One Night in New York

Chapter Sixteen

I believe that everyone in the world has that special someone waiting for them, whether they are eighteen, twenty-four, thirty, or even seventy. I truly believe that we are all meant to travel through life with our forever. Whether that forever is brief, as in finding love later in life, or long, as in finding love at a young age. I'd always considered myself a hopeless romantic, but life was anything but. It's all about hoping for new experiences, a new home, or even a new baby. All we need when everything else in our world appears to be coming to a halt is hope. It's what we need to hold on to in order to survive, to get through each day and each challenge, pushing us to strive for what we most want out of life.

What was it that I sought? I wanted Liam, not just a piece of him. I wanted him all. He was perfect in my eyes, and it had nothing to do with his money, which I never cared about. He was flawless, with the biggest heart, and he was giving me everything he had. So, what did I say in response to his proposal?

"Yes," I exclaimed as I leapt into his arms. I held him so tightly that I briefly thought I was cutting off his air supply. However, I did not. He returned my acceptance with the same tight embrace.

During our happy moments, my entire family joined us in celebrating. The room was filled with tears, hugs, kisses, I love yous, when is the wedding date, and let me see your massive ring. You know, typical family excitement with such big news. Liam apparently had the assistance of my mother and father. He asked for my hand in marriage even though he had already purchased the ring, but it was the thought that counted, pleasing my father with the gesture. As I lay fast asleep the night before, the two of them helped him meticulously wrap each box in the basement, making sure to keep his big secret hidden until morning. "Oh, he's good," I thought to myself.

The rest of Christmas went off without a hitch. There was no family drama, no arguing, punching, or slapping each other, as was sometimes the case. What? Nobody is flawless. It sat perfectly as we all sang Christmas carols, ate our Christmas dinner, and talked about our current lives and our hopes for the future.

We finished the evening and went to bed, eager to return to New York City and tell our friends and family about our engagement. We had planned to throw a small New Year's Eve party at our house because I couldn't drink. There would be about twenty-five people there, including Liam's parents, who were flying in on December 29th and staying with us until the new year. He wanted to surprise them with the engagement when they arrived, so he put off making the phone call.

We flew back home the day after Christmas, and the next few days were spent with a house full of decorators before his parents arrived. Liam didn't want me to lift a finger, believing that I was too frail from being pregnant to engage in strenuous activity. I told him that was a myth, and that my sister had run a marathon during her second trimester, but he was adamant. Did I make a fuss about it? Why should I? He simply had his moment, and I sat back and relaxed, enjoying the energy he exuded.

The 29th of December was memorable. Alyssa sought comfort next door at Andrew's condo after Liam's parents flew in. I'd tell Liam I thought they were dating, and he'd laugh because he knew something I didn't. I brushed it off, knowing I'd get it out of Alyssa sooner or later, and went about my business for the evening. I was nervous about meeting his parents, even though they were the first to learn about the baby. That would seem to be more shocking than getting engaged, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being judged.

Maybe it was because I had a hard time letting go of the fact that she had called me a gold digger at Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever it was caused complete knots in my stomach, making me feel sick. Over the next few days, Liam reassured me that he would not allow another scene like the one in November. I chose to believe what he said, letting the worry wash over me as we finished getting the house ready.

They landed shortly after and had a thirty-minute drive to our house. Because the snow was falling harder, it took them nearly an hour to arrive at our door. I asked Liam if I should remove my ring until we told them, but he insisted on leaving it on. He was curious how long it would take them to figure it out. I was confident that because I had a four-carat diamond on my finger, it wouldn't take them long, or anyone else for that matter.

Thomas and Connie had finally arrived, rushing out of the car to meet their baby boy. As Andrew led them in, I began to pace while biting my nails, as I always did. They made a loud entrance to announce their presence to the world, while I stood in the background. Alyssa walked over from Andrews and immediately noticed my ring, rushing around to me before his parents noticed it, screaming with delight as she hugged me tightly. Liam cleared his throat to dampen her enthusiasm.

"They don't know yet either?" Alyssa asked in a whisper.

I simply shook my head and said "No" to her. Connie's gaze was drawn to my ring in the same way that Alyssa's had been. It must be a girl thing because the first thing we notice is always bright and flashy things, which perfectly described it. Thomas heard the commotion and saw the two others rush over to join us in our little celebration. To my surprise, both of his parents were overjoyed, which was the polar opposite of what I expected. I silently exhaled, relieved that it was over.

While preparing for the party, we spent the next few nights playing card games with their parents and watching a ton, and I mean a ton, of Holiday movies. There wasn't much else to do, but everything had to be perfect with Liam.

The 31st of December had finally arrived. We spent the first part of the day finalizing preparations and waiting for the rest of the group, which arrived around 4:00 PM. Liam spared no expense in ensuring that we had plenty of food for our guests. There was a lot of shrimp, pan-seared rib-eye with herb butter, oven-baked salmon with lemon cream sauce for the vegetarians, and braised red wine short ribs. Caprese pops, baked artichoke bites with garlic aioli, and apple brie crostini were among the fancy appetizers served on a serpentine table. Individual champagne bottles lined the bar as the desserts and cookies towered over the table on a pyramid display.

It was a fun evening with great company and plenty of laughter. Everyone kept asking about our upcoming wedding and the arrival of our baby in July. I was getting tired and needed to get off my feet as the night progressed, but I was determined to make it until the ball dropped. We lived in New York City, the epicenter of everything, and I couldn't miss the event, even if we couldn't attend in person. The entire group sat around and watched the festivities in Times Square, with myself feeling a little envious of the sea of people who were taking part. An estimated one million people would be out partying on New Year's Eve, as I usually did, but in all honesty, I was content in my cozy little circle, with the people I cared about the most.

It was nearly midnight after hours of watching the performers in Times Square and playing Pictionary and Charades. Liam made certain that each of our guests received a glass of champagne, while I received a glass of sparkling white grape juice. I could have sipped champagne instead, but I thought it was sweet that he made sure I had something to toast with. We were all standing together as a family, watching the Centennial Ball descend. As the clock approached midnight on January 1st, my heart began to race as it always did.

It was finally time, and we could feel our hearts pounding as we counted down in unison "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!" As the clock struck midnight, we all screamed together.  Everyone kissed their significant other or friends while Auld Lang Syne was sung. We were all embracing when Liam moved me gently to the side.

He kissed me softly and whispered, "Happy New Year, Mrs. Taylor." he lovingly said to me, kissing me once more.

OK. Calling me Mrs. Taylor was adorable. I won't lie, it was thrilling to hear. I returned his smile, kissing him again, and thanked him for everything he had done for me. I had a feeling that 2020 would be the best year of my life. I welcomed everything new; a new home, new family, new friends, a new baby, and a new chapter awaiting me as I married Liam. That night, I made no New Year's Resolutions because I was grateful for everything I had.