Two Weeks Later
Leah looked up from her book as the doorbell rang. She sighed as she stood up; she hadn't been expecting anybody and she was wearing one of Nick's T-shirts and a pair of shorts, her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail on top of her head. Nick was gone for the evening and she didn't feel like she really needed to dress to impress their dogs, not to mention the fact that it was ten o'clock at night.
Looking through the peephole, Leah sighed when she saw nobody there ... and then suddenly the doorbell rang again. She screamed quietly and jumped, having not expected the doorbell to ring when nobody was even out there anymore.
Okay, do I open the door or not? she thought, worry etched across her features. Nick would say no, but I'd rather just open the door and spray the guy with pepper spray than hear him ring my doorbell all night.
Leah reached over to her keys on the key hook and got her pepper spray poised and ready. Cracking the door slightly she half expected someone to jump out and bound and gag her, but no one was there.
"Hello?" she called quietly, but received no answer.
Looking down, Leah saw a bouquet of two dozen red roses.
"Holy cow," she whispered and bent down to pick them up.
Taking one more glance around, but seeing no one, Leah went back inside and locked the door behind her, flowers in hand. She sniffed the flowers and sighed, taking the attached note carefully out from between the roses.
Don't be scared, it's just me. Come out to the tire swing in the back.
I love you, Nick
Leah grinned and went into the kitchen to put the roses in water and a vase. She set them on the counter and slowly made her way to the sliding glass doors, opening them and turning on the outdoor patio light. She saw Nick sitting on the tire swing, his chin resting on his arms, waiting for her. She noticed his smile when he finally caught sight of her.
"What are you doing out here?" Leah whispered with a grin as she made her way to him and stood in front of him, her hands moving to his face. She bent down and kissed his forehead, his cheeks, and finally his lips. "Thank you for the roses; they're beautiful."
Nick stood and got out of the tire swing, a little less gracefully than he would have preferred, and stood in front of her, appearing only slightly nervous.
"I love you and I think you're beautiful."
Leah's eyes welled with tears and it was that moment when she realized what was about to happen. He was actually going to do it.
"Y'know," Nick whispered in her ear, a melodic laugh escaping his lips, "I had this all planned out up until this point and I thought ... well, I thought it would all just come, y'know, with the moment. But uh, you know how author's get writer's block?"
Leah laughed and looked up at him as her tears fell silently down her cheeks. She put her hands on his shoulders and lightly pushed him down to one knee. "I think it starts out like that or something," she smiled and Nick followed suit.
"I love you, Leah," Nick looked up at her and took her hand in his.
Leah discreetly took her right hand from his own and replaced it with her left.
Nick laughed and continued, "We've gone through so much together and I told you a couple of weeks ago that that was the reason why I was so nervous to take the leap and ask you to marry me ... but now I realize that that's the reason why we'll always be together. There's no fighting it. We were meant to be and therefore we will be. I don't want to live another moment without you." Nick paused to reach into his pocket and pull out a delicate band of white gold, knowing she didn't like gold jewelry. On top of the band was a delicate round-shaped diamond, not too big and not too small. Nick held the ring up to her finger. "Will you marry me?"
Leah wiped her eyes and nodded vigorously. "Yes," she whispered, grinning as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Of course."
Nick placed a gentle kiss where he'd placed the ring and stood, pulling her into his arms and a soft kiss.
"I love you, Nick."
"I bet I love you more."
Three Months Later
Leah looked at Jayden, completely overwhelmed.
Danette, the wedding planner was still rambling on and on about the different kinds and colors of candles and tapestries and table cloths and cakes and balloons and flowers... you name it, they'd discussed it, and Leah had no way to decide.
"I'm so confused," she whispered to her friend with a groan. "If I have to look at one more wedding magazine, I think I'll scream."
"Yeah, well, trust me," Jayden smirked as Danette came over with an even larger stack of books than before, "you'll be lookin' at more."
Leah sighed, "I just want the wedding to come. All that matters is that Nick and I are married ... none of this stuff matters, y'know?"
Jayden smiled, "I'm glad you see it that way. Nick should be too, 'cause you'll save him a pretty penny."
"I just want simple," Leah stood up and looked at Danette. "Simple, okay? I want those flowers, these table cloths, these candles,..." she pointed at everything as she listed them and when she was done she ran her hands through her hair. "Simple."
Danette nodded and had to laugh, "That's a first."
At Home
"Nicky?" Leah called out as she made her way through their house. "Where are you?" She smiled when she found him sitting down in his at-home studio, playing his guitar. "What are you doing down here?"
Nick yelped and whirled around on his chair. "You scared the sh*t out of me."
"Sorry," she laughed and walked over to him, placing a kiss on his mouth. "I missed you today."
"I missed you too. Did you have fun with Danette and Jayden? How many more appointments do you have with her?"
"None," Leah grinned, feeling ecstatic. "Absolutely none. I decided on everything today and I'm so f*ckin' relieved."
Nick laughed, "Geez, girl."
"Sorry ... but do you have any idea how stressful all of this has been?"
"Um," Nick suddenly looked guilty, "probably not."
"That's okay." Leah smiled and ran her hands across her arms, "Gosh, it's cold down here. Come upstairs with me, baby ... or are you busy?"
"Never too busy to go upstairs with a pretty lady," Nick smirked and stood, putting his guitar on its stand.
"Nickolas!"
"What?" he laughed and grabbed her hand. "I'm just kidding!"
"Isn't it exciting?" Leah sighed as they made their way upstairs to the second level, walking quickly through the kitchen to get to the staircase to the third. "This time next week, I'll be Mrs. Nickolas Carter."
