Page 119 of Perfect Chemistry

“Boooo! Val, your version isn’t as fun,” Amy chimed in with Bradley and Jonas.

“Who’s next?” Alex asked.

“Um, you are, Alex!” Amy said, pointing at him.

“Yes! Ok… Um… Let me think… Oh! Never have I ever had a baby with someone who isn’t here,” Alex smiled, holding up the pink post-it and kissing his wife, Jane.

Jane whispered in his ear, and Alex nodded. “Pregnancy doesn’t count. Has to have been a living child ex-vitro,” he added.

I watched pink slips go up around most of the group, mine included. I side eyed Kai, and had to do a double take when I saw that he held up the pink post-it and not green.

Andie was the first to admonish him, “Kai, you had a kid with your ex-wife. You can’t pull that shit.”

Kai’s face turned very serious, “What was the Never again? Never have I ever gotten another woman pregnant who is not here. There is a reason my divorce was ironclad, Andie.”

He was pissed. I was going to tell him it was okay, but then he said all of that.

“She cheated on you?” Andie asked. I had never told her why Kai divorced Jenny. It didn’t seem like my story to tell, but Kai was telling them all now.

“She told me the kid was mine because we had been fooling around. When Heather died, I found out she wasn’t mine by blood. I loved her and I miss her still, but I was not the father who planted that seed.”

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. “I love you so much, Kai,” I whispered in his ear, feeling his arms wrap around me. “Never have I ever loved anyone as much as I love you.”

Kai leaned back, cupped my face and kissed me deeply. When he pulled away again, I was breathless and panting.

Bradley stood up, “Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t have to leave, but you need to man your stations for this evening’s main event. It’s nearly midnight!”

I looked around confused as everyone pulled out hats and party poppers. “Where’s my hat and party popper?” I asked Bradley, sounding like a sullen child.

Kai tapped my leg and told me to stand up for the final round of the game. Everyone swore that this was how they played the game while I was gone for ten years, so I went along with it.

I was pulled over to Andie, “Never will I ever be happier than I am when you smile,” she said before pushing me toward Amy.

Amy smiled at me, “Never will I ever wake to a more beautiful sight than you in my arms.” She then pushed me to Lacy.

“Never will I ever ask for anything again, because I have it all,” Val said, grinning ear to ear.

I didn’t understand this game. They all sounded like they were making overtures to me.

Never will I ever be happier than I am with you; wake to a more beautiful sight than you in my arms; ask for anything again, because I have it all.

I turned slowly realizing that I couldn’t see Kai behind me. Someone grabbed my hand and I halted, looking down to see Kai on one knee and holding a candy ring pop. Before I could say a word he pulled me closer to him and spoke.

“Never have I ever felt more love than I do when I am with you. Never have I ever wished more for someone else than I do for you. Never have I ever wanted to spend the rest of my life with someone as much as I want to spend all of my days with you,” he told me, staring into my eyes.

I couldn’t see clearly as my eyes brimmed with tears. What was he doing?

“Never will I ever get a woman as pregnant-” there was a volley of gasps and squeals before Kai gave them all a look for interrupting. “-Gotten a woman more pregnant with joy, love, and hope. Never will I ever feel more blessed than I do with you in my life, Katie. Never will I ever leave you. Never will I ever make you cry another tear, other than those of joy. Never will I ever-” I stopped him.

I couldn’t stop the tears running down my face. My whole body was trembling with emotions. Never had I ever felt anything like I felt in that moment. Kai stood up, wiped away my tears, and continued.

“Never will I ever ask another woman to be my wife. To love only me. To be with only me for all of our days. Never will I ever see another woman walk down an aisle unless it is you, walking toward me on our wedding day. Katie Renee Preston Johnson, I have loved you since the sixth grade. I was an idiot to not tell you for six years. I was an idiot to let you go 11 years ago. I will never make those mistakes again. Never will I ever let you go a day without hearing how much I love you. Katie,” he whispered my name.

“Yeah?” I asked, choking back my tears.

“Will you marry me?” Kai asked in the softest whisper. “Will you marry me, and have beautiful babies with me, Katie?”

I sobbed out, “YES,” threw my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist so that he was carrying me.

---