A few days after Zac's magical proposal at the Eiffel Tower, we found ourselves back in LA, where the buzz of daily life resumed—but everything felt different. We were engaged now, and that changed everything. After a few hours of settling in, I couldn't wait any longer. I had to tell Lena. With a smile, I grabbed my phone and opened a video call.
When the screen connected, I wasted no time. Without saying a word, I held my hand with the sparkling engagement ring right in front of the camera, grinning like an idiot.
Lena's reaction was instant. Her eyes widened before she let out an excited, high-pitched scream. "OH MY GOD, NORA! NO WAY! Is that...? Did he...? Oh my God, you're engaged!" she squealed, practically bouncing in her seat with joy.
"Yes!" I replied, laughing at her enthusiasm. "He proposed in Paris. It was perfect. He did it at the Eiffel Tower!"
She clutched her heart dramatically. "That's like something out of a dream, seriously! I can't believe it!" Then her tone shifted to business mode. "Okay, girl, listen up. I'm coming to LA next week. We're planning this wedding, and I'm bringing the wedding album we made a couple of years ago. You know, the one with all our dream ideas."
"I can't wait," I said, my heart bursting with happiness. We chatted for a few more minutes about the proposal, Zac's sweetness, and our plans for the wedding before hanging up.
After the call with Lena, Zac and I decided it was time to tell the rest of his family. We called Dylan on video next. The moment the screen connected, Zac said, "Dyl, guess what?"
Dylan raised an eyebrow, already suspicious of our big grins. "What's going on, guys?"
I couldn't hold it in, so I shoved my left hand into the frame, the ring sparkling under the light.
Dylan's face lit up with a huge smile. "No way! You guys are engaged! That's awesome!" he said, genuinely happy for us. "Zac, bro, I'm proud of you. Nora, welcome to the family for real now."
"Thanks, Dylan," I said, feeling a warm sense of belonging.
We chatted a bit more, with Dylan making jokes about being the best man and throwing Zac a wild bachelor party, before we hung up.
Next, we called Zac's mom, Starla. As soon as she appeared on the screen, Zac wasted no time. "Hey, Mom, we've got some news," he said with a cheeky smile.
Starla tilted her head. "What's going on?" she asked, curious.
I brought my hand up to the screen, showing her the ring. Her eyes filled with tears almost immediately. "Oh my goodness, you're engaged! Zac, Nora, congratulations!" She beamed at us. "I knew this day was coming, but it's still so special to see."
"Thanks, Mom," Zac said, his voice warm.
"Nora, I officially welcome you to the Efron family," Starla added, making me feel even more emotional. "You're already like a daughter to me, but now it's official."
"That means the world to me," I replied, grateful for the love and acceptance.
After a few more heartfelt exchanges, we said goodbye, and Zac then dialed his dad, David, and his younger siblings, Olivia and Henry.
When they answered, Zac gave them the same news. Olivia, her wide eyes full of excitement, practically squealed, "I'm so happy to have you as my big sister, Nora!"
Henry nodded in agreement, a grin spreading across his face. "Congrats, guys! That's amazing."
David added, "We're all so happy for you. You two are perfect for each other."
The warmth and love from Zac's family only deepened the joy I felt about marrying into this wonderful group of people.
In the days that followed, Lena arrived as promised, and we threw ourselves into wedding planning. Every detail seemed to matter more than ever, from the venue to the flowers to the dress.
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More than a Crush
Romance"More than a Crush" tells the story of Nora, a 26-year-old Franco-Moroccan actress and playwright living in Paris, who has idolized Zac Efron for twenty years. Determined to make her mark, she creates a tribute show featuring scenes from Zac's films...
