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NEW YEAR’S EVE
“Not long to go now,” Sam said, from where he and my father, Jimmy, sat side by side on the sofa in our living room. A game of rugby was on TV, but it was an old one and I didn’t think either of them was paying much attention to it. They were too busy talking motorbikes. This was the first time we’d introduced our in-laws to each other, and it was going better than I could have hoped. Sam and Jimmy had a lot in common, and Mum seemed to like Hannah’s dad well enough, although she’d spent most of the evening with Ruby, showing her how to use the lip gloss and concealer she’d gotten for Christmas.
It still felt strange seeing my little girl with makeup, but she was fourteen now, and it made her happy. As Hannah had pointed out, it was better to introduce things like makeup in small quantities in a supportive environment so she could experiment and figure out what she liked rather than banning her from using it and risking her feeling like she had to keep secrets from us. There were definitely benefits to co-parenting with my now live-in girlfriend, who was far more familiar with the world of teenage girls than I’d ever be.
“Five minutes until the new year,” Hannah said, slipping an arm around my waist.
I exchanged a glance with Ruby, who knew exactly what I was planning in five minutes. The past year with Hannah had been the best of my life. I was so glad I’d gotten my head out of my ass and opened my heart to her after she turned up in Destiny Falls. I hated to think of a life without her, and hopefully, soon, I wouldn’t ever have to again. I held Hannah tight to my side and kissed her forehead. Across the room, Ruby gave me a subtle thumbs up.
We’d opted to spend New Year’s Eve at our place rather than going to either the local event at Drunken Destiny or the fancy party at the ski resort, which would cater mostly to tourists. It was nice to get to know each other better in this setting.
“I’m starting a countdown,” Ruby said, tapping away on her phone.
I checked my watch. Two minutes to go.
“Thank you all for coming,” I said to our family. “It means a lot to have you here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Dad replied, raising a beer. He and Sam clinked their bottles against each other.
One minute.
We gathered in a circle. Sam and Dad on the sofa, Mum and Ruby on armchairs, and Hannah and I standing between them.
Ruby started calling out. “Ten, nine, eight…”
I reached into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around the small velvet box inside it.
“Seven, six, five…”
I turned to face Hannah and dropped to one knee.
“Four, three, two…”
She stared at me with wide hazel eyes. My heart brimmed with love for her. She’d danced into our lives a little less than a year ago and made everything so much better.
“Hannah,” I said, flipping the box open as Ruby’s countdown ended. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she whispered, taking the box from me. Her smile wobbled. Was that a good thing? “It’s beautiful.” She closed the box and wrapped a hand in mine, pulling me to my feet. I swept her into a kiss, but kept it brief since Ruby and our parents were watching avidly.
“I love you.” I brushed her hair off her forehead and held her beautiful gaze. “Stay with us, forever.”
“I’d love to.”
Ruby pounced on her, breaking the thread of tension between us. “I helped choose the ring,” she said. “Do you like it?”
Laughing, Hannah opened the box again, took the ring out, and slid it onto her finger. The band was platinum, and a little quirky, like her.
“It’s beautiful,” Hannah said. “I love you guys. Thank you for making me part of your family.”
Family.
The word settled in my heart and warmed me from the inside out. That’s what we were, and what we always would be. I had faith in our love lasting a lifetime. We may not always be perfect, but together, we were strong enough to get through anything.
* * *
Thank you for reading Say You’ll Stay. If you’d like to spend more time in Destiny Falls, check out Come Back to Youhere. Stay on top of all things Alexa by joining my newsletterhere.
Alexa Rivers
