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At that moment there is so much love out here on the patio, I can almost feel the foundation shaking beneath the weight. I remember Levi's words when he told me everything was going to be all right and yet I couldn't fathom how.
Now, surrounded by my family, my best friend and the man I love, I finally realize that no one outside this circle matters.
Levi clears his throat and kneels in front of me awkwardly. I gasp in shock. This is a very bad idea. A proposal is going to ruin the few minutes of truce we just enjoyed.
"Oakley," Levi begins, even though I'm shaking my head furiously. "I wasn't meant to fall in love with you, but I did. A love like ours is forbidden, but we're blessed to have people that care enough to respect our feelings for each other. Before you think your dad's going to punch me and Vayda's going to kill you, they know about this. That's why I invited them over. They've missed out on so much of the happiness we've brought each other; I wanted them to share this moment with us."
My eyes widen, and my heart races as Levi pulls out a velvet box from his pocket. He opens the dark box and reveals a stunning ring. It's a large ruby with a rhinestone circle around it. The fact that he didn't choose something as common as a diamond, but rather something I would've picked myself just reaffirms how well he knows me.
“Would you do me the honor of marrying me and being my wife? I promise to cherish you, to care for and to love you until the end of my days. I want to ask you in front of our family so if they ever feel I’m not holding up my promise, they’ll be there to kick my ass.”
“Or shoot you,” my dad adds with a stiff smile.
My eyes dart to my parents before they shoot to Vayda's, everyone is smiling at me encouragingly. My hands cover my mouth in complete shock. I nod my head rapidly. "Yes, yes, yes!" I finally cry out. Levi envelops me in a large hug, and I cling to him. "I love you."
"I love you so damn much, baby. Nothing will ever change that. I promise," he whispers in my ear.
Once we pull apart, I look at everyone surrounding us with beaming smiles.
“Thank you all for being here,” I tell them with tears in my eyes. “I know this isn’t how we envisioned our family, but haven’t we in a way been family all along?”
My mom and Vayda shed a few tears as my dad shrugs and slaps Levi on the back. "Like I said, you call me dad, and I'll kill you."
Laughter erupts from my throat as Levi slips the ring onto my finger. It’s a perfect fit.
Just like us.
23
Levi
My hands are clammy, my heart is beating a mile a minute matching the tune t
o which my foot is drumming on the waiting room floor. I shouldn’t be this nervous, I’ve been through this before, and my mind tries to rationalize.
"Dad, where is she? Is she all right?" Vayda asks, rushing up to me. She looks as fresh as a daisy in a red dress in high heels. She finally met someone she really likes, and they've been dating for a while now. I feel horrible for calling her away from her date, but I needed her here.
"She's in with the doctor now. It all just happened so fast. One moment we were lying in bed, and the next moment she was in agonizing pain. God, if something happened to her or the baby..."
“Hey, calm down. She’s in good hands. She’ll be just fine. She’s too stubborn to miss out on all the attention.”
Her words make me smile, even though I don't feel like smiling. The first few months were touch and go, but she started spending more time with Oakley and me. She even threw Oakley's baby's shower, and she's going to be the godmother.
“Levi! What happened?” Sarah asks wearing a tracksuit, John close on her heels.
“I’m not sure. I think she’s in labor. She was fine and then she just started crying from the pain. Jesus, Sarah. Rebecca was in labor for days, I didn’t expect it to happen this fast.”
Sarah laughs, with the ease of a woman that has been through childbirth. “Levi, relax. Take a few deep breaths. All babies have their own clock, if this little monster is on his way, then he must be eager to meet us.”
I do what Sarah tells me to and exhale just as a doctor wearing scrubs steps into the waiting room. "Do you know where your son is?" he asks, looking at John and me.
Vayda bursts out laughing, breaking the tension. “Hey doc, if you’re looking for the dad, that’s him.”
The doctor clears his throat clearly embarrassed by his misinterpretation of the situation. “Mr. Brandon? Would you like to meet your son?”
My head feels dizzy at the words. I grip a chair to keep myself from falling over. “Already? W just got here ten minutes ago.”
The doctor laughs and pulls off his cap. “We were checking her vitals when the baby decided he wasn’t waiting for us to get our ducks in a row. He’s a strong, beautiful boy. Would you like to meet him?”
