16 and Ready to Mingle || twaimz

Epilogue (Issa)

About two months have passed. Rose has applied for a local college where our new cozy apartment is and she's happily attending there.
I made a little study area for her to do all of her work there, and a filming area where we both can film out YouTube videos and edit them.
Every day we think about what to do.
I insist that we can just marry and be done with it, but Rose says sternly that she's too young to marry and she should probably finish college first.
I don't want to pressure her into anything, so I keep quiet.
I get a job at this restaurant and work there about four days a week. Since Rose has college on her shoulders, I need to keep us from going bankrupt by paying all the bills and going grocery  shopping and everything.
One night as I sit down on the couch in the living room and watch Rose work very hard on an essay, I say, "Let's go on a walk."
She looks up and says, "But this is due tomorrow."
"You need to get out from time to time," I assure her. "And sleep is just as important as studying."
She sighs and gets up, running her hands through her loose ponytail. "Fine."
I grin at her and take her hand. "You won't regret this."
We both slip on our slippers and step into the almost-night air, breathing in deeply.
"Christmas is soon," I tell Rose as she shivers in her winter coat.
"I know." She smiles and snuggles up to me as we make our way down the street.
"So there's this beach," I begin as road turns to sand underneath our feet.
"I can tell."
The wind screams in our ears as we begin to walk alongside the beach, the water almost drenching our feet, but we keep a safe distance.
"I'm turning 17 in January," Rose reminds me like I didn't know what her birthday was.
"I know. And I'm turning 21, which means you're gonna have to start yelling at me for drinking beer each night."
Rose chuckles softly. "That's true. But I'm not an adult yet, I can't boss you around, you can do whatever you want. Not me."
I scowl. "Just one more year."
She sighs. "Yup. Just one more year, and I'm an adult, and we can get married. I don't think I'm ready. And what if we break up during that time?"
I hesitate. "I don't think that's going to happen, so," I pause to reach into my pocket, feeling the ring I had saved up so many weeks for.
I pull my hand away from Rose and get down on one knee. She gasps, putting both her hands over her mouth.
"I-I-but it's too early--"
"I know," I interrupt, "that's why I'm giving you this ring, a promise that I will hold on to you for one year, and if you ever ever ever get mad at me and will want to leave me, I will take your hand and point to the ring so you will remember. For one year, I'll remind you every day that I'm holding on to you until you turn 18. I promise myself to you. Do you except my promise?"
Rose's eyes well up with tears and she begins to cry.
I get up and hug her tight.
"Of course," she cries.
We pull away and Rose says something I didn't here come out of her mouth, ever.
"I love you."
I smile softly and hug her again, whispering in her hair:
"I love you too."