Page 112 of Until the Ink Dries

Everyone took a sip from their glasses. Benjamin kissed me once more before pulling the mic from my hand.

“Thank y’all again for coming through. Since we giving thanks, I couldn’t have done any of this without my tribe, man. My parents, my baby Willow, even Jordan and Shirah’s crazy asses. Man, all of y’all came through during a time I wasn’t sure how we would make it,” Ben said, looking out at everyone, then back at me.

He reached out and took my hand in his own, giving me his undivided attention.

“I’m not the biggest talker, but it seems like ever since you came around, I can’t stop. You opened my eyes to a love I couldn’t have ever imagined having or needing. You're an anomaly, baby. There is no one like you and no one who can love me or Charlie the way you do.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. I watched him reach into his pocket, then pulled out a suede box before bending down on one knee. You could hear a pin drop as Ben released my hand to remove the ring. Charlie stood still beside him with a big smile.

“Baby, I say all of that to say—will you spend the rest of your life with me and Charlie? Will you marry me?” he asked.

My hands went to my mouth as I nodded enthusiastically and held my hand out. He slid a pear-shaped, three carat ring onto my finger. The applause around us was out of this world. Before he could stand to his feet, I stopped him.

Then I reached into my pocket to pull out my surprise for him and Charlie. He looked at me with a lift of his brow, confused until I unfolded the sonogram.

“I guess I wasn’t the only one with a surprise! We’re having a baby.”

Ben stood quickly and lifted me off my feet, raining kisses all over my face before making it to my lips.

“I love you so much,” he said in between kisses.

“I love you, too. I can’t believe we’re getting married!”

I glanced down at Charlie, who was grinning widely, then remembered she wanted to say something too.

“Baby, Charlie wanted to say something, too.”

Benny held the mic down for Charlie to take.

“I just wanted to ask for my brother or sister, but I guess God heard me!” she said in the mic, causing everyone to laugh.

Ben and I looked at one another as everyone celebrated around us.

“I guess I locked you in before the ink dried, huh?” he asked.

“You can say that, but this love is permanent. You don’t have to ever doubt that.”

The End.

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