After you were born

8-Tessa

Hardin had rushed me into the car without even telling saying word about where we were going.
I seriously don't understand the situation at all.
After protesting and pushing him to tell me what his plans are and where we're going while he just keeps his silence, I can slowly feel my eyes getting heavier and finally, against my will, I fall asleep.

„Baby, wake up, we're almost there." I can feel a light squeeze on my thigh.
As the light slowly reenters my eyes, I look out the window to try and figure out where we're heading and-

Wait what?

I know this highway...

Hardin looks over to me and gives me a smile as he makes a turn into a near lying forest.

The lake. Our lake.

"Hardin, what are we doing here?" For real. Why did he bring me out here, drive four hours and just not tell me anything at all.

"Well, come on now." Hardin gets out of the car and opens my door.
He takes my hand and leads me through the trees.

Breathtaking. Pictures. Pictures of us, our loved ones...even Emery hanging from a string.
Hardin had strung about a hundred pictures along the trees on the way down to the lake.

It started with a picture of the night we met. Just a stupid pic of Hardin standing there being annoyed...I wonder who took that.
Then some of me in his car in front of the coffee shop.....I didn't know he took these.
And as I walk further down I see even more moments out of time together in chronological order.
The wedding.
Our first selfie.
Our ice skating date.
Me just reading.
....

I have no words.
I approach the end of the path and see the last picture. Me, Hardin and Emery.

I turn my head away from the pictures and see the boardwalk.

The boardwalk. The lake.....the first time we ever got intimate...the fire that had gotten loose under my skin the first time he touched me. That feeling I still get when he lets his fingers glide along my thighs.

Lights...thousands of fairy lights and flowers. But not roses...every color of every flower there is out there. Except roses.

After awing at what the love of my life had done for me I notice that he is nowhere to be found.

I turn around and see him.

No. No way.

Before me. I see Hardin on one knee.

"Tessa, Baby. If someone were to ask me what the definition of a miracle is, I would say you.
You brought a man who had never known love to love you with everything he has and more. That man is me. You made me open my eyes to the beauty in this world. You made me see you.
From the moment I first laid eyes on you, Tessa, you have been so different from anyone in my life. You have stayed with me through everything even if I didn't want you to. I tried getting you out of my head, to make your beautiful spirit and face disappear, but your touch, your voice, the way you make me feel has never, not even once, left my mind.
And there are no words to describe my feelings for you. From Austen to Brontë, not one person out there could be able to put my love for you in writing. Not even I myself could.
You made the rude idiot swallow his pride and the imbecile who said love was only a transaction give his all to you. And finally, you have given me, the man who said he never wanted kids, a daughter.
Now, that same man who didn't want to EVER get married, falls onto his knee and is begging you for your hand in marriage, to be his forever-"

Hardin pulls out a box from his pocket and opens it, revealing the most beautiful ring.

"And now I ask the most beautiful flower in my eyes,
Will you marry me?"

I instantly start crying and yell yes. Of course I will marry him.

He slowly puts the ring on my finger and I wrap my arms around him. Sobbing like an idiot.

And just when I thought this moment couldn't get any better, I look around.