Chapter 5
JOSHUA
“Congratulations! We’re so proud of you guys! Just one more picture!”
Mom celebrated, much to my annoyance, but I played nice for her.
We had just graduated from high school, so it was the least I could do.
“Honey,”
Dad reasoned. “You have like three hundred pictures already.”
“I know, but our babies are growing up.”
“Oh, honey …”
Dad pulled her into a tight hug.
Hayley beamed, looking at my parents adoringly. I knew she admired their marriage. She loved being around them any chance she could get.
“Okay, okay,”
Mom surrendered. “Just a few more of Joshua and Hayley.”
I smiled and threw my arm around my girl as I tugged her toward me.
“Smile. Oh, come on, Joshua, smile!”
“I am smiling,”
I griped, unable to take much more, my face fucking hurt from smiling so much.
“You guys look so nice! Now give her a kiss!”
I did.
“Joshua!”
Mom chastised. “There are children around! Don’t grab her butt!”
Hayley giggled, pulling away from me.
“Great, are we done now?”
“Yes, my impatient son.”
“You’re going to thank me when you have these amazing photos to look back on one day. You’re just like your father. You have the most beautiful smile too. You used to love pictures as a child. I don’t understand what happened.”
I glanced at Hayley, wanting to smile for her, but her gaze was captivated by someone behind me.
“Babe, you oka?—”
“Mom,”
Hayley announced out of nowhere, making my body snap around to the woman who was suddenly walking toward us.
All eyes flew to her mother. My gaze went back to my girl.
“I love you so much.”
I kissed all over her face, her mouth. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
Our eyes locked, both of us trying to focus and take each other in.
“I need to ask you something.” I asked.
My eyes widened.
The rest proceeded in slow motion. Especially when we’re standing there at graduation.
I kept thinking I found the love of my life.
She knew what was coming …
Big.
Huge.
Ugly tears.
I didn’t hesitate, pulling away and looking profoundly into her eyes. All I saw was my future, with her as my wife.
I made my choice, it was her.
It was always her.
So I spoke with conviction …
“Marry me, sweetness.”
HAYLEY
Did I want to marry him?
I inhaled a deep, solid breath while he held onto my grasp. Joshua always went from zero to a hundred and this was just another one of those circumstances. He didn’t half-ass anything ever.
One thought would occur while the next one was forming.
I did love him …
Did I want to be his wife?
Everything was changing at a moment’s notice and I was hanging on by a very thin thread that felt as if it was going to snap any second.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“Actually, for the first time in my life, I’m thinking pretty fucking clearly.”
“Joshua, you’re insane!”
“Insanely in love with you.”
He pulled out a ring box from the inside of his jacket.
“Joshua …”
I warned, my voice laced with unease.
“What?”
he played coy.
“Joshua …”
“Don’t you want to open it?”
“No.”
“No?”
“What’s in it?” I asked.
“You know what’s in it, Joshua.”
Since I wasn’t moving from the spot I seemed cemented to, he opened the box for me. As soon as I saw the three karat princess cut diamond ring shining bright against the sun, I loudly gasped and my hands shot to my mouth.
Fervently shaking my head, I yelled, “Oh my God! I can’t believe you. I don’t even know what to say to you.”
“A yes would be great. I want you to be my wife because I love you. I’m done playing games. I want you in my life forever and I’ll do whatever you need to make that happen. It’s really quite simple.”
I placed my hand on his chest. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”
He chuckled, “Hayley … That’s your reply? What about everything else I just said?”
“You’re not making any sense and if you took a second to think about that, you’d realize it.”
“Quite the contrary. I’m completely rational.”
I didn’t move.
I didn’t speak.
I was barely breathing.
He grabbed my hand, kissing the palm for a couple seconds. Allowing his lips to linger on my skin before he declared, “I’ve loved you from the moment I set my eyes on you. There is no me without you. I love you. You’re mine, Hayley. You’ve always been. Now,”
holding up the ring, he repeated, “marry me, sweetness.”
My mouth was wide open. “I … I … I don’t know.”
“Well.”
He cocked his head to the side. “At least it’s not a no.”
And I couldn’t hold back any longer, I shouted …
“Yes! I’ll marry you!”