Ben Simmons: When Two Worlds Become One

VDAY

I still couldn't wrap my head around the notion that I am married to Ben. I'm still waiting for someone to wake me up and laugh at the stress this nightmare caused. That has yet to happen, but I'm not giving up hope. 

Ben knocked on the door to the bedroom we are currently sharing. Easton just finished eating so I walked over and carefully placed him in his bassinet. "Happy Valentine's Day," Ben told me as he came in and handed me a bouquet of light pink roses (my favorite). Ben has been doing everything possible to make the best of the situation. He cooks breakfast every morning, lets me pick what we watch on television, asks about my day, gives me massages, the whole nine yards. He's basically my husband - oh wait. 

I couldn't help but smile as I smelled the roses. I am a sucker for flowers. Don't buy me a teddy bear or chocolate or perfume, buy me flowers or lingerie, or both. "Thank you, they're perfect." 

He stood in the room awkwardly. We are both still adjusting to the situation and trying to find a balance we're both comfortable with. "Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" He finally suggested, with a hopeful tone. Nervousness flickered inside my body. All the signs point to no, but I found the words 'yes' coming out of my mouth. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. I've never been able to say no. 

He smiled, slightly, and nodded. "I have to go workout with the team, but we can leave around seven?" Now, I shyly nodded. He turned around and left.

Our parents still didn't know we are married. No one did, actually. We sat down and had a long talk about how to possibly make this work. After much back and forth, both of us agreed that we first need to learn how to be married. As odd as that sounds, you must remember we haven't been a couple in months. Now suddenly, we're married. I hate keeping the secret from my friends and family, but right now, there's no way we can possibly explain the situation. They are under the assumption I extended the trip because I saw how much Ben missed Easton and wanted to give them time to build their relationship. 

The day passed considerably slow. I mainly took care of emails from my father, who is worried I will not be able to assume my new role with the Cowboys. Easton and I spent a few hours at the park, walking around in the brisk winter air. He is the cutest little man in the world. He has blue eyes like me, but the most beautiful caramel skin. His hair is starting to come in, slowly. And oh, he smiles all the time. Literally, nonstop. He is the happiest little person and I can't explain how happy my heart feels whenever I see him. He is my everything. Being his mom is the best thing to ever happen to me.

Before I knew it, the door into our house opened and Ben came in, carrying flowers and a teddy bear. He showered at the facility and changed into dressy clothes. I couldn't help but smile. As much as I hate admitting it, I am still very attracted to him and he often makes me lose my breath. Easton had already been picked up by Ben's teammate (our new babysitter) and I was dressed in a gorgeous red skintight, kind of short with a low neckline, dress. He also smiled as soon as he saw me. He just stood there and stared for a few moments. "Ben?" I said after a few moments. "Oh," he said snapping out of his daze, "I'm sorry. These are um, these are for you," he said, handing me the flowers. I could tell he felt a little embarrassed. As I accepted the red roses, I placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I said, smiling, before taking the flowers to the kitchen and putting them in a vase. He set the teddy bear on the counter. That will probably end up going to Easton if we're being honest. "You look so beautiful," Ben said, unable to hold it back. I turned around and smiled, walking over and placing my hands on his hips. "You look pretty good too." Before I could react, he bent down and kissed me. I never lie to you guys, so I will be honest here. I did not stop him. His hand made it's way a little south for a moment before he picked me up and placed me on the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist and his lips found their way to my neck. I let a small moan slip, and I felt him smile. But, he wasn't the only one smiling, because I could feel him getting a little excited. My instincts said to keep going and let my hand wander, but my mind told me to stop. I pulled away from kiss. "We don't want to miss our reservation," I reminded him, hopping off the counter and grabbing my purse. I knew he was feeling very sexually frustrated. Oops. 

We ended up talking about Easton the whole way to the restaurant because he is literally our world. It's a general understanding that we avoid the serious topics for now. The focus at this point is just learning to be married, learning how to be successful together, and falling back in love. Ben pulled outside of Vernick, one of the best restaurants in the city. I've been wanting to try it ever since Ben was drafted, but we never found time. A polite young man opened my door for me at the same time Ben walked around. "Thank you," I told him while Ben handed over the keys. We walked inside, with his hand never leaving my back. "Simmons, reservation for two." Our first time just the two of us, with no place to escape, to simply talk. Oh boy.

If our three hour dinner did anything, it was just remind me why I fell in love with Ben. We talked so easily and he made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. I felt comfortable in his presence. It wasn't like the first awkward date where you scramble for conversation, it felt like going to dinner with my best friend. Since Easton was taken care of until morning, we decided to extend our night. We wandered aimlessly around the city, under the stars, talking, laughing, just enjoying each other's company - something we hadn't done in so long. To be fair, neither of knew where we were going, we just walked and walked. I stopped, however, when I realized where we ended up. Ben looked confused and turned around to see what caught my attention - a big red LOVE sign. He knew. The last time we stood in this very place was last June during our tour of Philly with the Sixers management team. We were newly engaged, completely filled with bliss. I swear we posed in front of that sign for 10 minutes just posing, kissing, and holding onto each other. We had no idea what was coming for us. I stood, still frozen. Ben walked over and did exactly what he knew I needed. He wrapped me in a warm embrace and just held me. "I love you just as much as I did that day," he whispered. I never wanted him to let me go. "Ben, promise me something." "Of course," he replied, waiting. "Promise me you'll never leave me," I said sounding so desperate. But I couldn't hide how much I needed him. 

"Never. I'm never leaving you."