Stranger

08 | True Happiness

My bony knuckles thumped against the old wooden door; my little suitcase stood behind me as I waited. A few moments passed before the door knob turned and the door slowly opened. My father stood before me, he didn't look as ragged as he used to. He eyed up my suitcase with slight confusion.

"I had an argument with my mother," I began, "and I found out everything. I found the restraining orders against you. She was angry at first but the guilt seemed to show through." I paused. "Actually, it was probably not guilt, it was her losing the control and her facade, as well as her daughter."

My father stared at me, a slight smile was visible.

"I know it's a bit out of the blue, but can I live with you for a bit?" I asked.

He nodded hard before I could even finish my sentence. "You can live here for as long as you want!" He replied with an overly enthusiastic voice. His arms opened wide, inviting me for a hug and I quickly threw myself into his arms, taking in his scent and feeling his clothes.

I felt like I was home... truly home.

6 Months Later

I was lying on my stomach on my bed, browsing the internet on my phone, when I heard my father call from downstairs.

"Mya! Could you come downstairs?!"

The only time my father called me was for food, but we'd already had food so I couldn't imagine what he wanted. I ran down the stairs, nearly slipping on the last step. My father was waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the dark, only the landing light illuminated his face and he was struggling to contain a smile. What the hell was going on?

He didn't say anything to me, he simply turned his body 180 degrees and gestured towards the front door. Okay, this is weird. I followed his elegantly poised direction and cautiously opened the front door. It was quite dark outside, but I immediately noticed a gentle orange glow on the porch. I opened the door further to see a line of candle lights lead down the porch steps, and then lead around the side of the house.

I turned my head to face my father, who simply flicked both his hands forward, gesturing that I move and follow the candles. So I did. The candles lit up the porch so beautifully and quietly, everything was gently lit with soft waves of orange light.Was this all for me? No-one had ever done something like this for me.

As I turned around the corner of the house, still following the candles, they started to spread out into the shape of a heart. Just beyond the heart, something was glistening from the candle and moon light. My eyes adjusted and that's when a figure appeared from the darkness. 

Ryan was down on one knee, the glistening was coming from a diamond ring that he was holding. Behind him, there were a bunch of heart balloons, swaying daintily in the evening air. The candle light faintly showed the words "I love you" written on one of the balloons. Tears shot into my eyes as I processed what was happening. A glint of light shone from Ryan's eyes - he was getting emotional too.

I walked into the middle of the candle heart and Ryan took my hand, whilst trying to hold back the tears.

"Mya. We've been through so much and it's showed me just how strong you are. No matter what comes your way, you make it through and you still manage to put up with me." We both chortled. "Every day, I think about how lucky I am to have you in my life. I know for sure that I want you to be in every day of my life, until the day I die."

He started to fidget, like he was bracing himself for what was to come.

"Mya, will you do me the honour of marrying me and making me the happiest man on this earth?" His voice fluttered.

Intense happiness overthrew my body. I trembled with shock and hysteria. It all felt like a dream. I had never felt so much love for one person before. My love for him seemed to triple in that one moment.

I whimpered with jubilation and managed to pronounce the word, "yes!" I cupped my face as I began crying with overwhelming joy. Ryan got up and wrapped his arms around me, before holding my left hand and sliding on the most dazzling diamond ring on my ring finger. It fitted perfectly.

We hugged again and I uttered, "I love you" into his jacket.

"I love you too, even though you made me wait out here on one knee in the cold for ages!" I playfully slapped his arm and he produced that handsome devilish grin before pulling me in close and giving me the tenderest of kisses.

Life couldn't get more perfect.