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A: Yeah, be right there. I have to talk to you about something anyway.
K: Everything okay?
A: Yeah, but this is something I think you need to hear in person, and not over text message.
Color me intrigued, and slightly worried. Things have been going so well between us, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead of driving myself crazy, waiting for him to show up, I get to work starting to break down the empty boxes.
About fifteen minutes later, there's a knock on the back of the truck. "It's me, babe. Let me in."
I tend to keep it locked when I'm here by myself because I'm worried about someone coming in and me having to fight them off. I guess I watch way too much true crime. Walking to the back, I disengage the lock, letting him in. "Hey, thanks for coming to help me." I lift up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek after he steps in.
"No problem. You know I'll always help when I can. It ain't like I'm doing anything today." He takes his jacket off, setting it to the side as she immediately starts breaking down more boxes.
"Do you know when your vendor will have the pieces you need?"
He chuckles. "I was over at the office earlier, and if they still have an ass after Alexis chewed it up and spit it out, hopefully tomorrow."
"She can be scary."
"Didn't realize how much until I heard her threaten that vendor today. She's tough, and gonna keep my dad under control."
I give him a side-eye. "She keeps everybody under control. Once you realize how disappointed she can be, you don't want to disappoint her. So, what was it you wanted to tell me about?"
"Like I said, I was in the office today. Both Dad and Alexis were there, and they mentioned they have plans for tomorrow night."
"Oh yeah? What are they?" I'm gathering up all the packaging and throwing it away to go into our recycling for this week.
"They're getting married." He drops the bomb. "They're going to ask us to stand up for them, but they're not making a huge deal about it. They're going to send out a text to everybody today, asking them to come over for family dinner."
"But it's not even on a Sunday," I interrupt.
"I have a feeling they're going to have to explain a little bit more to get everyone to come out, but they're going for a sneak attack. I don't think they wanted to make a huge deal out of it."
I remember talking to Alexis not long ago. "Lex wants to have a baby, but she refuses to have one with him before they're married. It's the one thing she's standing strong on. Are you prepared to be an older brother?" I give him a shit-eating grin.
"I always wanted to be an older brother." He stops breaking down the box, and stands with a hand on his hip. "Gonna be really weird that my kid and my sibling will probably be pretty close in age."
I halt in my tracks. "Your kid?"
"C'mon Kara, you and I both know where this is heading. I want a future with you. That means moving you into my house, us getting married, having children, and the whole nine. I want all of that with you, sooner, rather than later."
My eyes meet his clear green ones. There is no doubt in them, at all. He wants all of this, and he wants it with me. Dropping the bag I'm putting trash into, I take a few steps over to where he stands. "I love you, Abel Wilson, and I would love to have it all with you too."
He grabs my hands in his, before kneeling down, not on one knee, but kneeling still. "I don't have a ring, I didn't have plans to do this, but it seems like the perfect moment."
I nod, because I agree. In my peripheral vision, I see the twist-tie that is used to close the packages of tortillas. I grab it in my palm and hand it over to Abel. "You can use this, just as a placeholder."
He laughs. "This is what I love most about you. You go with the flow and don't get torn up over the small stuff."
"It's all shit we can't change. There's no sense in making things more difficult than they need to be." I explain as he's twisting the metal into a circle.
"Kara Phillips, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You make my fuckin' day any time I get to see you, when I get an unexpected text message or phone call from you. You're one of the best people I know, and you care so much about everyone in your life. The way you've allowed my family to become yours, the way you've told me how yours made you feel inadequate. You've trusted me with the fact you sometimes need me to be the one to make decisions because you do it all day, every day. Your trust in me is unmatched, and it humbles me every day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up with you every morning, go to bed with you every night. When we have those kids, I'll be up with you at night, taking care of them, I'll share in the good, the bad, and the scary." He swallows roughly. "I want it all with you, Kara. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Tears have been running unchecked down my cheeks for longer than I care to admit, and it's hard to see Abel. He's blurry, as if I'm looking at him through a windshield being pelted with rain. But one thing I know for sure is the answer to this question. "Yes, yes I will marry you. Tonight, if you wanted me to." I sob. "Because I know you're it for me. I know you were put in my life, because we were hand-selected for me. I truly believe that. It takes a strong man to be able to let me shine. I've met a couple who tried, but all they did was try to dim the sparkle. You never tried to do that. I love you Abel, thank you for loving me back."
His arms wrap around me, pulling me down to him after he slips that metal circle onto my finger. Once I'm on his level, he kisses me thoroughly. When I pull back, I whisper. "I love you, Abel."
"I love you too. More than you'll ever know."
