The Song

Part Forty-Four

FLASHBACK CONT…

“I’m so tired,” I groaned as I got into Aston’s car. We were at the airport, home from a week in the Canary Islands. Aston had insisted on taking me on holiday, booking a last minute trip to a quiet resort in the Spanish isles.

“We’ll be home soon enough,” Aston grinned, “Nap in the car if you want.”

“Why did you drive anyways?” I asked, “You hate leaving your car at the airport.”

“Just felt like it,” he shrugged.

Rolling my eyes at him I turned and cuddled into the seat, ready for a nice half hour nap on our way home.

A bump in the road woke me up a while later, confusion on my face. “Ast where are we, this isn’t the way to the house.”

“Hmm…” he mused, turning to look at me quickly.

“Where are we?”

“Just go back to sleep.”

I stared at him for a minute, completely confused by what was going on. Instead of closing my eyes I turned my head and stared out the window. We were in a town two towns over from where we were living at the moment, and I vaguely recognized some of the places we drove past.

“Oh god…” I groaned.

“What?”

“Tell me you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

“Ast… where are you taking me?”

“Home,” he said simply, turning a corner and then another.

I kept my mouth shut as we pulled up in front of the beautiful brick house with the glass conservatory. I had no idea what Aston was up to, or what he’d done. It had been over a month since we looked at the place, and now there wasn’t a sign out front.

“Ast…”

“Come on,” he grinned, turning the car off and hoping out.

“Babe.”

“Come. On.” I said nothing as Aston literally carried me out the car, a perplexed look on my face.

He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the front door. Producing a key from his pocket he clicked it open and pulled me inside.

“Holy shit Ast,” I said, looking around. I could see some of our things in the house already, and I knew then he’d gone ahead and bought it.

“I took you away for the week so we could have someone pack up the old house and move us in here.”

“Aston!”

“You said you didn’t want to go to the trouble so I made sure you did the exact opposite and laid on a beach all week.”

“But…”

“Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and leading me through to the kitchen and up the back steps. He took me to the master bedroom at the back of the house, our big bed in the middle all made up and ready for us to sleep in.

“Who did this?”

“My Dad organized it,” Aston said, “Couple of other people were involved and the movers of course.”

“Ast…”

“I promised them a dinner party to thank them later.”

“It’s gonna have to be a pretty nice dinner party.”

“Yup,” Aston said, squeezing my hand gently.

I stared around the room. It was actually perfect, everything I’d ever want in my family home. But the thing was, we weren’t married. Or even engaged.

“What’s that face?” Aston asked.

“Just thinking.”

“Tell me,” he prompted.

“I told you I didn’t want to do this until we were engaged.”

“Oh yeah.”

“But you went ahead and did it anyways,” I frowned.

“Are you mad?”

“How can I be mad?” I asked, “This place is perfect. Everything about it. I just wished you’d listened to me.”

“Sorry babe,” Aston said, “How about I show you around more?” he added, changing the subject. His behavior was still making me suspicious, but I couldn’t help but nod my head at him.

I followed him out of the room and peeked in the other bedrooms, and then we went down to the finished basement to have a look.

“There’s a lot of empty space,” Aston said, “I figured we could fill it together. And do the decorations.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t be sarcastic with me!” Aston laughed, a cheeky smile on his face.

“Well I didn’t actually know I was moving…”

“Conservatory?” he asked, cutting me off before I could chastise him again.

“Go on...”

We walked to the back of the house, the pretty glass door with the shades meeting us. “Hang on,” Aston said as he opened the door. I watched as he leant down near the door and did something, fairy lights glimmering as he stood up.

“Oh Ast…”

“Have a look,” he said, taking a step back.

I walked into the beautiful room, the fairy lights putting a smile on my face. I took in the beauty of the room again, the glass walls with ivy along them, and my gorgeous old piano right in the middle of the room looking regal and perfect.

And then I saw it…

“Aston!”

“Go look,” he whispered, coming up behind me and touching my back gently.

I walked over to the bench of the piano, picking up the velvet box. “Ast…” I breathed out again.

I felt him grab my elbow from behind, twisting me around and taking the box. “Jess…” he grinned, dropping down to one knee in front of me.

“Ast…”

“I know it’s hard to believe in love at first sight, but the second I saw you sitting at that piano I knew. I knew that you were the one. The last year and a half have been the best of my life, and when you said you needed that guarantee I knew it was time. I love you with all my heart and I want to live with you in this amazing house, as my wife. Jessica Rego… will you marry me?”

I nodded my head quickly as he slid the ring up the third finger on my left hand, jumping up and pressing his lips against mine in a hard kiss.

“Yes I’ll marry you Ast… Yes, yes, yes!!!”

He kissed me again, his hands around me tightly as we stood in the conservatory of our new house. Just like a fairytale.

“I can’t believe you bought this place,” I laughed as he finally pulled away, his fingers linking with mine as they played with the ring.

“I had to!” Aston laughed, “This is our home.”

“It really is,” I grinned.

“Love at first sight times two.”

“Seriously,” I grinned, leaning forward and kissing him again.

I wandered round the house with Aston for another half hour, taking everything in. It really was a beautiful house, and now that we were actually engaged I felt myself calm down a little bit about the fact he’d bought it behind my back.

“I love you Jess,” Aston grinned again as we sat side by side at the piano later that night, my fingers picking at the keys lightly as we chatted quietly. We did it a lot, just sitting there with the piano. Just how we'd started.

“Love you too… fiancée.”