's just me."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you and your parents about something."

"Ever heard of phone calls?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "I just felt like this was something to discuss in person." Sofi still didn't look convinced. "Can I come in?"