Page 45 of Forever After Never

I don't want to fuck this up. She is equal parts strong and delicate. Like a fucking grenade.

Given that she has completely blown up my life, it is the perfect analogy for my perfect girl.

Pulling up to my parent's house, Alice lets out a low whistle.

"Oooooof. What a house!" She dramatically drops her lower jaw, looking between me and the house.

"Yeah. My parents built it when we were kids. We lived in a trailer on the property when it was just a pile of wood." I look lovingly at the house in front of us and relive memories of my childhood. Pushing my kid sister on a swing that is no longer there. Building a treehouse with my dad when I was twenty, and Carter subsequently burning it down. Accidentally, of course. But he is the adrenaline seeker of the family. Always doing things that he shouldn't have been, even when he was seven, including playing with fire. I don't really remember what happened. I only remember our mom panicking that he was hurt and her relief when she realized that he wasn't. We don't give our parents enough credit for the extra grey hairs we gave them when we were young.

"That's awesome. I would love to build my own house one day. I don't know if I have the patience for it, though. Maybe I'd be better suited to the plans. Let someone else take care of the physical work. It's a nice pipe dream, though!" Alice hops out of the car and taps the roof with her hand. "So, let’s go and tell your family about your crazy plan to marry my best girl!"

My Mom is already on the porch with her arms crossed in front of her, tapping her foot on the wood beneath her feet.

"Sawyer, who is this?" She eyes Alice warily and glares in our direction. "Andwhereis Autumn? Autumn is hisgirlfriend,ifyou don't know already." My mom practically spits the words out. She is hilarious. Warding women off me because she's grown overly attached to Autumn, like me and the rest of my family.

"Mom, relax. Jeez. This is Alice. Autumn's best friend."

"Oh. Oh. Sorry. Alice you said? Wait. I am confused. Why is Alice here and not Autumn?" Mom's body language relaxes, although she is still suspicious.

"Oh, Hi, Mrs. Green. Seeing as your son isn't too keen to explain and would prefer you to perform some sort of voodoo magic on me, I'll fill you in before you get any ideas." Alice elbows me in the ribs and pulls my mom into a hug.

"Oh, shut up, Alice," I grumble at her. "Mom. I am going to ask Autumn to marry me."

"Excuse me. Say that again," Mom chokes out.

"You heard me right. I listened. I listened to everything you said, Momma. I am going to ask Autumn to marry me, and I want to do it here."

"FRANK! COME HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND! FRAAAAAAANK!" My mom hollers through the house and looks back to me and Alice. "Oh, son. I just knew it. She is perfect for you." She wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and pulls me into a hug. My mom is a tiny woman, but I still feel like a little boy every time she wraps my six-foot-two frame in a hug. "We need more women like Autumn in this family." As my Mom releases her death grip from around my waist, my dad saunters out onto the porch to join us. "Frank! Frank!" she says in an exasperated manner. "What took you so long?"

"Claudia, darling. It took me approximately sixty seconds. That is very dramatic, even for you." My dad raises an eyebrow at my mom "Now, what is so urgent? And who is this?" he nods his head to Alice.

"Hi, I'm Alice. I am Autumn's best friend. Your caveman son wants to ask my best friend to marry him. I'm here for the ride." Alice shoots a beaming smile at my dad. "Now, can someone please tell me what that smell is, because I am starving. And if someone has a pair of shoes in a size nine, that would be perfect. Because of the commotion this morning, I left Autumn's house without my shoes." Alice lifts her foot up and wiggles it around for full effect.

"Well, I'll be!" is my dad's reply. "Come on, Alice. Let's get you something to put on your feet, and we can talk about why my son dragged you out of a house without any shoes." My dad gestures with his hand and shows Alice inside. "Before we do that, though. Claudia has just made chili and cornbread. So, let's get you fed, watered and clothed. Then we can talk about what the hell is going on. The rest of the Greens will be here in a couple of hours. So, you'll be thrown into the family. I hope that's okay, but if it isn't.. well.. then, it's a bit too late for that!" he chuckles at Alice as she flings herself into a chair around the dining table.

"Ughhhhhh. Thank you! At leastsomeonecares about my hunger and lack of shoes!"

Four hours later, we are sitting on the couch, talking to my mom and dad about the plan to marry Autumn. I still have no idea how I am going to do it, but my parents are absolutely thrilled.

"So, what ring did you get?" My mom cuts through the conversation.

"Ring?" is the only thing I can think to reply because this thought had never actually occurred to me. At all.

"Oh, Sawyer.Pleasetell me that you bought the girl a ring?" My dad claps me on the back and shakes his head.

"To be honest, I hadn't even thought about a ring. I just want to ask her, and I didn't give any thought about what I'd put on her finger." I shrug and regret that immediately.

"I taught you better than that!" my mom scolds me, and I wince.

"To be fair," Alice inserts herself into the conversation. "Autumn wouldn't give a shit if you proposed with a plastic ring. Sorry, I.. Ummm. I mean, Autumn wouldn't care less if you proposed with a plastic ring." My mom and dad laugh at Alice correcting her swearing.

"Sawyer, you are absolutely proposing with a ring. I'll be right back!" Mom calls to be as she hurries from the room.

My brothers, Lottie and Poppy arrive, and I make the introductions with Alice. I stand from the couch and bend down to ruffle my niece's hair.

"Oli, Lottie, Poppy. This is Alice. She is Autumn's best friend." Alice gives a small wave to my niece, and she runs across the living room and jumps into Alice's lap. Grabbing her face in both hands.

"Oh. Umm. Hi, little one. I'm Alice," she says and beams at Poppy. "Aren't you a cutie?" Alice pulls Poppy into a small hug.

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