Hoops & Harmonies

12.

Angel sat on the edge of the bed, watching Monica as she got ready for another day. Monica's smooth voice filled the room as she hummed a tune, a warm smile playing on her lips. Every time Angel looked at her, she was reminded of how deeply she had fallen in love. Their relationship had grown stronger with every passing day, filled with laughter, trust, and the kind of love that made Angel start to think about the future in a way she never had before.

As Monica pulled on her favorite jacket, she turned to Angel and caught the thoughtful expression on her face. "You okay, babe? You look like you're a million miles away."

Angel smiled, standing up and walking over to her. "I'm good. Just thinking... about us. About the future."

Monica's smile widened as she wrapped her arms around Angel's waist. "The future, huh? What about it?"

Angel leaned in to kiss Monica softly, her heart swelling with affection. "Just how much I love you. How much I want us to keep moving forward, you know? Together."

Monica's eyes softened, and she nodded. "I feel the same way, Angel. I've never been this happy, and I'm so excited to see where life takes us."

Later that day, after Monica left for her rehearsals, Angel went to Monica's parents side of the house to talk about proposing to Monica. It wasn't that she was nervous, exactly, but this was a big step. She wanted to make sure that when she finally asked Monica to marry her, she had the support of the people who meant the most to her.

When she made it to their side of the house, Monica's parents, greeted her warmly. They had always treated Angel like family, and today was no different.

"Angel, Hey! What's up?!" Monica's step dad said, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Come on in, sit down," he added, motioning to the living room in their bedroom

Angel took a deep breath as she sat down, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. "I wanted to talk to you both about something important."

They exchanged a curious glance before Monica's mom smiled and said, "Of course, Angel. What's on your mind?"

Angel took another deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "I love Monica with all my heart. She's everything I've ever wanted, and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I want to ask her to marry me, but I wanted to make sure that I had your blessing first."

The room was silent for a moment as they absorbed her words. Then, slowly, their faces broke into wide smiles.

"Angel, we've always seen how happy you make Monica," he said, his voice full of warmth. "You have our full support. Monica is lucky to have you, and we'd be honored to welcome you into our family officially."

Monica's mom nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with emotion. "We couldn't ask for a better partner for our daughter. When the time is right, she's going to be over the moon."

Relief flooded through Angel, and she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you both. That means the world to me."

The next step on Angel's list was a little more nerve-wracking—talking to Monica's kids. She knew how much they loved their mom, and she wanted to make sure they were just as excited about the idea of her proposing as she was.

When she walked back to the kids side of the house, Romelo, Laiyah, and Rodney were hanging out in the living room near their bedrooms, engrossed in their own activities. Angel sat down with them, feeling a little nervous but determined.

"Hey, guys, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

The kids looked up, curious, and nodded. Angel took a deep breath and continued, "I've been thinking about something really important, and I wanted to get your opinion. I'm thinking about asking your mom to marry me."

For a moment, the room was silent as the kids processed what she had said. Then, as if on cue, they all broke into excited smiles.

"Are you serious?" Romelo asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Can we be in the wedding?" Rodney added, his voice full of hope.

Laiyah, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up, "Can I help you pick out the ring? Please?"

Angel laughed, feeling the tension melt away. "Of course, Laiyah. I'd love for you to help me. And you two," she added, looking at Romelo and Rodney, "will definitely be part of the wedding."

The kids cheered, and Angel felt a wave of warmth wash over her. Their excitement was infectious, and it made her even more certain that this was the right decision.

The next morning, as Angel was getting ready for the day, her phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from one of her friends, a link to a recent radio interview. The message read: You need to listen to this.

Curious, Angel clicked the link and listened as the voice of Monica's ex-husband filled the room. He was on the radio, talking about his regrets and how he wished he could get another chance with Monica.

"I made a lot of mistakes," he said, his voice dripping with what Angel knew was fake sincerity. "But if I could go back, I'd do everything differently. I just hope I get another shot to make things right."

Angel felt a surge of anger as she listened to his words. She knew he didn't deserve another chance with Monica, not after everything he'd put her through. But she also knew that Monica was strong and wouldn't let him back into her life.

Still, the interview bothered Angel. She knew she had to talk to Monica about it, to make sure that her ex-husband's words didn't get under her skin.

That evening, after dinner, Angel brought it up. "Monica, did you hear about your ex-husband's interview?"

Monica rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Yeah, I heard. He's just trying to stir things up, as usual. But I'm not worried about it. He had his chance, and he blew it. I've moved on."

Angel nodded, feeling a wave of relief. "I'm glad to hear that. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Monica smiled, reaching out to take Angel's hand. "I'm more than okay. I'm with you, and that's all that matters."

Angel squeezed her hand, feeling the love between them grow even stronger. She knew that nothing—and no one—could come between them.

As they settled in for the night, Angel's mind drifted back to her plans. She was one step closer to making Monica her fiancée, and with the support of Monica's family and the kids, she knew that when the time came, it would be perfect.