The Student Teacher Affair

58: The surprise

Joshua's pov

It had been a few months since Mercy, Nathaniel, and I had moved in together, and life felt... complete. The kind of complete that people spend their whole lives looking for. Every day was a small adventure in its own right,some days filled with laughter, others with the everyday joys of family life. Today was no different.

The morning sun filtered through the curtains of our bedroom, casting a warm glow over the space. I stirred awake, feeling Mercy beside me, her breathing soft and steady. I smiled to myself, careful not to wake her just yet. These moments quiet and still had become some of my favorites.

But it wasn’t long before Nathaniel bounded into the room, his usual burst of energy lighting up the start of the day.

“Daddy! Mommy!” he called out, climbing onto the bed between us, shaking the two of us awake.

Mercy groaned, her arm lazily wrapping around our son as she blinked her eyes open. “Morning, sweetheart,” she murmured, kissing Nathaniel’s forehead.

“Morning, kiddo,” I added, ruffling his hair. “Ready for school?”

Nathaniel’s eyes lit up, even though we both knew he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of school. “I’m ready! Can you drop me off today, Daddy?”

I glanced over at Mercy, who was already sitting up, stretching. “I think I can manage that,” I replied with a grin.

Mercy leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thanks, babe. I have a busy morning ahead, so you dropping him off would save me a ton of time.”

“No problem,” I said, leaning into her for a proper kiss, s our lips parted, I whispered, “I’ll miss you.”

She smiled, her eyes twinkling in the early morning light. “I’ll miss you more.”

Nathaniel made a face between us, pulling away with exaggerated disgust. “Eww, gross!”

We both laughed, and “Someday, you’ll appreciate this,” I teased.

The rest of the morning was the usual organized chaos,getting Nathaniel dressed, breakfast made, and lunch packed. After I helped Nathaniel into his jacket, we said our goodbyes. Mercy stood by the door, looking radiant even with minimal effort, as if motherhood and love had given her an effortless glow.

“Love you,” I said, pressing another quick kiss to her lips. “Have a great day.”

“You too, Joshua. Drive safe.”

Nathaniel waved as we headed out the door, and I gave Mercy one last glance before heading to the car.

Later that day, I found myself at the studio, the familiar hum of creativity buzzing around me. Photography had become more than just a job; it was a passion, a way for me to express everything that sometimes words couldn’t. As I reviewed a few shots from a recent shoot, the door to my office creaked open, and in walked Richard, one of my oldest and closest friends.

“Man, you look like you’ve settled into family life pretty well,” Richard greeted with a grin, crossing the room to clap me on the back.

I laughed, standing to greet him. “Well, it’s been good. Busy, but good.”

Richard took a seat, looking around the studio with a knowing smile. “Busy’s good. Keeps you on your toes. But how are things with Mercy?”

At the mention of her name, my face lit up. “She’s amazing. We’re amazing.”

Richard raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye. “That smile says there’s more to the story.”

I leaned back in my chair, unable to hide the grin that crept up my face. “There is more to the story.”

Richard leaned in, intrigued. “Go on then. Spill.”

I hesitated for a moment, but then I reached into the drawer of my desk, pulling out a small velvet box. When I opened it, the diamond ring inside sparkled, catching the light perfectly.

Richard’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, Josh. Is that what I think it is?”

I nodded, feeling a rush of excitement as I looked at the ring again. “Yeah. I bought it recently. I’m ready to propose to Mercy.”

Richard let out a low whistle. “You’re really doing this, huh?”

“It’s going to be the best decision I’ve ever made,” I said confidently, closing the box and placing it back in the drawer. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Mercy’s the one, Richard. She’s always been the one.”

Richard smiled, shaking his head in admiration. “You and Mercy have been through so much. You deserve to be happy, man. Both of you.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I replied, my mind already spinning with how I’d pull this off. “I want it to be special, though. Something just for her.”

Richard chuckled. “Knowing you, it’ll be nothing short of perfect.”

The next day, I found a quiet moment to send a message to Gracie. I knew how important this proposal would be to her, too. After a few minutes of texting back and forth, we set up a video call.

Gracie’s face popped up on my screen, excitement practically radiating from her. “Joshua, what’s up? This is a surprise!”

I smiled. “Hey, Gracie. I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”

She raised an eyebrow. “This sounds serious. Spill.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the nervous energy bubble up inside me. “I’m planning to propose to Mercy.”

Gracie’s eyes went wide, and then she squealed. “Are you serious?! Oh my God, Joshua! This is amazing!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I want to give her the best proposal ever. Something that’s really meaningful, you know? But private. She’s never been one for big public gestures.”

Gracie nodded, her excitement still buzzing. “You know my friend so well. She’s going to love that. A private proposal is exactly what she’d want.”

We brainstormed ideas for a while, tossing around different ways to make the moment special. Gracie had some incredible suggestions, and the more we talked, the more I could envision it all coming together.

“You know what?” Gracie said, her eyes lighting up. “I’ll come to Belgium to help you plan. I can’t miss this!”

I hesitated. “Gracie, you don’t have to do that. You just visited a few months ago.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I don’t mind. Besides, this is Mercy we’re talking about. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

I smiled, grateful for her enthusiasm. “Alright, if you’re sure. It’ll be good to have your help. I want everything to be perfect.”

Gracie beamed. “It will be, Joshua. Trust me. Mercy’s going to be over the moon.”

As we wrapped up our conversation, I couldn’t help but feel the excitement build inside me. Proposing to Mercy felt like the next natural step, and with Gracie’s help, I knew it would be a moment neither of us would ever forget.

After hanging up, I sat back, thinking about the life Mercy and I had built together. We had gone through so much,fought, struggled, and found our way back to each other. Now, we were stronger than ever, and this proposal felt like the culmination of everything we’d been through.

I was ready. Ready to make Mercy my forever.

As I closed my eyes and pictured the moment, I couldn’t wait to see her face when I finally asked her to be my wife.