Justin's image has always been pretty good in the public eye. Ninety percent of his reputation was accurate, but that ten percent that people don't see is what would surprise you. He doesn't love easily. It was something I had thought he did like it was nothing. Even before he was my client it seemed as if he would move from girl to girl fairly quickly. But that wasn't the case. He has only been in four serious relationships his entire life. He said he has always known when things were just over. Most of the time it had already been over and dealt with before the world knew he was single.

His grandparents were shocked to meet me. They have only l met two previous girlfriends. They joked that they hoped to meet the one he would marry before they got the wedding invitation in the mail. They were the sweetest people in the world. Growing up without grandparents never really mattered to me, I never thought I had missed something from it but meeting them I really missed out on having great grandparents. My luck though I would have had the evil grandparents that were mean to everyone.

The Fourth of July holiday has wasn't something I normally celebrated, it was my birthday and that meant more to me. This year however I was going to celebrate my birthday and the Fourth of July with my boyfriend and his entire family. It's the last thing I expected.

When I woke up that morning I had actually forgotten that it was my birthday. But I was reminded very quickly. Justin had notably mentioned that the house was empty and he had about an hour to give me my birthday gift. So when he climbs on top of me I think, well is this birthday gift for me or is this gift for him? Am I supposed to share my gift with him?  So when he starts to kiss me then get off of me, I am like wow, I think I earned a little more than that.

He leans to the side table and picks up a tiny little gift box. He hands it to me as I sit up on the bed. My palms start to sweat uncontrollably, my heart start to race. A tiny little blue box with Tiffany & Co. printed on the top rests in my hand.

"Open it." The smile on his face is total cheese.

I silently say a little pray, hoping that this isn't what I think it is. Please let me be completely wrong. I take a deep breath and open the box. Two silver keys lay inside the box attached to a fairly large diamond heart. I sigh of relief escapes my lungs. Thank god I was wrong. I don't know what I would have done if there was something else in that box.

"Thank you?" I didn't know what to say. Two keys for my birthday, I have to admit that has never happened before.

He takes them both into his hands, "This one, with ‘home' engraved on it is a key to my house. The one engraved with ‘patience' is the key to my beach house. And the heart, well I want you to know you have the keys to not only my houses, but you have the key to my heart." Like I said total cheese.

"You keyed me." I said with a smirk on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean."

"It's just you keyed me. It means you trust me. It means you want a future. It means so much."

"Well of course I do." He kisses me "I'm glad I didn't get you the other gift I was going to get. I saw the fear in your eyes when you saw that box."

"I had no such thing in my eyes."

"You are the worst liar and I can read your face like a book. You thought that was going to be a ring."

"I'm not that easy to read but yes I did think that was going to be a ring. I was just hoping for a cocktail ring or something."

"Oh, are we dirtying this gift up now. A cock ring is what you really wanted heck that could have save me a lot of money."

"Trust me, you don't need anything that could make that thing harder any longer."

"This is true."

"Aren't we overly confident?"

"I aim to please." 

I just shake my head at him. "Uh huh."

"Did you even read the message?"

"Where?" I start to turn it over.

"The inside ring of the heart has a small engraved message as well."

I read it out loud. "To Emily, the one that holds the keys to my heart. -Justin"

"Ok that didn't sound so cheesy when I decided on it." He laughs at himself.

"I love cheese. I wouldn't change it for the world."

            When we finally decide to get up and get a shower we see that some of his family was starting to show up. Along with the swarms of photographers lined up along the property line. There were twenty or so cameras lined up and angled right towards the backyard. I wish there was something we could do to prevent them from getting photos, but there was nothing we can do. They weren't technically on the Harless' property.

As mad as I am about them camped out near the property line I had to pull myself together and be strong... because his family is very protective and I was about to be thrown to the wolves. But before I could do anything I had to call Lexie. She had to be up by now, it was nearly 9:00 her time. It was Lexie after all, you never know.

Ring... ring... ring... ring... "Hello."

"Happy Birthday Lexie. I love you."

"Happy Birthday Emily. I love you." She reiterates.

"How does it feel to officially be out of your twenties?"

"I feel old."

"Hey now we are the same age and I don't feel old." I took an offense to that comment.

"You're not pregnant."

"This is a good thing."

"I guess so. You and your boyfriend are way too busy to have a child right now."

I didn't even want to think about Justin and I having children. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Rob has something planned but he won't tell me. It's a surprise."

"Oh no."

"That's what I said." She doesn't seem too happy. "What are you and Justin going to do?"

"Honestly I don't have a clue. I think we are staying here with his entire family today to celebrate the Fourth of July."

"But it's your birthday."

"I'm ok with just staying here today."

"I remember him clearly asking you to bring a dress? What was that for?"

"Actually I don't know."

"Make sure you call me with the details of that event."

"Alight Lexie, I will make sure I do that. Have a wonderful birthday, I love you."

            Justin's family was very much into this holiday. They have the entire backyard turned into a BBQ scene with the pool ready for swimming. I was standing on the back porch watching Justin, throwing his younger cousins into the pool. One by one picking them up and tossing them into the water. He wasn't the ‘Justin Timberlake' that I had always looked at him as. He was Justin. He was a son. He was a grandson. He was a cousin. He was just simply Justin. The more I watch him the more I can imagine him playing with our children next to the pool on a hot summer day. Our little boy that looked just like him, a mini-me of him. The little girl would have my eyes and hair color but she would have the curls and his strong singing voice.

            I snap out of whatever craziness of a world I was in by Justin walking over and taking my hand to lead me into the masses of people. He wanted to personally introduce me to everyone. Luckily in the mix of all this, Trace saves the day. He challenged Justin to a match of volleyball in the pool. It was a tradition that they always had on the fourth of July. This year was going to be no different.

            They took the game very serious. It was the super bowl of pool volleyball games. When I joined in the game I was nervous, I didn't want to ruin the team and make Justin lose. But it was all in good fun. Trace ended up being the sore loser, blaming it on the children on his team and not the fact that he couldn't hit the ball correctly.

            When the sun finally went down the kids ran around with sparklers in their hands, fascinated but the spark that came off of them. They were overly excited for the fireworks at the end of the night.

            I stood with Justin and watch as a perfect night had ended. When the crowds finally parted ways and begun to leave, Justin took my hand, "Come." He led me down a path into the woods that eventually led to a log cabin. This was a one room cabin that was used for storage of a lot of her career memorabilia and a spot he said he used to come to get away from everyone. I was slowly learning that he liked to run away from things the same way I do. He always had somewhere to hide.

"You didn't think I would forget that it was your birthday... your thirtieth birthday did you?"

"I was hoping I would forget that I was turning thirty."

"There is nothing wrong with thirty. I have been thirty for... a couple months longer than you."

            The cabin was candlelit. He must have snuck off and done this without me knowing. The door opens and I see lilies, everywhere. They were in vases throughout the entire cabin.

"Those are beautiful." I turn to look at him.

"You love lilies..." He leans in to kiss my lips very gently.

"I do love lilies. They are simple and beautiful."

"They fit you well, magnificent beauty."

"Look at you knowing a little bit about the flower I love."

"Of course."

            Just then I see Justin drop to one knee. My eyes begin to bulge out of my sockets. He lifts his hand to mine. I throat has become dry, my palms are sweaty, and my heart is racing at a pace it's never been before.

"Emily." He opens a small box, an immaculate diamond ring is staring back at me, sparkling in the light of the candles. "I have never in my life been happier than I am with you. I know that I will be with you when I'm sixty and complaining about the arthritis in my legs from dancing so many years and I know that it will be you sitting next to me. I see you as the mother of my children, the daughter my mother has never had. Emily, will you marry me?"