"Marry me?"
The words were ringing in my ears. No matter how many times I played the scene over in my head, it just seemed to good to be true; even all this time later.
We'd just gotten back from a day at Disneyland, Bryant was high off of sugar, and Blake, Jenn and I were tired, and all around looking forward to the comfort the hotel beckoned.
"Mom!" Bryant yelled in his 9 year old voice from ahead of us.
"What Bry?" Jenn called back to her son, looking worn, but still glowing with happiness.
I clutched Blake's hand tighter was we drew ever closer to the hotel.
"We need to hurry up if we're going to catch the fireworks!" He replied, his voice never lowering, as he turned his head, giving us a grin, before sprinting off, "C'mon Uncle B, you getting too old to keep up?" You could hear the laughter in his voice, but nevertheless, my best friend took the challenge. He carefully, but not very gently either, ripped his hand out of my grip, sending me a wink, before taking off after his hysterical nephew.
I turn to Jenn muttering, "Boys,” Paired with an eye roll.
She chuckles softly, her small laugh filling the night, "I hear yeah."
I smile softly as I watch the two boys running ahead of us, as Bryant wrenches the hotel door open, with Blake hot on his tail, as he chases him inside, the doorman giving them a disgruntled look.
We follow them inside, shortly after, and go to the elevator, pressing the button and stepping in when the door slides aside to reveal the inside of the small lift. Jenn presses the button for the top floor, and we wait patiently, making small talk as we wait for the elevator to stop, and the ding to announce we've arrived at our stop.
We step off, and walk to the end of the hallway, pushing open the heavy metal door that stated, "Roof" in bold red letters. Jenn was telling me a story about Bryant, and I was giggling, as we stepped onto the concrete roof.
I look around and my breath catches as I take in the scene displayed before me; the roof is covered in lanterns that are strung up along the roof in a big X, lighting the whole thing dimly, but enough to see each other. Standing in the middle is a small platform, made of hardwood, where to my two favorite men in the whole world stood grinning like idiots, in identical tuxes.
"H-how?" I'd managed to stutter.
"You guys are slow walkers." Blake said grinning and winking at me.
While my god-son just raise his eye-brow as if to say 'Really?' I smile widely, and step forward, but right before I step onto the platform I falter, "What's this for?" I ask, raising a skeptical eye-brow between the two.
Bryant just grins and shrugs, gesturing to his mom and Blake gives me a cheeky smile, his eyes lighting up.
He holds his hand out to me, and I place my small one in his, and he closes his hand around mine and pulls me towards him, my chest flush against his. All of a sudden music fills the air, as the first firework goes off above us, Jason Mraz's "I won't give up." filling my ears. Blake pulls away as the song fades out, and he stands in front of me giving me a timid smile, before pulling on the collar of his tie, dropping to one knee and opening his mouth; "Kalista Marie, I have loved you since we were 14, and every day I love you more. I find myself wishing, that we could spend the rest of our lives together. I see us, when we're 80 years old, sitting outside of our house, with our grand kids, holding hands, and happily in love. I wouldn't have it any other way. I want you, all of you, for the rest of my life, until the day I die. So do me, the great honour, of being mine. Marry me?"
I walk down the stairs, smoothing out my black cocktail dress and playing with the rings that are on my left hand from habit. I walk down the hall and into the living room.
"Hey Mom, I told you the dress would look beautiful." My sixteen year old daughter says walking up to me and tucking a flyaway behind my ear.
I give her a small grin and press a kiss to her forehead, "You look beautiful too darling." I tell her, and she does. Her long auburn hair is pulled back in an elegant bun, and her hazel eyes match her father's perfectly. A dark blue dress hangs off her shoulders, and falls around her waist clinging to her body, and stops at her knees. I smile when a pair of arms snake around my waist and a kiss is pressed to my neck. Jenaline rolls her eyes and walks over to where her cousin stands with his wife.
I got pregnant with Jenaline when Bryant was 11, 2 years after Blake purposed and a year after we got married. Bryant is now 27 and his 3 kids. The youngest, Rose, is 8 months, her older brother, the middle child, Kyle is 5, and his eldest daughter is 7, and her name is Maya. My eyes travel to Bryant's wife Chelsea. Then they skim over Jenn who's sitting on her husband Mark's lap in a chair. Then I glance at my husband of 18 years, and I can't help the small smile that touches my lips. It's been so long, and yet it still feels like just yesterday we were standing around drinking alcohol and partying until 3 in the morning. My dad died when Bryant was one and a half, my mom following not too far behind, Paul got sent to jail for abuse, and got out around 9 years ago. Jenn met Mark when Bryant was 12 and they got married when he was 15.
We've all been in good places, no deaths; no one has gone to jail, no fighting, and no more divorces. I miss my mom and my dad every day, and I know Blake and Jenn miss their father, and their brother. I know Bryant wishes he could've gotten to know his grandparents, even my own parents. I know how Jenaline wishes she could've met her Grams and her Papa, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I wouldn't want any of the children knowing the people that their parents had to grow up with; the people that they loved, and looked up too. The people they trusted and the people who hurt them most.
Blake and I have become closer than ever, even though we tend to fight, it's all in love, and we both know that. Everyone does. We've stopped blaming each other for everything that's gone on.
Our wedding was in a little rundown chapel in the middle of nowhere, and it was honestly the most beautiful wedding.
"Come on babe." Blake says coming over to me and kissing my cheek before tugging on my hand much like he tugs on my heart strings.
I give him a lopsided grin before I follow my family outside like I have many other times in the past. This time is different though. This time, we aren't going out for any specific reason, this time, we're going out because we can, because we want too.
I take my only loves hand, while I walk beside my daughter.
As we get into the car Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up plays.
