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I sit down on my father's chair, look at my father’s portrait I have on my desk, and feel my heart swell up. Then, I swivel around to look back toward the panoramic windows as the California sun sets over the studios that he built with his own hands.
“Thank you, Dad.”
Chapter 27
Isa
Thesoundofthewaves crash quietly in my ears as my eyes are closed. The sand underneath my feet feels the same way it always has: soft and gentle. Opening my eyes, I’m graced with the absolutely breathtaking beauty of the sunset over the island. This is definitely my favorite place in the world, and coming back here feels the same way the very first time around.
I look over to my left, and I see the man who’s changed my entire life doing the exact same thing I was just doing: taking it all in, letting go of everything else. His green eyes slowly open, possibly detecting that I’m staring at him, but I make no efforts in covering my stare.
“Hey there,” I say somewhat sheepishly, letting out a giggle as he shows his perfect toothy grin toward me. “So… you turn thirty-six tomorrow, right?”
Leo nods, gripping the sand underneath him and letting the softness wrap around his firm hands. “Yeah. Crazy how time flies, right?” He’s not really bothered by anything anymore. It’s like everything just fell into place. I’m beginning to feel like we didn’t even need to go through all that trouble — I'm sure we were destined for each other. We just took a crazy way to what would have happened eventually anyway. But I'm not sure it would have happened this fast. That’s the craziest part for me, just how everything seemed to happen in a flash.
But, as they say, the universe works in mysterious ways. When it's all aligned, things can happen quickly.
“Actually…” Leo speaks up, letting go of all the sand and wiping his hands gently against each other to clear out all the remaining grains. He begins to sit up, looking at me deeply with his forest eyes.
“What is it?” I ask, unable to help feeling a little uneasy. Maybe it’s too good to be true that all of our hurdles are over. Maybe there’s more. Maybe there’s…
My train of thought immediately stops as soon as Leo presents me with a small black velvet box, and my heart immediately leaps into my throat. Leo spots my expression all too well because his perfect face suddenly sports the widest grin I’ve ever seen on him. “I may be a little late, but…” he starts as he gets up, only to kneel down in front of me and I swear to god, I’m ready to burst into tears right now. “Isa… Myone… Will you marry…”
“It’s my birthday!” Benji suddenly runs past us, full of energy, laughing and giggling madly. He sprints directly into the water, with Lia trailing right behind him, being a good big sister.
“You little punk! Come back here before you drown!” Lia calls out in a panic as she runs as fast as she can to catch up to the hyperactive little kid. “Just because it’s your birthday, doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want!”
I can’t help but chuckle once I see Leo’s flabbergasted face. His hand is already on the box, ready to open it and reveal what’s inside. “I'm sorry… what were you saying?” I say to him, urging him to continue.
Leo’s composure returns, clearing his throat. “Right. I was about to ask you… Isa, myonlyone… Will you…”
“Yeah! You go little man!” Jordan hollers as he jogs toward the beach as well, being a bad influence on Benji and being a nightmare to Lia. I’m happy that Benji gets two big brothers for his birthday, but I’m not sure Jordan is the most responsible one. Nevertheless, I’m positive he won’t let any harm come to my little brother.
“Someone already stole your new little brother, just so you know,” I tell Leo, who still has his hand on the unopened box. I beckon him to look at Benji and Jordan having a blast in the waters of Boracay Island, and Leo only scoffs.
“I’m such a better big brother to that kid than Jordan ever will be,” he playfully says, making me roll my eyes. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is… Will you…“
“IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!”
“Oh, my god. Can you just calm down, Benji!”
“Yeah, little man. It’s your birthday, it’s your birthday!”
At this point, I can’t help but burst out into laughter, and Leo follows suit as well, knowing how silly this has quickly become.
Further off into the distance, we see Leo's mom on a lounge chair. It's been hard for her to get used to the humidity, but she has been giving it her best effort. Whether or not she likes it here, she looks amazing. Big hat, designer sunglasses, swimming suit, cover-up, and sandals. My mom, bless her heart, is doing her best to make Lillian feel at home, bringing her a freshly opened coconut to cool her down. My dad follows behind, sitting with Lillian to have a chat.
We don't know each other well yet, but we are both women who love Leo and are determined to create a beautiful relationship. I know she is happy to be back in the fold and back in Leo's heart. We will do our best to include her because, after all, family is everything.
Admittedly, my heart overflows, seeing that everyone’s having a great time. “Leo…” I catch his attention after catching my breath, looking him right in the eye. “Do you wanna just go ahead and join them? They are having just too much fun!” I inquire, taking his hand and the box into mine. “You already know my answer, with or without whatever's in this box,” I assure him, placing a quick and chaste kiss against his lips.
Leo pulls me in for another one, putting the velvet box back into his pocket. “I guess this is what having a family is like, huh? Just pure chaos?”
I shrug, nodding in agreement. “Pretty much. Are you ready for it?” I ask, smiling coyly at my question.
Leo quickly picks up on what I’m trying to say, a slight smirk forming on his handsome face. “As long as you’re with me.”
Unable to help myself, I place one more kiss on his lips, this time a little longer. As I pull away, I whisper, “Forever and ever, babe.”
