Love You Always

“What the hell?” My sister Kim and Amelia practically tumble into Mia’s place. They must have been pressed up against the door trying to listen. This does not shock me in the least. My mom pushes past them.

“I can’t believe you're getting married and you didn’t even call your mother! What am I going to do with you, Maxwell Kennedy?” I should have known that Kim wouldn’t fess up to our mother about putting that bogus ad in the newspaper. “I’ll deal with you later.” She gives me a hard look before she moves to Mia, immediately hugging her.

“Look at you.” Mom pulls back from the hug. “Can’t you just see the light coming off her?” Mom believes in all that energy and psychic reading stuff. Normally I scoff at all of it, but in this case she’s right. Mia does shine. I can’t tell you what it is but it’s there.

“Thank you.” Mia gives my mom a soft smile. Her cheeks turn a sweet shade of pink under my mom’s praise.

“We have so much to do!” My mom grabs Mia’s hand, pulling her toward the sofa in my living room. My sister and Amelia follow closely behind, chattering about dresses and flowers. “Of course my son only gives us a week to plan a wedding!”

“A wedding?” Mia halts to a stop before they reach the sofa.

“I mean, I already booked a place.” Kim smirks. She sits up a little taller, waiting for her thanks.

“I don’t know if I want to choke you over that or hug you at this point,” I tell my sister. The stupid wedding announcement almost killed my future with Mia. I look to her. No, that’s not true. I wouldn't have given up until she heard me out. I would have lived outside of her place until she finally gave. I didn't get as far as I have in life because when the road looks rough I turn around. I keep on pushing or find another route to get to where I’m going. Now that road will always be to Mia.

“We can’t plan a wedding that fast!” My mom protests. “What would your family think of all this?” Mia’s head drops looking down at the floor.

“I’m her family and I’m perfectly okay with it.” Amelia wraps an arm around Mia. They lean into each other. “As long as I get to plan a bachelorette party.” I fight a growl knowing this is a battle I’ll never win. Between Amelia and Kim there is definitely going to be a bachelorette party. It doesn’t mean that I can’t get twenty bodyguards to follow them around.

“Mia.” I walk over to where she’s standing with my mom and drop down to my knee. “I love you, sweet angel. I never knew that I could feel these things until the moment that I heard your voice. Now I can’t live without you. Do me the honor of becoming my wife. I promise that I’ll love you forever.”

“Yes.”

I lift her as I stand kissing her deeply. “I’ll get you a ring soon. I promise. I don’t like seeing that finger bare.”

My mom clears her throat. “You’re so much like your father I knew if you found the one she’d be it.” Mom reaches into her Chanel bag, pulling out a wooden small box. “It’s yours.” She hands me my grandmother's ring.

“No. It’s hers.” I open the box and pull the ring out. “Give me your hand, angel.” She holds it out, her hand slightly shaking. The round sapphire is surrounded by smaller diamonds. They match her eyes perfectly. The ring was really meant to be hers.

“Love you, angel.”

“I love you too, Max.” She wraps her arms around me as I kiss her again.

“Okay. Enough of that. We’ve got a wedding to plan,” My sister breaks in.

“Maybe baby showers too?” My mom slides that right on in there, making my soon-to-be wife turn cherry red. She buries her face in my chest. I hold her close.

“Plan it all.” I kiss the top of my angel’s head. “I’m going to give her everything she could ever want.”

“All I want is you,” she says into my chest. My mom smiles so big her eyes start to water. My sister smacks her arm.

“You cry, I’ll cry,” my sister half hisses at her.

“I think you’re right. I’m really going to like them.” Mia looks up at me as my sister and mom start to bicker. Somehow Amelia gets into it, too. It bleeds over into wedding talk.

“Told you I’d give you everything. I meant a family too.” When love is on the line you’ll do anything to keep it.

Epilogue

Mia

A few weeks later

“This place is so nice.” I peer around the fancy club. The music is already blasting. The dance floor is full of people.

“We have our own area.” Kim points to a roped-off space that sits up a little higher than the rest of the club. I don’t want to know what it cost to have the area reserved. Two big guards guide us through the sea of people. They part, making room for the security guards that have been with us all night. You’d think we were out for a super wild night. We spent the day at the spa and then went out to dinner. Max’s mom, Vicky, parted ways with us, telling us girls to have a good night. She was going home to her husband, Jim. We made a quick stop at Kim’s place to change into our club wear. That’s what Kim kept referring to our outfits as. Her husband shook his head at us as we headed out. But not before whispering something into Kim’s ear that had her blushing. I have a feeling he’s going to tattle on us to Max. They are, after all, best friends. Even if he married Max’s sister.