“You ready for this?” Phillip hollers.
“Absolutely.” A large smile is plastered to my face and he starts in on the familiar directions to prepare me for our landing. My feet are extended in front of me and the receivers are jogging toward us as we swoop in and sail into a steady walk. “Yes!” I yell, wanting nothing more than to go back up and do it all over again. But that will have to wait because right now I have something a little bit bigger than skydiving to get ready for.
Everyone works to strip me of my harness and gear, and I run to a waiting car to change into my suit, knowing that she’s probably on her way down. My hands are shaking, and my mouth is dry, but there’s a lightness in my chest that I’m certain I’ve never felt before.
Emerging from the car, I adjust my pink tie and run to the edge of the banner. I don’t even know how big this thing is—I just called a guy and told him that I needed something she could see from up in the air. He didn’t disappoint, that’s for sure. But I hope like hell she doesn’t want to take it home.
“What is that?” I yell, pointing toward the large white thing stretched across the ground.
“I don’t know,” my tandem instructor responds. The closer we get, the larger the white thing gets, and slowly, little red dots show up against the white background. My eyes squint, trying to see what it says, but I just can’t—we’re too far away. Clouds are flying past us but I feel like I’m floating, and despite all of the wonderful things that I know I’m missing, I can’t seem to take my eyes off that darn white thing.
A feeling deep in my gut tells me that something is going on, and that whatever this is, it’s important. So I keep my eyes on the big white thing. As we get closer, the red dots begin to form shapes and the shapes soon become words.
Oh. My. God.
“Get me down there, Dave!” I yell, my heart fluttering in my chest. He chuckles in my ear and it doesn’t take me long to realize that he knows exactly what this is. He was probably in on it.
“We’re falling as fast as we can,” he hollers in my ear. I can feel chest bounce, presumably with laughter.
“Faster, Dave! I need down there now!” My body is trembling with excitement. My heart is slamming against my ribcage, and it isn't because I'm free falling toward the ground.
WILL YOU MARRY ME? is plastered in large letters on an enormous white banner, and my mind works furiously to try and figure out how I can get that thing home.
“Congratulations,” Dave says, patting my arm.
“Don’t congratulate me yet. He still has to say the words!” A giddy laugh bubbles from my throat. He directs me on how to land as we glide toward the ground. My feet slip when we the hit the grass, but Dave grabs ahold and manages to keep me upright. The chute floats down around us, but my eyes are locked on the gorgeous man kneeling next to the banner. His beautiful blue eyes are focused on mine and I stand there, completely still, numb with happiness as everyone works to free me from my harness.
“You’re good to go,” Dave whispers, nudging me in the arm. My feet are moving and before I know it, I’m standing in front of the only person who owns me, heart and soul.
“Hi.” Levi’s magnificent smile lights up his entire face, and I have no choice but to smile back.
“Hi.” My giggle turns into a broken cry and my hand flies to my mouth. Tears burn the back of my eyes as I wait for him to say something else.
“How was your jump?” he asks, sounding calm and unaffected, the exact opposite of how I feel.
“It was amazing,” I whisper, removing my hand from my face. “I had the best view in the entire world.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Tears trickle down my face and I let them, because they are happy tears. Levi swallows hard, dips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a black velvet box. “Laney Jacobs, you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and I’m going to love you long after I leave this earth. I can’t imagine going through this life without you by my side. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I gasp, catapulting into his arms. “Yes.” My mouth fuses to his, my hands tangling in his silky hair. His arms wrap around me, his warm hands cradling my neck. He pulls back and my mouth follows his, so he kisses me again, swallowing my laugh.
“You’re going to be my wife,” he says, his eyes bright and brimming with tears.
“I can’t wait,” I whisper, grabbing his tie and pulling him back to me. Everyone around us is clapping and cheering, and a warm sensation crawls up my chest, infusing my neck.
“Wait,” Levi says, digging into his pocket. He pulls out a tattered piece of paper and then looks around. “I need a pen! Who’s got a pen?” Someone tosses a pen at us and Levi catches it midair. Holding the paper against his thigh, he makes a mark and then hands the paper to me. My eyes dart to the words and then back to him, my breath catching in my throat.
“My bucket list,” I breathe, my eyes darting back down. “You’ve had this the whole time?” He nods his head and I take the paper from him, my eyes skimming over the words.
“There are only four things left,” he says. My eyes snap to his and he gives me a devilish grin.
“I can’t wait to check them off,” I say, earning another kiss from—“My fiancé.” I smile when the word rolls off my tongue. “I liked the sound of that, although I’ll be happier when I have your last name.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.” Levi steps away, and for the first time I notice all of our friends standing off to the side. Luke, Benny, Mia, Harley, Tyson, Max, Mason and Quinn are all smiling widely, and I wave at them before looking back down at my list.
One year ago I was on the brink of death, and I feel so incredibly lucky that I’m here now. Honestly, I don’t remember my time in the ICU, but Levi and everyone else has told me stories about how scary it was. By the time I woke up, the pneumonia was gone, but I was still being treated for the sepsis. I was told it was touch and go there for a while, and that there was even a moment where they thought they had lost me. I don’t like to hear that story.
It especially hurts to hear about how Levi was ripped from my room, and Mia and Benny told me that he’d been an absolute mess afterward. Apparently, he became a complete introvert, refusing to leave my side. Mason had to bring him clothes and practically forced him to take showers. He didn’t eat and barely slept, and the thought of him going through that breaks my heart.