Page 109 of Damien
Later that evening,as I look around at our friends and family who’ve joined us, my heart feels full. Vanessa’s never looked more beautiful or relaxed in her cut-off shorts and green tank as she mingles among the crowd.
Sydney’s invited Chloe, and they’re chatting away with Vanessa, Martha, and Margo on the patio furniture I’d recently purchased. Vince and Davis are playing cornhole with Jules and Jack.
We’ve already eaten our steaks with grilled asparagus. Martha’s right, she does make a mean potato salad. Sydney brought her infamous cinnamon rolls for dessert that we’ll have as soon as I do one last thing.
Standing in the center of the crowd, I shout, “Hey, everyone, can I get your attention?”
Slowly, everyone stops what they’re doing and turns my way as my heart races with fresh adrenaline. Taking the necessary steps to stand beside Vanessa, I reach out and take her hand, pulling her beside me.
“First, I’d like to thank everyone for being here today. Each of you is an important part of my and Vanessa’s life, and I’m happy you can be here to witness this.”
Turning to Vanessa, her eyes practically bug out, and her chin remains dropped.
“Vanessa, you know I love you, and honesty is big for me, so… I have a confession to make.”
Skeptically, she punches her hip with a fist as she cocks her head to the side and asks, “And that is?”
“This,” I point around the backyard, “was orchestrated…”
Her brows knit as she looks around our friends and family. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I wanted our close friends and family to be here tonight for a reason.” Then I turn to Jules. “Jules, you should be here, too. Get over here.”
In this moment, I’m on the verge of panic. Not over what I must say, but in the way I’m asking—so publicly. God, I hope I’m doing the right thing.
The minute Jules stands by my side, she reaches out her hand to mine and squeezes it tight. Then she stands by her mom and asks, “Momma, can I get a kitten?”
Shocked at the randomness, Vanessa shakes her head. “Not today, sweet girl.”
Not fazed in the slightest, she looks to me and grins. “What about a daddy? Can I get one of those?”
Vanessa’s head pivots so fast I’m afraid she might get whiplash. “What did you say?”
Julia just shrugs and repeats, “What about a daddy?” as I kneel and present a red leather box in my hand on her other side.
“Uh…” Vanessa stutters. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way…”
“It does if you say yes,” I interject, holding out the box in my hand.
I swear, if we weren’t outside with infinite air supply, Vanessa would’ve sucked all the air from the room in an instant.
When she turns to me, her hand flies to cover her open mouth, and her eyes have never been bigger. “W… what?”
“Vanessa, I’m in love with both you and Jules. As you pointed out, you’re kinda a package deal… So, of course, I needed to include her in this, too.”
“Momma,” Jules says louder than necessary, “will you marry Dame so we can be a family?”
Vanessa’s shocked expression looks between me and her daughter. Her jaw may never rehinge if she doesn’t close it soon. But I just point to Jules. “What she said.”
Laughter can be heard throughout the crowd, but all I can focus on by bated breath is Vanessa’s answer.
“Vanessa, I love you more than anything, and I need to spend the rest of my life with you. Forever won’t ever be enough, but can we start with today? What do you say, will you marry me?”
Vanessa’s frozen for what feels like an eternity before she drops to her knees and hugs me fiercely. Then she pulls back and kisses the fuck out of me.
Not that I’m complaining, but she still hasn’t said the magic word—to make things official.
Jules beats me to asking the question, “Does that mean yes?”
