Big Girls Don't Cry ✔️

Love is all around

Kelsey

After Martin and I made love, which I consider since that's what it was, we got closer than ever. Of course, we kept what happened between us from my parents. Yeah, I didn't feel like dealing with a lecture or Martin being tossed out of the house either. Plus, it was a special moment between us.

Not only did we spend time together at school, which pissed off Bryn to no end, but when we were home, we cuddled together, while watching movies. The truth was Martin accepted me for who I was, not because of my gender. Love has no preferences; it's just love.

It was also Martin's eighteenth birthday, which meant even if his aunt and uncle tried to force him to go back, they couldn't. He was free and clear, which was a plus.

My parents and I also decided to celebrate his birthday. We got him a cake, ice cream, and gifts. When we presented them with the items, he started crying.

"Martin?" I asked a bit worried about him.

He shook his head. "Sorry," he said as he wiped his eyes. "I haven't had someone care about me like this since my parents. I couldn't tell you the last time someone celebrated my birthday."

"It's different when someone loves you," I said with a smile as I glanced at my parents who smiled back at me.

"It's a big difference," he added as he smiled while taking my hand in his.

"Why don't you make a wish and blow out your candles Martin?" Mom suggested.

He looked at me. "I don't need to make a wish; I already got it."

I couldn't help but smile.

Martin didn't eventually blow out his candle; we had cake and ice cream. After cake, he opened his gifts and was thankful for what he received. I handed him a present, as well.

He opened it and stared at it.

"I wasn't sure what to get you, so I thought maybe this would be okay," I mentioned as he pulled out a picture frame with a picture of the two of us in it.

"It's the best gift ever," he said as he held the picture in his hands.

I couldn't help, but smile.

********
Martin

What Kelsey and her parents did for me was amazing. It had been a while since I had my birthday or any holiday celebrated, not since my parents.

When they shove you with people that don't care about you and just money, you become jaded. All you want is someone to care about you. That's all I ever wanted. If I had my chance, I was going to marry this girl one day.

After we were done celebrating, her parents left us alone in the kitchen. I pulled her onto my lap as I wrapped my arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned in and kissed her.

"Thank you for this," I said to her.

"Martin, I just wanted to celebrate your birthday. It's what you do when you love someone," she replied as I looked at her.

"I love you, Kelsey," I told her as she looked at me with the biggest smile.

"I love you too, Martin," she said back to me.

"I was thinking about something, and I want to run it by you," I mentioned as she looked at me. "I know this fall I'm going to be at school, and you still have your senior year to go, but I thought after you graduate, we could get married," I said, taking her by surprise.

"Married as in you and me, married, like together forever?" She looked at me, quizzically.

"That's what married means," I answered.

She looked at me, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Martin," she started to say.

I cut her off, "You don't want to get married. I get it." I moved her off of my lap and stood up. Nothing feels worse than being rejected by someone you love.

"I was going to say, are you sure you want to do this? But hey, if you don't, that's cool," she said, casually as I looked at her and she looked back at me.

I walked towards her until there was no gap between us. "Are you saying yes?" I asked her.

"Are you going to ask properly? That means asking my dad for permission and all that jazz," she said as she did jazz hands. I couldn't help but chuckle.

I pulled her to me as I kissed her, smiling against her lips. That was the thing about Kelsey; she didn't say no and was pretty relaxed about things.

We pulled back and looked at each other with our arms wrapped around each other.

"You do know that if we get married, it's going to have to be quick. The surgeon set the other half of my surgery after I graduate, then I leave for basic after I recover," Kelsey mentioned.

"I know. I figure I can take online courses once I'm able to move with you. Where you go, I go. This is a package deal sweetheart," I told her as I gestured between us. She smiled big at me before I kissed her again.

That was the thing about Kelsey; I wasn't just asking her to marry me as a casual thing, I was asking because I wanted to be with her. I've never felt this much love for someone before as I did with her. The only ones that came close were my parents.

Not only did I have to talk to her dad and work out the details, but we also had to discuss children and other things. I knew I could never give her a biological child since she couldn't have them biologically, but I did want to provide her with a family one day.

That would be a topic for another time. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy the fact; I found someone to spend the rest of my life with her.