Twenty-Six
twenty-six
MARRY ME - TRAIN
OWEN - APRIL 18, 2014
T he Louisiana sun has started to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across Edward’s backyard. It’s been a good day, better than I expected, honestly. Watching Callie reconnect with her dad, seeing Sara dart around the yard with her usual boundless energy, and having Ruby nestled against my chest for most of the afternoon has made the long drive here worth every second.
Now, the girls are inside with Shelly, and Callie is sitting on the patio, flipping through the stack of Polaroid pictures we took today. She looks so damn happy, her soft laugh carrying across the yard as she shows Shelly one of the pictures.
Edward and I finish tidying up the backyard, stacking the last of the folding chairs against the wall of the garage. I glance over at him, my heart pounding as I prepare to say the thing I’ve been rehearsing in my head for weeks.
“You want a beer?” Edward asks, breaking the silence. His voice is casual, but there’s always an edge to it, like he’s gauging my every move.
“Sure,” I say, grateful for the chance to steady my nerves.
We step into the kitchen, where Edward grabs two beers from the fridge. He twists the caps off with practiced ease and hands one to me. “Let’s sit,” he says, motioning toward the patio.
The chairs on the patio are still warm from the sun, and I sink into one, my bottle cool against my palm. Edward sits beside me, taking a long sip before finally speaking.
“You’ve been good to Callie and the girls,” he says, his tone even. “Shelly says they’re happier than she’s seen them in years. That’s no small thing, Owen.”
“Thank you,” I say, my voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat. “It means a lot to hear that.”
Edward nods, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “But I’ll tell you this—I don’t take lightly to people walking into my daughter’s life and making promises they can’t keep. Callie’s been through enough, and those girls? They don’t need anyone playing house if it’s not the real deal. You understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” I reply, meeting his gaze head-on. “And that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
His eyebrows raise slightly, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“I love Callie,” I say, the words coming out stronger than I expected. “And I love Sara and Ruby. They’re my family. I want to spend the rest of my life with them, and I want to marry her.”
My words seem to hang in the air, and Edward leans back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “You’ve been together, what, nine months?” he asks, his voice carefully controlled.
“Yes, sir,” I reply.
“And you’re sure? Because once you step into this, Owen, there’s no stepping out. Not without hurting them.”
“I’m sure,” I say firmly. “And with all due respect, sir, I plan to ask her to marry me whether I have your blessing or not, but I’d prefer to have it.”
Edward doesn’t respond right away. He takes another long sip of his beer, his gaze drifting toward Callie, who’s still seated on the other side of the patio. She’s holding a picture up to the light, her face glowing with contentment.
When Edward speaks again, his voice is quieter. “You really love her?”
“With everything I’ve got,” I say without hesitation.
He sets his bottle down on the table between us, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Then you have my blessing,” he says finally. “But if you ever hurt her or those girls, you’ll answer to me.”
“You have my word,” I say, my chest loosening with relief.
Edward nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Good. Now, go sit with her. She’s been stealing glances at you for the past ten minutes.”
I glance over at Callie, and sure enough, her green eyes are flicking toward me, a soft smile playing on her lips. She’s sitting on the edge of the patio chair, the Polaroids from our thrift shop trip spread out on her lap, the fading sunlight catching in her hair. The sight of her like this, content, unguarded, is beautiful, and I realize, not for the first time, just how lucky I am.
I stand, my heart feeling lighter than it has all day, and make my way to her side. She looks up at me as I approach, her smile widening, the kind of smile that makes everything else fade away. The weight of the conversation I had with Edward, the nerves that had my chest tight all afternoon, all melt into the background.
I sit down next to her. She holds up a Polaroid of us from earlier in the day, the two of us grinning like kids in front of the thrift shop. “I love this one,” she says, her voice warm.
I lean closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Me too,” I murmur.
Her smile deepens, and she tilts her head toward me, her eyes sparkling with pure joy. “You know, this is the same spot I was in when we met nine months ago,” she says, her voice soft with nostalgia.
“Really?” I ask, glancing around, taking in the weathered patio chairs and the soft glow of the string lights Shelly turned on earlier.
She nods, her gaze drifting to the yard where Sara spent the afternoon playing with her stuffed alligator. “Right here,” she says. “It feels… full circle, doesn’t it?”
I take her hand in mine, my thumb brushing over her knuckles as her words settle in my chest. Full circle. It’s been nine months, but it feels like a lifetime, like every decision I made before meeting her somehow led me to this moment.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “It does.”
She leans her head against my shoulder, her warmth grounding me as I replay the conversation I had with her dad. Edward hadn’t made it easy. He’d been sharp, protective, every bit the father trying to make sure his daughter was safe. But in the end, he’d given me his blessing, and it had meant more to me than I realized it would.
Now, sitting here with Callie, her hand resting in mine, I feel the pressure of what’s coming next. I’ve known for months that I wanted to marry her. I’ve been thinking about it since Christmas, when I watched her rocking Ruby to sleep with Sara curled up beside her. It wasn’t a flashy moment, but it was perfect—just like her.
“Do you remember what you thought the first time you saw me?” she asks, her voice pulling me from my thoughts.
I chuckle softly, tilting my head to kiss the top of hers. “Yeah,” I say. “I thought you were way out of my league.”
She laughs, leaning back to look up at me. “You did not.”
“I did,” I insist, my grin widening. “And then you smiled at me, and I was a goner.”
Her laughter softens, and she brushes her fingers over the back of my hand. “You’ve changed my life, you know.”
My throat tightens at her words, and I pull her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’ve changed mine too, Callie. In ways I never expected.”
The moment stretches between us, the air thick with something unspoken but understood. Her eyes search mine, and I know she can feel it too—that this is more than just a quiet evening on the patio.
I squeeze her hand gently, my heart pounding in my chest. “Callie,” I murmur, my voice steady despite the nerves swirling inside me. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
Her lips part slightly, her expression shifting to curiosity. “What is it?”
I don’t answer right away. Instead, I reach into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the small velvet box I’ve been carrying all day.
The moment is almost here. I can feel it, and I know now exactly how I’m going to do it.
The backyard is quiet, the hum of the day settling into a soft stillness. The stars blink to life in the clear Louisiana sky, and the string lights cast a warm, golden glow over the patio. Callie sits next to me on a blanket I laid out on the grass, her hand resting in mine as we lean back against the folded picnic chairs.
The soft strum of a guitar drifts from the Bluetooth speaker I placed on the patio table, filling the space between us. Callie hums along quietly, her fingers absently tracing patterns on my palm. Her voice is soft, unpracticed, but it’s one of my favorite sounds.
“It’s so quiet out here,” she murmurs, tilting her head back to look at the stars. “I almost forgot how peaceful it can be.”
I smile, squeezing her hand. “Figured we could use a little time to ourselves after today.”
She turns to look at me, her green eyes soft in the golden light. “This was perfect, Owen. The trip, seeing my dad, everything. Thank you for making it all so easy.
“You make it easy,” I say, my voice low. “Being with you… it feels like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Her cheeks flush slightly, and she leans her head against my shoulder. The warmth of her touch seeps into me, easing my nerves. The familiar intro to Marry Me by Train begins to play, and I glance down at her, wondering if she notices.
She tilts her head, her expression softening as the familiar notes of the song drift through the air. “I love this song,” she says, her voice wistful. “It was on one of my favorite shows. I used to watch that episode all the time.”
“I know,” I say softly, glancing at her. “I remember.”
Her eyes flick to mine, surprise mingling with the warmth in her expression. My heart starts to pound, the realization sinking in that everything about this is falling into place. It feels like the perfect moment handed to me on a silver platter.
“I’ve got an idea,” I say, reaching for the Polaroid camera resting beside us.
Her lips twitch into a curious smile. “Another photo? I think we’ve already documented every angle of today.”
“Not quite,” I reply, fiddling with the camera settings as I glance at her. “This one’s special.”
I hold the camera up, angling it to capture both of us with the string lights glowing softly in the background. Callie leans into me, her laugh light and easy as the flash goes off. The lyrics to Marry Me drift softly through the air.
As the photo develops, I slip it from the camera and hold it close, my heart pounding in my chest.
“What are you doing?” she asks, narrowing her eyes playfully as I pull a pen from my back pocket.
“Just adding a little touch,” I say, keeping the photo angled away from her as I write.
I glance at her, and the anticipation in her eyes makes my chest tighten. She’s watching me like she knows something’s coming, but she’s not quite sure what. And God, I want this moment to be perfect for her.
“You’ll see,” I tease, slipping the Polaroid back into her hand.
She looks down at the photo, her grin widening as the image comes into focus. It’s the two of us, smiling against the backdrop of the glowing lights, but it’s the words I’ve written along the bottom that make her breath hitch.
Marry Me.
Not a question, but a plea, a demand that she be mine forever. The words seem to hang in the air, mingling with the final notes of the song. She lifts her gaze, her eyes wide and shimmering, and I see it—the exact moment she realizes what’s happening.
I shift onto one knee, pulling the small velvet box from my pocket and opening it to reveal the ring. The diamond catches the string lights, casting tiny reflections across her face.
It’s not a traditional diamond, it couldn’t be. Callie’s not the kind of woman who wants what everyone else has. Instead, I’d spent weeks finding something as unique as she is: a square-cut black diamond, bold and striking, surrounded by a delicate halo of tiny white diamonds. The band is platinum, sleek and timeless, a perfect contrast to the boldness of the black stone. It’s her in every way—elegant, confident, one of a kind.
“Callie,” I say, my voice rough with emotion. “You’ve changed my life in more ways than I can count. You and the girls have given me a kind of love I never thought I’d have, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. Will you marry me?”
Her hand flies to her mouth, and for a moment I can’t tell if she’s going to cry or laugh. Maybe both. But then she’s nodding, her smile breaking free as the words tumble out in a breathless rush.
“Yes. Of course, yes.”
Overwhelming relief floods through me. My hands are steady as I slip the ring onto her finger, the black diamond standing out against her pale skin, the tiny white stones catching the light in a magical way. She throws her arms around my neck, her laughter spilling over into a kiss that feels like every perfect moment wrapped into one.
The Polaroid slips from her hand, landing in the grass beside us. The words glow faintly under the soft light: Marry Me.
And just like that, every doubt, every fear, every moment of hesitation I’ve ever had fades away. She’s my home, my everything.I pull her closer, the final notes of Marry Me fade into the night, leaving us surrounded by nothing but the stars, the glow of the lights, and the steady rhythm of our hearts.