One Night ✔

53. About Damn Time

Christmas morning feels different this year and I don't know if it's because of the man at my side or the babies growing inside my belly.

At twenty-four weeks I was already as big as I was at the time of my delivery with Avery and still growing larger. I felt like a whale but this morning was too joyous to ruin.

"Here you go. From us" Lucas grins, handing Avery her present. She's epically excited, thinking that we've given into her request for plane tickets...until she opens it. She stares down at the sunscreen bottle, swallowing harshly as she looks up at us both.

"Sunscreen!" She exclaims, feigning excitement. "Wow. Thanks." She reaches up to wipe a tear before it has a chance to fall and admittedly it's too sad to let go on another moment.

"Honey. Open the bottle" I instruct, leaning into Lucas. She sniffles, furrowing her eyebrows as she gives the bottle a shake and hears an unusual noise.

Quickly, she rips the top off the bottle and shakes the contents onto the floor, shrieking when the boarding pass falls out onto the carpet. "Oh my god" she exclaims, scrambling to pick it up. "I'm going to Florida!"

"Only for a few days. We were able to come to an agreement with his family to let you stay the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of his birthday week but that's the best we could do."

She shakes her head, throwing her arms around us both. "I don't care how long it is. Thank you both so much."

We hug her back before the embrace is broken and Avery start drowning on about all the fun things they're going to do while she's there. "Well, that was fun" I mutter, turning my head to look up at Lucas. "Sorry I didn't get you anything."

"Riles, you've given me everything" he argues, pecking my lips.

"Um, what is this?" Avery asks, interrupting our kiss by holding up a small wrapped box. She reads the gift tag. "It says it's for you, mom." I glance back at Lucas.

"Did you get me something?"

"Maybe." He shrugs. My eyes widen and I slap him on the chest.

"You weren't supposed to get me anything" I insist as Avery puts the gift in my hands. "Honestly Luke, what am I going to do wit-?" My question dies on my lips as I open the gift and stare down at a black velvet ring box. "Oh my god."

"Riley." I turn away from the box and Lucas is kneeling on the living room floor.

"Oh my god" I repeat as he carefully plucks the box from my hands.

"Riley Eleanor Matthews, I have loved you since you fell into my lap on the subway when we were twelve years old and I can honestly say that in the years since I have only fallen deeper.

We may have made some immature decisions when we were young but I'm positive that everything happens for a reason and the reason we needed time apart was so that we could be stronger together.

Riley, I love you. And I want to tell you that every single minute of the rest of our lives. So, will you marry me?" He asks, pushing open the box to reveal the ring inside, a dark orange colored stone situated on a diamond studded band.

If I weren't already crying then the ring would've certainly gotten me with it's maple leaf coloring. "Oh my god" I repeat a third time, wiping at my eyes and holding my hand out shakily. "Yes" I answer finally.

"Yea?" He asks, disbelief laced through his voice.

"Yes" I repeat confidently as he finally starts sliding the ring onto my finger. I marvel at it for a millisecond before leaning in to crash my lips onto his and finally, everything feels like it's falling right into place.

~ 🌌 ~

"So, do I tell Maya now or wait for her to come over?" I ask, staring at the shimmering diamond on my finger and marvelling at the way it catches the light. I never considered myself a materialistic person but you could tell how much effort Lucas had put into it and I was obsessed with looking at it.

"Tell her tonight. Just make sure you tell her before you make some big announcement because she'll be upset if she's just part of some group surprise" Avery advises, making a good point.

"When do you think I should tell your grandparents?" I ask, already dreading that conversation. It hurt to know that Lucas didn't get my father's blessing but I couldn't blame him; my dad wasn't exactly his biggest fan.

"What do you mean? Where do you think dad went yesterday?" My eyes widen at her implication. She couldn't possibly mean that-. "Mom" she laughs, "dad asked grandpa for his blessing yesterday and he got it. He wouldn't have asked without it."

I can't tell if it's my hormones or shock that makes tears well in my eyes. "H-he did what?"

"Yea. So, they already know. Well, not that he popped the question today but they know he planned to do it."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say" Lucas beams, taking a seat beside me. "Your dad just doesn't trust me. I left you once and that makes him think I'd do it again. But we've come to an understanding that as long as I'm committed to us, we have his blessing."

"Who is he? And what is he blessing?" A voice asks from above us and I look up, shocked to find my best friend with a baby on her hip, staring down at his.

"Maya" I exclaim, hastily wiping the tears from my cheeks. "Is it three o'clock already?"

She laughs, readjusting the diaper bag on her shoulder. "Um no. Have I ever been here right on time? I arrive fashionably early. Now, what were you and Huckleberry talking about?" She asks. I look over my shoulder for my fiancè's help in answering her question but he's disappeared along with our daughter.

"Oh um." I stutter, running my fingers through my hair as my uncle walks into the room.

"Woah" he comments. "Nice rock." I realize then that my ring is resting comfortably on my finger and Maya does too, zeroing in on it with her eyes.

"Holy. Shit." She hands Cody off to Josh and rushes towards me. "He proposed!" She shrieks, grabbing my hand and analyzing the ring. Her eyes find mine then, glossed over with unshed tears. "You're engaged. To fucking Ranger Rick."

"Yea" I cry, biting my lip. "What do you think?"

"I think that it is about damn time" she replies, pulling me in for a hug. "Congrats honey. I'm so, so happy for you."

"I am too" Josh interjects making us laugh as we pull apart. "In case you actually cared about my opinion."

"Of course I care" I smile at my uncle before turning back to Maya. "And uh the blessing we were talking about was my dad's. He gave Lucas his blessing to ask for my hand yesterday."

Maya's eyes soften and a knowing smile tugs at her lips "I knew Matthews would come around."

"Yea. Well, you're all caught up now. So-."

"No, Hayden" Avery laughs, talking on the phone as she walks by us. "We cannot share a room while I'm there."

Maya raises an eyebrow at me and I chuckle. "Okay, maybe you're not completely caught up."