I Ship It Like FedEx

New Girl

Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated harder on her little craft. I didn’t even know what she was making but, she is so beautiful when she is determined like this. She is always breathtaking, constantly making me do a double take whenever I see her. I want to scoop her up in my arms and stare into her pale, twinkling blue eyes all day, run my hands through her thick, brown hair. It is in a messy bun on the top of her head, making it look like she didn’t even try to look so perfect. But, honestly, she could’ve walked out of a movie scene or photo-shoot. Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky.

“Jessie,” I whisper, making her head snap up. “Can you come with me for a minute?” I am so nervous. I’ve been planning this day for weeks, trying to build up the courage.

“Yeah,” she says breezily. As she stands she asks, “What’s up?”

I smile, knowing that it will all be explained in due time. “It’s a surprise.” I grab her hand and we walk off our porch and down to the dock. I borrowed the cabin from Schmitt’s parents for the weekend so that Jessie and I could get away from the mayhem. I have just opened my own bar right down the street from our apartment and Cece just got Jessie a few modeling jobs around the city. We are both busy and really needed this weekend. She also has been teaching a kindergarten morning class at this local public school.

I stop and she pulls up right next to me. The sun has just started to set. It looks perfect. God, I’m nervous.

I turn to look her in the eyes and take both of her hands in mine. Her eyes sparkle and I suddenly feel calmer.

 “I remember the day that you walked into our loft and asked if you could move in,” I laugh. “You were a mess, a crying mess.”

“Yeah, well, Spencer was kind of a douche, so,” she wrinkles her nose and I smile.

“Spencer was an idiot,” I say. “He was dumb enough to let you go.” I kneel down on one knee and pull a tiny black box out of my pocket.

“Jessica Marie Day,” I begin. She looks at me in complete shock but I force myself to keep going. “I have loved you since the day you walked in our apartment and I haven’t been able to stop since. I mean, you don’t make it easy to, with your endearing optimism and quirky comments. You are unlike anyone I have ever met. I am constantly falling deeper and deeper in love with you. I don’t want to ever wake up and not be with you. That would be far too painful to imagine. I love you so goddamn much and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”

“Nick Miller!!” she screams through a few tears, stamping her foot. “I was not prepared for this! And how could you ask such a stupid question, of course I will marry you!”

I sweep her up in a hug and quickly shove the ring on her finger. The sun is down now and the stars are coming out. I look into her eyes and it finally hits me: I get to love my best friend forever.

“So Mrs. Miller,” I whisper. “We’ve never done it on a dock before.”

She smiles. “Well we can change that.”