Perfect Love Story (Love 1)

“Jensen, you are.” She sniffles as she leans forward to kiss me. “You are that and so much more.”

“I want to do all that with you as my wife.” She gasps.

“Be my wife.” I blink away the tears that are now forming. “Please.” I reach into my pocket, taking out the box and opening it to show her the simple ring I picked out the day she moved in.

I take her finger and slip the ring on as she looks down at the square diamond ring with a diamond eternity band.

“Say something.”

She looks at the ring and then back up. “Yes.” Her head moves up and down as the tears flow. “A million times yes.”

She gets on her knees, burying her face in my chest as she cries. I hold her until she tilts her head back, the marks of tears all down her cheeks, and her smile bright. “Are you gonna kiss me or not?” I laugh as my mouth claims hers, the wind picking up.

“I think a storm is coming,” she says when the sand starts flying up. “Let’s go inside.” I reach for her hand, not caring about the storm, not caring because I have my foundation. With her, I have everything. With her, I have my perfect love story.

Epilogue Two

Hailey

A beautiful sunny day five months later . . .

“What do you mean I can’t go in there?” I hear Jensen’s voice boom from outside our bedroom door, my eyes closed as Darla finishes my makeup. “That’s my bedroom.”

“Jensen Walker,” I hear Heidi say. “Don’t make me take out Grandma Delores’s whip.”

“Mom, my girls are in there, and I want to see them. Mila, open the door for me. Hailey …” I hear Mila giggle from the bed. I open one eye to see my girl sitting in the middle of our bed, reading a book. The puffy dress she is wearing swallows her. My mother has her tucked by her side as she reads to her.

“Poppa is getting angry,” Mila tells my mother while she looks up giggling.

Seeing my mother look at Mila with such love makes my heart burst. The day after we got engaged, my family arrived, bearing gifts. With the engagement ring on, I waited to see who would notice it first.

Mom and Dad both came in with their hands filled with gifts, “Are those presents for me?” Mila asked, jumping up and down, clapping her hands.

My father placed them by the tree and then held out his arms for her. She ran to him, and he picked her up. “Santa told me you were a very good girl.”

“I was. I help set the table every night,” Mila told him.

Nanny then walked into the house. “What a wonderful house, Jensen,” she told him as soon as she sat down, “but the car ride was brutal.”

“Do you want some tea?” I asked from beside Jensen, his arm around my shoulders.

“I would love some,” Nanny said. I walked to the kitchen while my mother and father sat down with Mila. Blake was the only one not able to make it since he was on shift.

I placed the cup of tea on the coffee table in front of them and then finally heard a squeal. “Oh my god, is that an engagement ring. Joanne?” Nanny called my mother who looked away from Mila.

I stood up, finally everyone’s eyes on me, the smile not leaving my face even if I tried. I smiled so much my cheeks hurt. I looked down at the ring. “Yes. I agreed to marry him,” I told them, their hands flying into the air as they shouted their joy.

“Does this mean that I get to have a grandpop?” Mila asked my father who got tears in his eyes.

“It sure does.” He picked her up as he hugged her. “And I have the best looking granddaughter on the play ground.”

“Oh dear.” I rolled my eyes; she had him wrapped around her finger from the first time they met. She would go for walks with him on the beach holding his hand. She would sit on his lap all the time; when my mother would FaceTime, she would come in and take over the conversation. So that started our first Christmas together, and this year, we were going up to their house.

“He’ll get over it, sweetheart.” My mother leans down to kiss Mila’s head. My family is down for the week. You see, today is my wedding day.

“Okay, you’re done,” Darla tells me. I stand from the chair and go look at myself in the bathroom mirror. My blond hair is tied at the base of my neck in a messy bun with my bangs swept to the side. My makeup is light. “Now, let’s get you in that dress,” she says from beside me as the butterflies fill my stomach.