How My World Changed Forever...Again

The Proposal

Erik's POV
     "So do I finally get to find out why we're here?" Colleen asks adorably impatient.
     "Hmm, I hadn't thought about that.  I suppose so, if you really want to," I say sarcastically.
     She grabs a pillow and throws it at me jokingly.
     We get ready, falling over each other in the small hotel bathroom.  It's beautiful, but small.  Colleen is wearing a casual romper and her hair in big curls falling over her shoulder.  And her little pregnant belly tops off the look.  She looks so gorgeous.
     I lead her to the car I rented for our time in Canada, making her wear a blindfold.
I have put so much into this, just to make one little moment seem special. I just hope she likes it.
As we pull up to a place that is all too familiar for me, I meet Colleen at her side of the car and help her out. I walk her to the middle of the yard and pull off the blindfold carefully. Her hands fly over her mouth as I drop to one knee, all in the yard of the Haters Back Off house.

Colleen's POV
     "This is where it all started.  And ended.  But that was just one chapter.  So many have followed and so many more are to come.
     Our love story isn't typical.  I can't tell you I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you.  I did see a beautiful girl out to make a name for herself.  I knew from that first day that I cared about you.  It started with an audition and I never thought it'd be more.  I never thought you, this beautiful, successful, business woman would cast me, a quiet, awkward guy, to play a part in your very own television show.
     But you did.  From that day on, I knew I never wanted out friendship to end.  Not after the shoot.  I didn't want the fun we had together to stop after the inevitable cancellation of your show.
     Throughout the life of Haters Back Off, Miranda fell in love with Patrick.  By the time we filmed the final scene of season 2, I had fallen in love with you, and I think you loved me too but were scared of the feeling.
     When it became too much for you, I was prepared to be right there waiting for you, because from the very first date, I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  I knew you'd get the confidence back.
     And I was right.  I will never regret the time I spent waiting for you.  You said I love you and the rest is history.
     I want to complete our daughters' lives.  I want you to complete my life.  I promise to always be your other half.  I adore everything about you, your smile, your eyes, your family, and most of all, your heart.  Everything about you has been worth the wait.  I would do it all again if I had to just for this moment.  I want you to be the Miranda to my Patrick, so Colleen Mae Ballinger, will you marry me?" He pulls out the ring box on that last sentence and opens it up for me.  It's absolutely perfect.
     Tears have been spilling over my eyes since he pulled the blindfold off.  I truly had no idea what was going on.  It's impossible to surprise me, but Erik did.
     "Yes, yes, a million times yes!"
     As he moves to slide the ring on my finger, I stop him noticing there's an engraving. "Wait, what does it say, baby?"
     "Oh right," he says frazzled.
     He turns the ring so I can see.  "Oh my god, it's perfect," I exclaim, reading the words worth the wait off the interior of the band. 

     He slides it onto my left ring finger and I've never been happier.
     Erik stands up and holds me in his arms.  I rest my chin on his chest and look up at his face.  "You know," I begin, "you don't get to decide what your worth to other people, and I can tell you right now, you're worth a hell of a lot more to me than you'll ever know."
     He smiles that awkwardly adorable smile I fell in love with in the first place.  "Now kiss me already," I say pretending to be impatient, "I've got soft orphan lips."
He laughs going into the kiss.
     Our lips meet and I've never felt happier in my entire life.  This is how I want to spend my forever.  This is how I need to spend my forever.
     In this moment, Erik and I share the best kiss we ever have. I'm so happy with him that I can't even explain. He holds my face and around the back of the head and I place my hands around his back. We're making out in the front yard of a random house in a random neighborhood in the middle of Vancouver, Canada. I don't even care. This is the most magical moment I've ever felt with Erik. This is a really special time in my life; I'm pregnant; I'm learning so much about living every moment and not taking advantage of life; and now I'm engaged.
     Once my feelings have balanced out, we spend a few minutes walking around the yard, hand in hand, reminiscing about the shots that were filmed here.  Erik and I spent a lot of time standing in front of this house.
     When we finally end up back in the car, I am still wiping tears from my cheeks.  "Hey," I say, "how'd you get permission to do this anyway?  It's someone's house!"
     "The production company got me in touch with the owner.  She fell in love with us, and told me she'd make sure she was out of the house and I could use her yard."
     "Oh my god, you're the cutest!" I say,  constantly remembering how lucky I am."
     As we get further from the house, I say again, "hey, is the engraving from the Patrick quote?"
    "Yeah..." he says shyly, "Colleen, you were so worth it to me.  You didn't get to decide if you were worth it for me to wait for you because I had decided that myself."
That brings me to tears again. Either I'm so pregnant or Erik is so cute. Maybe both. I have met the three loves of my life.  "Who knows about this, baby?" I ask.
     "Your parents, my parents, and Rachel.  She helped me with the ring. Plus she would've known because I had to have her stay with Hayley anyway."
     "That bitch!" I shout.  "She told me she didn't know what was going on."
     "Are you happy she didn't spoil it?" He asks me, squeezing my hand.
     "Happier than ever.  You know, no one has ever surprised me in my entire life.  If anyone thought they did it was because I played along.  You got me.  Congratulations."
     Erik stares into my eyes.  "What?" I ask.
     "Nothing.  Just, you're absolutely perfect."