Epilogue
Ben
Finn’s First Birthday
I knew the exact moment I was going to ask Cassie to marry me.
You might think it was after we found out she was pregnant, or when I first said I love you, or after the baby was born, and I saw her as a mom. However, it was before all of that.
It was the night I went to buy a pregnancy test. I just had a feeling.
I knew exactly why Cassie wasn’t feeling well.
Was I scared? A little. It was hard not to acknowledge how short a time we had been together and how different our lives would be.
Knowing how much she has wanted children trumped all logic for me.
I couldn’t think about anything else other than wanting her to be happy.
My sinister side did an evil laugh when I trapped her with this unplanned pregnancy.
She has assured me many times that she would be with me regardless.
When I came back that night, she was snuggled up with the loves of my life on the couch, looking like she belonged there.
I decided at that moment, whatever the result of that test, I was going to ask her to marry me.
I didn’t know when, but I knew that if she would have me, I wasn’t going to let her go.
I am a sap and a real sucker for happy women, and I wanted her snuggled up on that couch with us forever.
I asked her to marry me on the Fourth of July at our Second Annual Neighborhood Independence Day party.
Exactly one year after Widow Jenkins and I tricked her into spending time with me.
You might have thought the old lady acted alone.
Not really. We were in cahoots. She’s a perceptive old bird, and she saw I had my eye on her.
She launched a plan for a neighborhood block party in which she would act as my wingwoman.
Who was I to argue? The meeting we had between the three of us to launch the party planning?
WJ and I had already been planning this for months.
Cassie suspects she was tricked, but hasn’t pushed for details.
I think she is just appreciative of everything working out and unwilling to know how much of her life WJ has orchestrated on her behalf.
And just like our first hangout, WJ helped me set everything up for the proposal.
So there, in front of the inflatable bald eagle, right when it was getting dark, WJ sent my girls out with handmade signs she had helped them paint.
I was struggling the whole night to not cry, just thinking about what was going to happen.
I think when I hit forty, my man-tears really notched up.
Brooklyn (somewhat begrudgingly) held “Marry,” Linden held “Our,” and my sweet baby Taylen held “Dad?” Cassie was wearing the dress WJ gave her last year that she swore she would never wear again.
I begged in the name of tradition. It brings out two of her best qualities.
Being a little ridiculous and her legs. It wasn’t a private, romantic moment between just the two of us, but it has never been about just the two of us.
When Cassie said yes to being in my life, we were a package deal.
Cassie turned to me with tears in her eyes and the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.
She said yes, nodding vigorously, holding Baby Finn, tears running down both of our faces.
The girls wrapped us up in a group hug, and there wasn’t a dry eye on the block.
We celebrated our engagement with fireworks.
Our family of six cozied up on a blanket, watching the fireworks show with our neighborhood friends.
Finn pretty much slept through the whole thing. We’ll tell him all about it someday.
We had a small wedding in our backyard with just family and close friends in the fall.
Cassie had told me she had always dreamed of an intimate beach wedding; however, her dreams changed when she realized she wanted her kids with her when we got married.
Once Finn is a little older, we will do an intimate beach honeymoon. It’s going to be so hot.
I don’t know exactly how everything transpired, but Widow Jenkins ended up being the Maid of Honor. I suspect there was some bullying involved. I asked my dad to be my best man, and we had the most adorable flower girls and a tiny baby ring bearer. Mr. Thompson got ordained on the internet.
We saved a chair for Laura, because I know she would have loved this.
Oh, I also got a vasectomy because we decided our family is complete, and Cassie is a full believer in my super sperm. She said she doesn’t trust traditional methods of birth control. I’m not totally convinced the vasectomy will stop the little guys either, but time will tell.
And that’s how a middle-aged lawn care enthusiast, with a dad bod and a whole lot of baggage, found his happily ever after.