Page 107 of Pictures in Blue
So I do. And I am met with lights streaking across the sky, one after another, a light show just for us. “Holy shit, it’s beautiful.”
“Such a way with words,” he chuckles. “I researched when the next meteor shower would be. I wanted to bring you here so you could see it. The Orionids usually peak this time of year at night and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to show you.”
This man. I snuggle closer to him, laying my head on his chest, letting him wrap his arm around me, holding me tightly. These last four months with him have been a dream and my life has been so full with him in it, I am bursting. There have been struggles here and there with my self-esteem and anxiety, but he has done nothing but be supportive of me, helping me through whatever he can. As far as Sharon, neither of us have heard from her since that morning and I am better off for it. It was hard at first, getting used to the idea that my mother truly wanted nothing to do with me, but Hudson’s family helped me realize that I deserve more than the very little she gave me throughout my life. I found my place. I found my home. My family. Everything.
A comfortable silence stretches as we watch the meteors streak by, their tails lighting up their path behind them. His heart beats beneath my head in a frantic rhythm and I have an inkling he didn't just bring me here for the shower. His chest rises with a deep inhale and his grip on me tightens.
“Avery,” he takes another deep breath and shifts us into a sitting position. Reaching for the lanterns, he lights both of them, the flames creating a soft glow around us. My heart starts to mirror his, pounding in my chest. He bends down to kiss me, his body moving closer to mine until we are pressed against one another. I place my hands on either side of his face, attempting to lengthen the kiss, but he pulls away and continues.
“The moment you came into my life,” he clears his throat and refocuses. “It changed for the better. I was lost before you and without you, and I don’t think I ever would have been able to find myself again. I love you, Sunshine. I love the way you scatter your ribbons around the house, the way you willingly took in another dog, I love your passion and your creativity, and I love the way your eyes light up when you take the first sip of coffee in the morning or the first bite of a lemon bar. I love that you can kick my ass at Scrabble and can play volleyball way better than I can now. More importantly, I loveyou.”
Tears stream down my face as he shifts, one knee planted on the blanket. He reaches out his arms, a pale blue pad of sticky notes resting in his palm. His familiar handwriting is on the top note:
Will you marry me?
-H
If you would have asked me five months ago, if I expected to be here under the gaze of a man who loves me with his whole soul, I wouldn’t have believed you. And sometimes, I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to find him. Someone who loves me for who I am; who loves me unconditionally, flaws and all. I look at Hudson. The man who has my soul. The love of my life. The man of my dreams.
I grab the pen I shoved in my back pocket earlier and gently peel off the first post-it from the stack, flipping it over. I write one word and turn it around so he can read it.
Yes.
As soon as his eyes read the paper, he takes the ring out of his pocket and places it on my finger. A simple gold band, an oval diamond in the middle, with two smaller diamonds hugging the sides. I hold it up in front of me and let it glitter in the soft light, tears now streaming down both our faces.
I grab his face again and bring him to me, whispering, “I love you, Hudson Waters.” I crash my lips into his and pull us down on the blanket, the meteors streaking above us as we explore places we know so well, falling deeper than we ever have before.
Once the peakof the meteors stopped, we hiked our way back to the cabin to continue celebrating. Once we get to the end of the trail however, Hudson stops us and pulls out the tie decorated with a string of Christmas lights he used months ago to blindfold me.
“Starting our games out here, Waters?”
“There’s plenty of time for that later, Reid,” his words sending a shiver down my spine. He spins his finger in the air between us, motioning for me to turn around. I do and I feel him tie the fabric around my eyes, blinding me.
“So, why are you blindfolding me then?”
“A surprise.”
“Another one?” I say, spinning the new addition to my left hand around my finger.
I feel the press of his lips right behind my ear before he whispers, “Yes.” The breath of his words igniting my body that is apparently not satiated from our time below the meteor shower.
He moves behind me and gently starts pushing me forward, the warmth from his hands bleeding through the fabric of my sweatshirt. After a few feet, we come to a stop and I feel the tie loosen as Hudson unties it from my eyes.
Suddenly, the yard blinks to life as lanterns around us are lit, glowing around the yard, revealing decorations, a table of food and drinks, and a stereo off to the side. I look around and see Hudson’s family surrounding us along with Fran and Cordie, who are arm in arm, beaming at us. Charlotte, who’s stalling earlier now made sense, stands next to them, smiling from ear to ear. She is dressed in the brightest yellow sweater, and bright red leggings, the epitome of the brightness in my life.
George’s arm is wrapped around Isabelle’s as she tries to hold back her tears. Ethan is on Elias’ back watching with excitement, nervous energy coming out in the form of bouncing. Sky, in her usual black jeans, a gray tank and a plaid jacket with Jacob standing beside her, a lantern still in his hands as he struggles to light it.
Charlotte beams back at me and is the first to break from the group, running up to me, insisting on seeing my left hand. When she sees the ring she cheers and wraps herself around me. “You deserve everything, Ave.”
“Getting soft on me, Char?”
She laughs, “Shut up.” But when she pulls away, she wipes at the tears streaming down her face.
Everyone else comes to offer their congratulations and I feel Ethan’s arms wrap around my middle. “Aunt Dory!”
“You’ve got that right, kiddo,” I say, hugging him back in a tight squeeze.
“We made this party for you and I made mountain cookies!” He yells and pulls me away from everyone toward the table, the surface completely covered in food and a huge plate of mountain shaped cookies, covered in sprinkles, signaling that Ethan did, in fact, make these cookies.
