Finding You

My Moment

"Bradley!" I look up at him, shock written all over me. The table erupts into laughter and I can't help but smile. Family game night has always been a favorite of mine. Except now they have that pie face game where you press the button and the loser gets a handful of whip cream to the face. Which just happened to me.

"Let me help." Brad says, wiping tears from his eyes. He grabs his napkin and when he moves close to my face, I rub as much whip cream from my face onto him, causing more laughter from everyone.

"Sorry." I smile before kissing him softly. Weird how much better whip cream tastes on his lips.

"You're not sorry." He playfully rolls his eyes at me before cleaning his face off.

"You guys are disgusting." Quinn says and I lean forward to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Says you. You brought a guy to family game night in high school and got caught making out with him in the closet." I remind her and she blushes.

"You used to stuff your bra." I blush before laughing and hiding my face. I was such an embarrassment.

"Natalie!" Mom hits my arm and I shake my head.

"Stop!" I laugh breathlessly.

"I know way too much." Daddy shakes his head before grabbing Momma's hand and kissing it softly.

"Not yet honey. One more drink and we'll go to bed." She tells him and I smile. I've always loved that he did that and I love that Mom always knew what he wanted. Their marriage hasn't always been perfect but if anything was to give me hope that marriage isn't a sham, it would be them.

Bradley rubs my back softly and I lean into him. I look at my watch and smile. I know he's ready for bed too but he won't say it out loud with my parents right there. We're both still exhausted from our trip in yesterday afternoon.

"Now, pass me that thing so I can teach your Daddy how to lose." Momma says and I pass the contraption to her. Brad wraps his arm around me and I snuggle against him.

"It might be a good thing we'll have the house to ourselves tonight." Dad says and I cringe.

"That's gross." Quinn makes a gagging sound and I laugh.

"Not the image I wanted in my head tonight. Thanks for that, Dad." I tell him and he shrugs.

"Both of my daughters are sharing houses with another person and never calling me." He tells me and I shake my head.

"Okay, point made."

"And one of them has kids so we know what I've been doing." I raise my wine glass to Quinn, who clinks hers with mine. My sweet niece and nephew have a strict bedtime that's enforced by their Dad or they would be here causing mayhem.

"And moving on." Dad says and we smile. We cheer them on as they press the button to see who'll get the cream to the face. I pause as I look at Brad, whose sat forward cheering on my Dad. I want this for him some day. To sit around the table with the people he loves and play games, to laugh so carelessly, to be as happy as we are now. We. I want us to always be as happy with each other as we are now. I want him to always look at me with so much love my heart could burst.

My mom screeching pulls me away from Brad to look at her, face covered in whip cream. She pulls my dad to her and kisses him. And for a moment, it's Brad and me, surrounded by our kids, happily married in a loving home. Something I thought I didn't want anymore. But only because they'd be his. I would be his. It would be a life with him. A future with him. A future with the man who taught me about patience and love and joy.

"I love you." I breathe, just under my breath for Brad to hear and he stops everything, his face showing nothing but shock.

"What did you just say?" He asks, leaning forward. My parents have gone quiet and I sigh.

"I love you." I tell him shakily.

"You're not just saying it to make me happy?" He asks and I shake my head.

"No, I mean it. I mean it in a way that I didn't think I would ever mean it again. I love you." He kisses me hard and turns to the table.

"If you don't mind, we would like to be excused." He stands and holds his hands out to me.

"What just happened?" Dad asks and Mom smiles.

"She made Bradley wait months to be sure she loved him." Mom fills him in. He looks at me with his mouth slightly open.

"But he says it to you all the time." He says confused and I shrug.

"Every single day since he first said it to me, multiple times a day. He told me to take my time and be sure. I tried saying it once just to make him happy and he called me out on it." I tell Dad and Quinn clears her throat.

"That means you should excuse them immediately." Quinn sings and I blush.

"You're excused." Dad tells us. I kiss Quinn and Mom on the head.

"Love you guys. I'll see y'all tomorrow." I pull Brad to the backdoor.

"Good night." Mom tells us and I open the door stepping into the cool, summer night. Brad shuts the door behind him and turns to me.

"I just want to hear you say it all night." He tells me and I smile.

"I love you." He closes his eyes.

"Again." I grab his hands and pull him.

"I love you Bradley."

I pull him all the way to the door, repeating those words, like I'll ever be able to make up for months of not saying it back. He would never hold that against me though. When I pull him through the door to the guest house, he smiles, shutting the door with his foot. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me breathlessly.

"I love you." He tells me and my heart races.

"I love you." I tell him and his whole face smiles.

"What was your moment?" He asks and I sigh.

"I pictured us in my parents place. Sitting with our family, playing games, laughing, still just as much in love as we were when we were younger." I look up at him and he smiles.

"So you love me enough to put up with me that long?" He asks and I take a deep breath in as my eyes fill with tears.

"I love you so much more than just for the rest of my life."

"Baby." He rubs our noses together.

"I love you so much that marriage and kids aren't something so far off in my mind. They aren't something I would never do." His breathing hitches and he closes his eyes.

"You would change all of that for me?" He asks and I nod.

"I want that with you if that's something you want too. Today, tomorrow, next week, next year, in a few years, whenever. I just want you." I tell him and he kisses me feverishly.