Can't Fall in Love Without You (Christian Yelich)

50

Christian watched his girlfriend sit with Reilly cradled in her arms and Ivy cuddled into her side on the sofa, both of the important women in his life intently watching his perfect son sleep.

He couldn't believe they were all at home, and they were all safe. The past few days progressed like the perfect dream: winning a second World Series ring, his World Series MVP trophy, and his family growing to four. He wasn't exaggerating when he told people that Elizabeth and Reilly coming home from the hospital was the best day of his life.

He had everything he needed . . . Except Elizabeth wasn't his wife, and he really wanted Elizabeth to be his wife. They hadn't talked about the idea since he lost her, since he was such an asshole, since he almost ruined his relationship permanently. But he was ready now.

He hoped she'd say yes.

"Baby, the photographer will be here soon," he informed Ellie quietly.

Ellie nodded and smiled. "Do you want to help Ivy get into her pretty dress?" Ivy loved pretty dresses, so the excitement on her face was apparent. "I'll put him in his crib and get ready."

When the photographer arrived, Christian met her at the door. "You nervous?" she greeted Christian with a big smile.

"Very," he admitted. "I don't really deserve a 'yes,'" he replied softly.

"There's no way she says no after what you have planned. I'll make sure to get a picture of her reaction. It's going to be priceless."

As the photographer went to set up, Christian paced nervously around the living room, his daughter following behind him closely, eventually wrapping her arms around his leg. He smiled down at her and picked her up. "Is my sweet girl ready to be a flower girl?" he asked. Ivy agreed immediately, even if the toddler didn't know exactly what she was agreeing to. "Yeah!" she proclaimed excitedly.

They were interrupted by Elizabeth, a much more awake Reilly in her arms. "Angie's ready," she said with a grin. "She's going to do most of the photos in Reilly's room because she likes the lighting in there."

"Sounds great," Christian agreed, relieved she didn't hear his flower girl comment.

The shoot was going perfectly – both children were behaving and Christian and Elizabeth couldn't stop fawning over their adorable family. "Oh, God, that's so fucking cute, I'm going to barf," Christian whispered to Elizabeth as the photog situated a calm, sleepy Reilly into one of Christian's old baseball gloves.

Elizabeth just laughed. "Ivy is going to have such a potty mouth if you keep that up." Elizabeth's phone went off shortly after her comment. "Sorry, it's work, and I should take this."

Christian was relieved to have a distraction, and he and Angie exchanged knowing glances.

"Change him as quickly as you can," Angie said with a huge grin on her face. She knew what was coming.

Christian nodded and changed Reilly into a different onesie. It was cream-colored with navy stripes, and across the front it asked, "Mommy, will you marry daddy?" in gold script.

"That's the cutest thing I've ever seen," Angie muttered, getting some quick shots of the baby in his outfit before Elizabeth returned. Christian nervously fiddled with the simple, three-stone diamond engagement ring in his pocket.

"You've got this," Angie smiled, giving Christian a confident thumb's up.

Christian just nodded nervously and waited for his potential future wife to return to the nursery.
The wait felt like forever, even if it was only five minutes in real time. When she returned, Christian was relieved Elizabeth was still happy and smiley, meaning the call didn't tamper with her mood. That improved his chances.

"How are my babies doing?" she asked, giving Ivy a smile and then darting her eyes to her son. She noticed the outfit change immediately, and she felt Christian wrap his arms around her from behind as she read the script. It took her a few reads to comprehend the words and make a connection between the outfit and Christian's presence behind her. "Baby," he whispered softly, almost directly into her ear. "I have something I want to ask you."

Before she could react, Christian had dropped to one knee in front of her, a huge, cheesy grin plastered on his face, even though he was consumed by nerves. "Dr. Elizabeth Anne Reed, will you marry me?" He kept it simple, too nervous to expand the question.

Elizabeth couldn't help but bring one hand up to her face to cover her mouth, tears immediately pouring out of her eyes. "Oh my God, Christian, oh my God," she muttered, pausing for a moment before sharing a decision, keeping Christian swallowed by his anxieties. "Yes, obviously, yes."

Christian immediately slid the ring on her finger, a perfect fit, and then got to his feet and pulled her against his body as tightly as he could. "I love you so much, baby girl. Thanks for making me the happiest man in the world. I know it wasn't an easy journey," he said softly as she cried against his chest. "I'm the luckiest. It's going to be such a privilege to be married to you."

She pulled back, wiping the tears out of her eyes, a smile still on her tear-stained face. "What changed your mind?"

"I made up my mind a long time ago, Elizabeth. I was just too damn scared to lose all that happiness. I couldn't have the lights go out again," he whispered, wiping tears off her face with both of his thumbs, loving the feel of her soft skin against his hands.

"I'm so excited," she said softly, finally taking a moment to examine the ring he placed on her finger so tenderly. "And this is beautiful. I can't wait to wear it every day and think of you."

"And I can't wait to start this new adventure and add to our baseball team," he winked, patting her stomach gently to indicate he wanted another baby. He loved having babies with her. He figured that out pretty quickly.

She laughed and rolled her eyes at her overzealous future husband, an idea she still couldn't quite comprehend because it seemed so impossible only a few minutes ago. "Let's focus on the two perfect kids we already have," she said sweetly, brushing her lips against his.

"I guess we can do that. For now," he said with a smirk before kissing her passionately.

And the photographer was there for all of it.