“And who's this?”

I pointed to the man beside her. She turned bright pink as she giggled and gestured to him.

“Well,” she said. “This is Ben. Do you remember when we went jogging from our parent's house in the park?”

“Yes, I do!”

“He's the guy who caught me.”

I smiled at him. “Ah! This is the alien visitor, eh?”

“At your service,” he said while bowing. “Or do humans shake hands? I still haven't been sure of this culture yet!”

I laughed as I opened my arms. “We hug here.”

He chuckled as he wrapped me in a hug. I patted his back and stood next to them, beaming so much that I probably looked as bright as a lighthouse. I watched as Levon spoke to his parents. Gabe went up to him and shook his hand. He met Sara and then turned his attention to Jen who was crying as much as I was.

“Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one sobbing,” I joked. “We'll have to get Levon to meet you, Ben. I'm sure you two will get along.”

“Does he like chess?”

I cackled. “That's one of his favorite things. Hey, babe!”

Levon perked up at his name, smiling immediately. He jogged over to us and embraced Laura first. She squealed while gushing about how gorgeous the entire proposal was. When she was done, she introduced Ben.

Ben shook his hand firmly. “I hear you play chess.”

“I hear you're good at catching women.”

“Actually, I think this one caught me.”

Laura blushed. “We like to joke about that. He caught me before I fell, but he's the one who ended up falling for me.”

I laughed. “That's so cute!”

“So, what are we doing after this? I heard someone mention fresh seafood. I'm literally starving.”

“We're going out for seafood and then catching a live band on the beach,” Levon replied. “I set everything up so Clara could enjoy the evening without planning anything.”

“Uh oh,” Laura teased. “I don't know about all that. She still might worry.”

“Just because I plan events doesn't mean I obsess over the events I attend,” I claimed.

Levon and Laura both eyed me suspiciously. I tried to hold their stares but broke into giggles, bending forward to catch myself on my knees. Max ran up and shoved his snout into my face. I rustled his fur and hugged him again before standing upright. I patted Max's head. He was such a good dog. He was so receptive to my emotions and he was just as comforting as Levon.

I gazed around the porch at everyone in attendance, overwhelmed with joy.

“This has been such a beautiful day,” I expressed happily. “I can't believe this is my life. I feel like I'm dreaming.”

“You're not dreaming, darling,” Levon assured. He gently took my waist. “Because if you're dreaming, then I'm dreaming.”

“Well, then,” I whispered. “I never want us to wake up.”