“Something about a donkeypunch,” Donna said, not really paying any mind to her boys.
Camden started chuckling. “That’s some funny shit right there.”
“Yeah, maybe to you males in the room.” I rolled my eyes. “Wrigley, maybe if you spent less time looking up gross things on Urban Dictionary, you could actually have a girlfriend.”
He jerked his head back. “Who said I want a girlfriend?”
“What about that Hadley girl? She was really cute and sweet.” I tried to plant a seed of interest, if he hadn’t taken notice to her yet.
“Hadley? As in from down the street? She’s just a friend.”
“Hmmm, maybe you should rethink that friendship status. She’s a doll.”
He looked at me funny. Something told me he was already questioning what she meant to him. I’d bring it up again when I saw him during his summer break. In fact, maybe we’d be seeing a little more of them together.
Regardless of how dinner went that day, I was looking forward to another outing. It had quickly become one of my favorite things, being at his family’s house or my parents’ with the baby. The love and adoration they’d all shown him and us was more than I ever thought possible.
“I’m going to go change the baby’s diaper and get him dressed. Take your time with the coffee and we can go when you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.”
When he walked out, I curled my legs up and held my warm cup in both of my hands. I stared at what used to be a wall, but was now one big open room. Smiling, I thought back to that day. I was such a lunatic. Paul came over and helped Dodger patch the spots that were without drywall, and he did some electrical work, moving the outlets.
“Hey, babe, can you come here for a minute? I think Foster has another diaper rash?”
I got up from the table and went into the nursery.
“Another one? Seriously, the last one had just gone away,” I groaned.
Dodger was standing in front of the changing table with Foster laying on his back. I was just walking up to them when he stepped out of the way to let me in. What on earth? The baby didn’t even have his diaper off. Instead I was looking down at a white onesie that had Mommy, will you marry my Daddy?
sewn on it. My brain was having a hard time catching up to what was happening. It’s like my eyes saw it and I read the words just fine, but the meaning behind it hadn’t sunk in yet. A hand next to me took a hold of mine. I turned in the direction of where Dodger was facing. There he was, down on one knee with a stunning diamond ring, and a blinding smile.
“Macie Rosewood.” He paused and swallowed. “From the moment you knocked on my brother’s apartment door, I have been absolutely taken by you. You have fought me every step of the way, and you have challenged me in ways I never thought possible. We may not have always seen eye to eye, but I knew, without a doubt, you were my girl. Even when we were apart, that heart of yours belonged to me. I gave you mine when you showed me that smile of yours. God made you for me. I will never find a better match for myself. You are the love of my life, the mother of my child, and the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
My cheeks were wet with tears. I was completely choked up and wasn’t even remotely expecting this. This. This was exactly how I wanted it. I wanted to know we could make it through the hard times. I needed to know I was with my life partner and that forever was with him. I think I always knew, which was why I didn’t date anybody when we broke up. But now we are here, in a home that we share, with our son that fills my life with more happiness that I ever knew I could have. Those things called life experiences were always changeable. I controlled my own destiny, even when there were surprises.
Nodding exuberantly, I yelled, “YES! Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
He flashed me that sexy crooked smile and stood up, wrapping me in his arms and picking me up. My legs and feet were dangling and I was laughing.
“You’re mine, Macie. Always have been, always will be.”
“No one I’d rather be stuck with.”
He kissed the living daylights out of me. When he set me down, I looked back at our son. Yes, this was exactly how it was supposed to be.
The End