Little Things | An Original

24

Dalton

The week of Christmas is extremely busy, but Maeve and I make the most of it. We spend time with both of our families, and even get the chance to have night out with our friends to celebrate the holidays.

That ended in Maeve and I having to take an Uber back to my place, which also resulted in me almost forgetting the code to the building. Luckily, my neighbor was on his way out when we got there.

Let's just say that we've been having a lot of fun together over this week.

Through all of the stress of going to six or seven separate celebrations, we were still able to enjoy it as much as we should. It feels good to have someone I can spend these holidays with again.

Especially Maeve. She makes every occasion feel special, even if it's just a regular Thursday night.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and we are at my friend Link's house for a party. Link is actually married to one of Maeve's close high school friends, so both of our friend circles are here.

This New Year is going to be a big one. Paisley and Zack will be getting married in the spring. Then Jamison and Nick are tying the knot in the summer. Maeve and I also have a lot of traveling to do together, which is really exciting.

At midnight, Maeve and I share our first ever New Year's kiss. It taste like champagne and the future. We promise that it's the first of many, and my gut feeling tells me it's true.

"This is going to be our year," Maeve says. "We get to do so much together. Travel, events, everything."

"Maybe we'll move in together this year."

Maeve smiles. "Well, I will need a new roommate once Jamison gets married in August."

"Sounds good, Peach," I say.

-

April is when my sister marries my life long best friend, Zack. It might've been my favorite wedding I've ever gotten to witness. I have to admit that I couldn't help but tear up while watching them share their vows to one another, and the reception is a blast.

The past few months have been very busy, but very fun. Between my sister's wedding and all of the festivities that came with it, work, being with Maeve, and traveling a little bit (Maeve and I went to Nashville for a weekend with Reese, Dominic, Milo, and Sabrina), Maeve and I have been doing great.

Maeve's store is still doing incredible, and she's even won a couple of small business awards lately. I'm so proud of her. If there's anyone that wants her to succeed, it's me.

In May, my family takes a trip to Italy. We go every other summer for two weeks. My family has some property there, since it's where my great-grandparents used to live. My grandma and grandpa on my mom's side still own the house there, so we try to visit Italy when we can.

Maeve and I have an absolute blast on this trip. Between spending time with my family, exploring the town on our own, and simply enjoying the sunshine and the beach, I can feel us getting closer every day. I can feel our relationship grow stronger with every little thing that we do together.

There's nobody outside of my family that I've ever loved as much as I love Maeve. I have no doubts that she's the love of my life, which is why I already bought an engagement ring for her. I don't know exactly when I'll be proposing to her, but I know I'm going to make it one of the most memorable days of her life.

Right now, we're sitting outside of the house and enjoying the sun. Both Maeve and I have Italian sodas, and we're listening to the tide rolling in.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Maeve asks.

"Getting married," I say.

Maeve giggles. "Okay, Mr. Romantic."

"I just can't wait for us to get married someday. It's going to be the best."

"I know," Maeve says. "Soon we'll be living together, and then who knows what will happen."

"Do you think we should get a dog?" I ask.

"Only a hypo-allergenic one," Maeve says. "My allergy is getting more tolerable though."

"Look at us, planning our future."

"Isn't it so much fun when you know it's actually going to happen?"

"Most definitely," I say. "Especially our dog named Poppy."

"You remembered that?" Maeve asks.

"Of course, Peach," I say. "How could I forget the naming of our first born child?"

Maeve smiles again, before taking a sip of her soda. "Man, I wish America had soda like this."

"Guess we'll have to visit here more often," I say. "Just for the soda."

This makes Maeve laugh, which makes me smile. I truly could listen to her laugh all day. "I agree that we should come here more often. Both of our families have history here."

"I can't wait until we can bring our kids here someday," I say. "It's going to be so much fun, Maeve."

"We're gonna be the coolest parents ever," Maeve says. "Our kids are gonna be so well traveled."

"Oh, for sure," I say. "Maybe they'll speak Italian."

"Do you?" Maeve asks.

"A little," I say. "Enough that we could get by if just the two of us came here."

"That's so sexy," Maeve says. "Maybe that should be something we do together. Learning Italian."

"We could totally do that, baby," I say. "I mean, I already brag about how much of a genius you are. I bet you'd pick up the language pretty quickly."

Maeve smiles. "Don't count yourself out, Mr. 4.0."

I smile too. Maeve and I both got 4.0s in school. I'm completely convinced she's levels above me in terms of intelligence though, because she got perfect grades in college with a double degree. While simultaneously being the most beautiful woman on this planet, she's also extremely smart and incredibly kind.

No wonder I brag about her so much.

Italy has been such a fun trip. It's brought Maeve even closer to my family, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. We've had so much fun here.

I can't wait to see what the rest of summer brings us.