Page 130 of Forget It

“Start what?” Anya says excitedly.

“Nik, the silver fox from across the street.” Rosie giggles. “He miraculously keeps finding an excuse to come and knock on the door.”

Anya gasps as my motherblushes. “Get it, Gloria.”

“On that note,” I say as I stand up dislodging Rosie’s feet as everyone laughs. “It’s bedtime.”

“I’ll take her,” Mum says, laughter still rolling off her tongue as she pulls Olive out of Anya’s arms. Olive loves her grandmother, resting her head on her chest and grabbing the neck of her t-shirt in her fist. Mum leans her head on Olive’s. “I’m going to miss you so much, bub.”

Danny and Anya say their good night’s as the sun officially sets on the horizon, crickets chirping in the distance. I settle in next to Rosie as her eyes drift closed. I’m going to miss it here for sure, but I know that as long as I’m with my girls, I’m home.

“I can’t believe she’s a year old.” Rosie says, digging her foot into my side.

I catch her foot and pull her down the seat until she’s lying underneath me. “Remember when she could fit in the palm of my hand?”

“You used to carry her like a rugby ball,” Rosie giggles.

“She loved it.”

I fall in between her thighs and press a kiss to her lips.

“She’s a happy baby, isn’t she?”

“The happiest,” I tell her, shifting so the box in my pocket doesn’t press into her thigh.

“Are you happy?” I ask her, pressing a kiss to her lips.

She sighs beneath me. “So happy.”

I carried the ring around with me the whole trip. I thought I’d maybe do it on Christmas morning, but the day was so hectic that I lost track of time. Then I carried it in my pocket ready for the final day of our hike up Taranaki Maunga, the same route my dad and I used to take, but Olive had a meltdown so we had to cut the hike short. Then I’d planned on doing it when we visited Tony and Kaia in their new house near Paraparamu beach, but I couldn’t get her on our own the whole two days we were there.

But now, on the evening of our daughter’s first birthday, in the garden where I used to play with my dad and eat lunch with my sisters, it feels right.

I shift underneath her, pulling her until she’s sitting back up. “Iwashappy,” she grumbles.

I cup her chin with a laugh. “Rosie Taylor,” I tell her, gently tugging at her lip, “I need to ask you something.”

“I’mreallyhappy Jackson, honest,” she giggles.

I roll my eyes, gently wetting my lip. I’m not an anxious guy, but I’m shaking with nerves as I slide off the seat and onto one knee.

“Rosie,” I say quietly as she gasps. “I have loved you since the day I first met you. I loved you when you ran away from me on that balcony, and I loved you when you burst into tears when I showed up at your door. I loved you when you made me watch your dancing show and dragged me to look at old buildings?—”

“That wasyou,” she chokes out.

“I love our beautiful daughter so much that I can’t believe I ever lived a life without her. Without both of you. I’m so glad that your birth control failed.”

Rosie laughs wetly, eyes shining behind her glasses. Her hair falls in tendrils across her shoulders, as she sits up straighter, her long legs falling to one side.

“Being with you has made me the happiest man in the world.” I break off as a sob blocks my throat and I sniff, attempting to compose myself. “Marry me, Rosie.” I pull the ring box out of my pocket, clicking it open.

Before she even looks at it she falls into my arms, nearly knocking me back with the force. “Yes,” she cries as she presses her lips to mine, our tears mingling.

“Really?”

“Yes!” she laughs. “Of course it’s a yes. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me for months.”

“How did you know?” I chuckle as she peppers kisses across my cheeks.

“Unless your dick turned into a cube, it was pretty obviously in your pocket.” She giggles as I gasp scandalously. “Plus, your mum looks at my hand first thing every morning in case you’ve asked me overnight.”

“Right, never mind I take the whole thing back.” I attempt to rise to my feet. “Forget it ever happened.”

She kicks out her leg as I crowd her back against the chair, tilting her hips until we’re tangled together. I grab her left hand and slide the ring on her finger.

“Never.”

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