Page 76 of Where You Are
“Oh my God,” I practically mouth the words and he doesn’t wait for an answer, simply taking my hand and sliding it on my ring finger. My breathing is deep and I feel tears sting my eyes before escaping down my cheeks as I hold my hand against his chest and take in a sight more beautiful than anywhere I’ve ever been in the world. The pale, aquamarine oval sits beautifully on a thin band of twisted yellow gold with tiny diamonds placed strategically in the weaving. It’s like ocean water and sunlight, both shining as bright as ever they can. I watch in awe as it glitters on my finger against my fiancé’s chest. “Matt…” I marvel breathlessly as I bring my hand up to my mouth. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything more beautiful,” I murmur, even though it’s my second time thinking these words in as many minutes.
“I have,” he informs me, tightening his arms around my waist while giving me a look that says he’s dead serious. “But this is a close second, and everything about it reminded me of you.” He’s not even looking at it, but right in my eyes as if he sees his eternity. “Plus, it gives you a little bit of ocean to carry around with you.” He shrugs one shoulder.
“Baby… I just need you,” I declare in a whisper, as a strong familiar current starts to pass between us.
“You have me Sunshine, for the rest of our lives and into forever.”
Epilogue
Matt
A few months later,the snow has melted, the temperature outside is warm, and the sun in the sky can’t compare to the sunshine standing in front of me. My Sunshine, that’s moments away from being my wife. Her brilliant light was back to being fully ablaze and burning brightly as ever that morning in the snow when I asked her to marry me, without so much as a flicker since.
Her hands are warm in mine as we stand in the water, right in front of the lake house that has become our home, with her white gown floating around her knees. Her smile is big and bright, coming from both her mouth and her eyes as they gaze into mine, while Chris addresses the group of our loved ones that have congregated on the shore to share in this moment with us.
Yeah, I know you probably think I’m out of my mind having him marry us, but for some reason, I just couldn’t see it be anyone else. Besides, I confiscated his energy drink before the ceremony and he hasn’t been too inappropriate. If anything, he’s making my lady laugh during his reflection on love.
“Love is… a mystical phenomenon that has now taken overhalf my band!Seriously! Guys! Knock it off!” he shouts, looking around at all of us band members. Okay, maybe I should’ve let him have one of his BLASTs. I chuckle nervously, hoping that’s his only little outburst while Jack responds with a kiss to Mayzie’s temple.
He finally settles his antics and prompts us to take our vows, with me going first. I draw in a breath, ready to tell the love of my life what she means to me when I hear a voice call from on top of the hill alongside the house.
“Wait! Hang on!”
Melanie and I both turn our faces in the direction of the male voice and see a man hurrying down the hill, looking incredibly out of place, not by his appearance so much as his disposition. He looks like he overcame his every fear and battled with himself to be here.
As he gets closer, Melanie’s look of confusion turns to the one of realization and she gives a small smile in his direction.
“This must be Ben,” Sarah smirks, as she holds baby Isaiah up on her shoulder next to Mike, who’s holding their daughter cradled in his arms.
Ben nods politely as he hurries past her, and despite the fact he’s wearing dark jeans with his light blue button down, he trudges into the water towards Mel and me. So long as he’s not here to object, he’s good in my book, and I won’t have to submerge his head in the lake.
When she told me that she wanted to reach out to him, I couldn’t have been more for it, especially since Mel and I have made a friend in Chantal since she came forward against Eli.
Unbelievably, that douche-wad is still fighting his verdict, accomplishing nothing but making an ass of himself as his bank account gets parted out to Melanie, Mayzie, and every other woman that came forward.
As Ben approaches us, sloshing through the water, I release my bride so that she can give her friend a hug that is nothing but caring on both sides.
“Sorry I’m late twerp,” he tells her when he draws back.
“I’m glad you made it, ass face,” she returns.
“Shut up and get married already,” he smirks and turns to me, giving me a friendly nod before turning to join everyone else on the bank.
“Ben,” I stop him and he stops and turns back to me with eyebrows raised at my outstretched hand. He barely hesitates before taking it and we give each other a firm squeeze.
“Thank you,” I tell him sincerely, and I know he knows what I’m referring to: that he was there for the love of my world when I couldn’t be. He gives me a nod and a solemn look that confirms this before respectfully turning back to join everyone else. He takes a spot beside Kasey, and he wins further points with me when Luna shyly waves up at him and he kindly smiles and gives her a little wave back.
We resume our vows that we each wrote for the other, both of us barely containing our tears, the women in attendance following suit, and Chris, who’s adamant a bug flew in his eye, but the sensitive idiot can fool no one when he barely chokes out the wordsman and wife.
I take that cue to wrap my bride in my arms and kiss the hell out of her while everyone claps and Chris yells out, “You may now get a room with the bride!”
My wife and I get lost in our kiss and let ourselves drop down in the water together as our loved ones stroll out and join us, laughing, cheering, uncaring that their clothes are getting wet. I tune it all out as I focus on the most beautiful person in my arms; both of us happy to stay right here and be the world to each other.
Epilogue
Melanie
“Vrooom, vrooooooom! Ppppppppp….”Dylan makes all the fun, playful noises that to a four-year-old sound exactly like a racecar as he pushes his little black and red Hot Wheels car up and over my round belly. I smile in contentment at how relaxed and at home he looks, without a care in the world other than picking up the variety of other cars that litter the coffee table before bed. The tiny wheels tickle through the cotton of my white maternity top. He’s come a long way from not wanting to look at either Matt or me, or let us touch him, to snuggling next to me on the couch and using my belly as his racing terrain.