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“Okay, ready,” Mom said.
I turned and saw that she and Dad were standing on opposite sides of the room with cameras in their hands.
Nolan nodded at them and looked down at me.
“Remember when I read you that birthday card and asked you to marry me?” he asked.
I nodded.
“That was kind of spur of the moment, you know? I just decided to say what was on my mind, and I’ll tell you this much, Janey. I haven’t changed my mind about it. So, I thought I’d be a little more traditional about it.”
He pulled me to my feet and the kids rushed forward and put their hands on my back, using all of their strength to hold me up. I looked up at him in confusion. He simply smiled and dropped down on one knee.
My hand went to my mouth and my eyes watered.
A camera flash went off. I looked over in the direction and my mom smiled.
“Jane Camille East”, he started with a mischievous grin. “I never thought that I would find anyone that I would want to spend my life with. I’ve never been the life-spending-with type of guy. But there’s something about you; something special, something that was clear in the pictures I saw of you. Something that tells me that I need to spend my life with you, something that tells me that someone like you truly does come along once in a lifetime. You get me, Janey and no one has before you. I can’t help that I love you as much as I do. I really can’t and I don’t want to. So, while the kids still have enough strength to hold you up, let me wrap this up by asking you a question.” I found myself stifling a giggle. Stella and Liam were starting to have a hard time holding me up, which was evident in my body beginning to sway. Nolan opened his hand and presented me with a beautiful, antique, sapphire ring. “Will you marry me, kid?” he finally asked.
Another flash went off and this time it came from Dad’s direction. I didn’t look, though. I was too busy staring down at the one person besides my family who made me feel loved and wanted; the one person who didn’t care that I clearly wasn’t like everyone else.
“This is the part where you say ‘yes’,” Stella whispered into my ear.
I looked at her and smiled. Then I turned to Liam.
“What do you think?” I whispered to him.
“Say ‘yes’,” he half whispered, half grunted back.
“Well, the kids seem to approve of you,” I said, eyeing Nolan. “My answer is yes. Today, tomorrow, and forever; my answer will be yes.”
Nolan’s grin widened as he slid the ring onto my ring finger. He got to his feet and took my face in his hands.
“I got it from here, guys,” he said to Stella and Liam, without looking at them.
They fell back against the bed and hooted and hollered as Nolan kissed me. Passionately, deeply, with everything that he had inside of him.
The camera flashes were almost nonstop, and I felt like my room had suddenly acquired strobe lights. After what seemed like forever, we broke apart and he held me tightly against him.
“I love you, Janey,” he whispered into my ear.
“And I you, Nolan.”
“Promise?” he asked softly.
“Promise.”
“Stop kissing already! We’ve got presents for you,” Stella suddenly yelled.
The adults in the room laughed as he helped me back onto my bed. Nolan propped me up against the headboard and I asked him to pull the sheets up over my legs.
“I got you flowers,” Stella said, pulling her little bouquet apart and handing half to me and half to him.
“Thanks, Rabbit,” I said, giving her a hug.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
“I got you some toys,” Liam said, pulling the lid off of his mystery box.
