So This Is Love?

EPILOGUE

Song is "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova 

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You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear - Oscar Wilde 

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EPILOGUE ~ Zach's POV

10 years today. Exactly 10. No more, no less. We lost Em ten years ago and yet the pain still consumes me. I think I'm doing okay but then tears fill my eyes, I try to hold it in but they fall. No matter how hard I try, they always fall. The idea that I could be happy on this day wasn't even possible a couple years ago. But like most things in life, we stand corrected. I remember it like it was yesterday. The event that started it all and leads me to happiness.

"Brooke, baby, I always knew you were the one for me. I could tell from the moment I met you that we had this connection, it was unexplainable. I felt this pull towards you from the very beginning, so much so, that I've always wanted to be around you 24/7. I could buy you roses and the finest jewellery but it would never be enough. Besides, how could I give you those things when you deserved so much more than that, you deserve the world. But since I can't give you the world Brooke, all I can do is give you my world."

She starts to cry and I feel myself fight tears of joy. This gorgeous woman could soon be my wife and that thought alone just makes me so thankful.

"Is it selfish of me to say that I want more. I want to wake up next to you every morning and hear the tiny pitter-patter of tiny feet running down the hallway to us. I want nothing more than to know that you are mine and I can hold you, kiss you, laugh with you and just be with you all the time. I made a promise at Reece and Paisley's wedding. I promised that you would be a part of my family soon. And Brooke, I don't intend on breaking that promise. I want to marry you, but only if you want it too. So, Brooke, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she exclaims as she jumps up and into my arms, kissing me over and over again.

"I love you so much, baby."

"Yes, Yes, Yes!" she says with excitement in her voice.

"I mean it, Brooke, you're my everything."

"And you're my world. I love you more than I could ever explain," she whispers to me, making the moment feel so real, so magical.

I knew since I was young that Brooke was the one for me, she was something that I had never expected but aren't the unexpected things always the best? Like 1 year after our wedding. The birth of our beautiful girl, Emma. We didn't expect it at first but neither of us could be happier. And today we will be celebrating her 1st birthday.

We must've fallen asleep together last night after watching a movie. We watched Sleeping Beauty with our little girl. As soon as the movie finished I carried her up to her cot and put her to sleep, leaving Brooke on the couch. Once I had finished reading her a bedtime story I quietly left her room and went back downstairs to Brooke. She wasn't yet asleep but her eyes were getting heavy, soon to be consumed by sleep.

"Baby, let's go to bed," I said but she just shook her head.

"But I'm comfortable here," she said whilst yanking my arm to pull me down onto the couch too.

"Okay, we can stay here," I gave in and pulled her close to me.

The sound of tiny footsteps woke us up. I open my eyes to see Brooke's head resting on my chest and I smile. She's all mine and for that, I'm so lucky.