In a Tragedy of Love Loss

Chapter 33: Alternate Ending

When Dylan dropped Lillith off at Jaycee's house, he was wearing a white dress shirt and dress pants with a dark blue tie and a black blazer. He was wearing the same suit he was wearing the night he had broken up with her. Even though he wore it last on one of the worst occasions, it was the only suit he had, and it was one of those times he had to look nice. Especially since him and Jaycee didn't go out that often because of the twins, so he wanted to make tonight extra special. At least he hoped it would be special.
"Thanks again for watching the twins, Mr. Mcgibben. This means a lot to me."
"Well, Jaycee deserves a night away from the twins, and I'm sure she'll be grateful for it later. It might scare her a bit, but she's only nineteen. She has to let herself be a kid sometimes even if she doesn't like it."
"I just hope I get it right this time. Last time was a disaster."
"Hopefully it won't be this time. Knowing Jaycee, she'll probably be hoping you're doing this for the right reasons instead of the wrong ones."
"She'll probably think I'm doing it for the right reasons cosidering I've been wanting to do this for a while and you know it."
"Oh yeah. Her mother and I both know you love her very much. You're doing this because you want to, not because you have to."
"Well yeah. I love her and our kids. The entire time we were apart was torture. I don't wanna be without her again."
"Then there ya go."
As if on cue, Jaycee started descending the stairs with her son on her left hip. Dylan looked at her in awe as if she was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Even Lillith smiled and cooed at the sight of her mother's appearance. Levi was just staring at his father, grandfather and sister. Even her father looked at her as if she was the only thing he's ever done right. Partly because she was.
Much like Dylan, she was wearing the same black spaghetti strapped dress she wore the night of the break up with the red ribbon wrapped around her waist. Only this time, she was wearing black cowboy boots with it instead of the black knee high converse with the rainbow laces. Over the recent weeks since the twins were born, she has dyed her hair from the greyish color to a bright red, which framed her face in small curls. Apart from Dylan, she wasn't wearing the black dress because she had to. She was wearing it because she wanted to. It was her favorite dress after all.
"You look beautiful, Jayce." Dylan had a hard time taking his eyes off him.
She blushed bright red. "Thank you."
"You really do, babydoll." Her father hugged ger and kissed the top of her head. "In all my thirty-four years on this earth, you were the only thing I've ever done right. You're a great mom, a smart kid, and a caring person. You deserve tonight, especially after all you've been through."
"Thanks, Daddy. And thank you for watching Levi and Lillith."
"Anything for my little girl."
She took a deep breath. "You ready?"
"Just waiting for you."
"Okay." She kissed both her children. "Bye, Levi. Bye, Lillith. Be good for Grandpa." They both gurgled at her.
Dylan held the front door open ashe said her goodbyes to the twins. Like most new mothers, she had a hard time leaving them for anything. But her father was right: She deserved this. She worked hard to finish school, she went to therapy, she woke up in the middle of the night with two babies instead of one, and she never complained once or asked for anything. If anyone was more deserving, it was her. As it was, she had a hard time walking to her truck without looking at the front door.
"Where are we going?" She asked as he held the door open for her.
"The restaurant." He shut the door as she climbed in.
"Why the restaurant?"
"You'll see." He climbed in and they were on their way.'
Much like the night they had broken up, the restaurant was completely dead. Usually it was packed to capacity being as it was a popular restaurant. But it was their night, and he had rented it out for the night once again. For her surprise, of course.
"It's empty." She pointed out.
"Yep." He opned the glass door.
"Why?"
"You'll see." He led her to the table in the back that was set up the same way it was that night and seated her in front of her dinner.
"Dylan, what is all this?" He smiled and knelt down besides her. "What are you doing?"
"What I should've done a year ago." He produced a small black velvet box from his pocket. "The passed year has been one rollar coaster. Watching you be with someone else was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Seeing you in that hospital bed with all those wires attached to you nearly killed me. And seeing you be a mother to our children has been one of the best things I could ever ask for. You, Levi and Lillith are my entire world and not having any of you would just destroy me. I can't imagine my life without any of you, and knowing I almost had to once made me realize I don't ever want to go through that again. And I should've done this before when I had the chance." He opened the box. "Jaycee Mcgibben, will you marry me?"
She stared at the ring in shock. It was his grandmother's ring. This whole thing had completely taken her by surprise. He had mentioned before that he wanted to ask her to marry him, but she thought he's no longer want to after her recent trip to the River Styx and every stunt she's pulled. But in the the last year, she's managed to pull her act together. She stopped drinking and partying and screwing around, especially after she found out she was going to be a mom. She hasn't even touched the white powder that she was so heavily addicted to at one point. She completely dropped Mckenzie. She did everything she possibly could in hopes this moment would come. And now that it finally has, she was glad she changed her whole life and kicked every single one of her habits.
"Oh, Dylan. Yes, I will." He kissed her and slid the ring on her finger.