It’s been a year, a whole year since Ayden has been home. It’s so weird to look back now and remember everything that went on back then. I feel like that was a nightmare that never really happened. Things are so different now; it’s a completely different life.
I love my job; in fact it doesn’t even feel like it’s my job anymore. I feel like I get paid to spend time with my boyfriend and his daughter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all fun, I still do work. I still have to keep Justin’s schedule and make him do things he doesn’t want to do, but it’s nowhere as hard anymore. He doesn’t give me nearly as much attitude and has really straightened his stuff out.
I sat on the bed, watching Justin throw his clothes into the suitcase sitting next to me, “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what? I’m not even looking at you.”
He laughed as he grabbed a shirt from the drawer, “Like I’m the worst human being in the world cause I’m going away for a couple days.”
“I just don’t understand why you have to go to New York.”
“Because I have to do stuff for the clothing line.”
“I know, but why didn’t we know about this until now?”
“Last minute stuff, Sari. You know this shit happens all the time. Call Trace if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you,” I said as Ayden came in and jumped on the bed, “I just wish we could come.”
“I wanna come, Daddy!” Ayden shouted while jumping on the bed.
“You have school,” Justin answered catching Ayden mid jump, “Don’t jump on the bed. You have Megan’s party too, you don’t want to miss that to stay in a hotel for four days.”
“Wellll, if we can go to that big toy store,” Ayden began, causing both Justin and I to laugh.
“No,” I answered, “We’ll have fun here without Daddy. We’ll party.”
“Yeah, we’ll party.”
“Girls weekend.”
Ayden giggled and sat behind me so she could play with my hair, “And we’re gonna make cookies too Daddy, and pizza, and dance.”
“That’s right. Pizza, cookies and dancing” I thought I’d try to get the point across. I hate that I’ve become one of those crazy girls that can’t spend four days away from my, but seriously, both Ayden and I have gone everywhere with him over the past year.
“Three of my favorite things,” Justin said as he zipped up his suitcase and placed it on the ground before falling onto the bed. “You know I’d love to stay here with you girls, but I gots to work.”
“Will you bring me back one of those big gorillas from the toy store daddy? “
“Ayden, you have more gorillas in your room than you have room.” Justin said with a chuckle as he pulled me closer.
“No sir,” she jumped off the bed, “I cleaned a spot so he can fit. Come on, I wanna show you” Ayden grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.
“Come on, she wants to show youuuuu,” Justin whined as he grabbed my hand and dragged me along.
“See Daddy, a big spot, he’ll fit just fine. I promise.”
“I don’t think you need another gorilla Ayden, but I’ll see what I can find.”
“Hello?” there was a knock on the door and we heard Trace from downstairs, “Anyone home?”
“Uncle Trace!!!” Ayden screamed and pushed past both Justin and I to get out of the room. Trace is Justin’s best friend, who conveniently seemed to be very busy those times when Justin was completely out of control. It’s alright though, everything worked out. It’s good to have him back around so often, Ayden loves him and he gives us a break every once in awhile.
` “So, how pissed are you?” Justin asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I’m not pissed. I’m just kind of annoyed. I know its work and you have to do it, I just wish we could come.”
“I’ll make it up to you when I get back. I promise.”
“OK,” I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder, “I’m going to miss you. We haven’t been away from each other for like… years.”
Justin chuckled, “Yeah, you need to stop being so damn clingy.”
“Shut up.”
“I’ll call you when I get in… and before I go to bed… and when I wake up…. “
“OK, make sure. Who’s the clingy one now?”
“Still you.”
~*~*~*~
Although the original plan was for Justin to be in New York until Tuesday, it wasn’t until Thursday morning that he came in through the door. He called, every few hours, just like he said he would and it’s not like I didn’t know he was going to have to stay a couple days longer, but it felt like the longest week of my life.
I had just gotten home after dropping Ayden off at school and was cleaning the kitchen when I heard the front door open and ran out there. “Whoa,” Justin laughed as he dropped his bags and held onto me, “Hey babe, I missed you.”
I kissed his passionately before I answered. Obviously I missed him, more than I even thought I would. That says a lot too, because I really thought I’d miss him a lot. “I missed you so much.”
“I see that,” he chuckled, “How was Ayden?”
“Perfect. As always. How was New York?”
“Fine.”
He’s acting weird. Very weird, weird even for Justin, which also says a lot. “Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not.” He laughed again and picked me up in his arms, “I just missed my girl. Let’s go to bed.”
I giggled as he carried me upstairs, “Bed? It’s ten o’clock in the morning.”
“Obviously not to sleep Sari, come on.” He chuckled and dropped me on the bed, pulling his shirt off and crawling on top of me. He kissed me quickly before pulling my shirt over my head and moving his lips to mine then slowly down my body before slowly sliding my sweatpants off. I tried to help him get them off; he’s so damn slow it’s like torture. Justin laughed, “Patience babe, patience.”
I laid down on the bed, patiently, as he slid my pants off before quickly pulling his down and crawling on top of me. He kissed my lips softly before entering me, “I missed you so fucking much.”
“I missed you too,” I answered in a whisper as he grinded into me. “I really missed you.”
Justin laughed before kissing me and grinding harder as we both reached our points. He laid down next to me and wrapped his arms around me, “Don’t get up and leave. Just stay here, let me hold you for a little while.”
I giggled and turned around so I was facing him, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Never?”
“Ever.” I laughed before kissing him once more, “You’re awful loving today.”
“I can’t be loving?” he chuckled before closing his eyes for a few seconds and then opening them again, “Alright, I’m hungry. Lunch time, come on.” Justin grabbed my hand and pulled me out of bed. “No pants day. It’s a national holiday. Falls on different days every year, the day I get back after being away for a couple days and Ayden’s at school.”
“That’s a very selfish holiday.”
“Yeah, it really only works for me… well for you too.” He laughed and put his hoodie over my head. I love his hoodie, it’s so big and comfy, and it smells just like him. I can’t believe he took it with him to New York.
“What’s for lunch?”
“I don’t know, what do we have?”
“We have… everything. I went shopping,” I smiled and put my hands in the pocket of the hoodie, it’s cold, there’s something in here, “There’s something in the pocket.”
“Hmm?”
“There’s a box or something… why do you have a…” I pulled the blue heart shaped Tiffany’s box from the pocket and looked at it in my hand. “What is this?”
“What is it?” Justin laughed nervously, “Open it up.”
I opened it slowly and stared at the diamond ring, “Oh my god.”
“Do I have to get down on my knee?”
“Yeah,” I answered quickly.
He chuckled and got down on one knee, “You know how much you mean to me, and to Ayden… and how screwed up I’d be if it weren’t for you. You really mean the world to me and I can’t even imagine what my life would be like if you weren’t in it. I love you, more than anything and more than I ever thought I could love somebody. So, let’s make if official. Sari, will you marry me?”
“I never expected this. Oh my god.”
“Not exactly the response I was looking for…”
I laughed, “My father is never…”
“Your father,” Justin broke in with a chuckle, “Is all for it. Where do you think I was this weekend? Not in New York, but with your Dad. That’s why it took me so long, I had a lot of convincing to do.”
“You asked my dad?” I think I’m close to melting.
“Of course. He said absolutely not and I need to leave his daughter alone. Then your
Mother, thankfully, came in and had a talk with him and made him listen to me. Then he said absolutely not, once again. This went on for three days and then finally he gave in,” Justin laughed and grabbed a picture from his pocket.
I grabbed it from his hands and saw my father smiling, holding the ring with one hand and giving a thumbs up in the other. I laughed, “You’re amazing.”
“Is that a yes? I’m still waiting Sari.”
“What about Ayden?”
“What about Ayden?”
“Did you ask her?”
“Did I ask her if she wants you to marry me?” he chuckled again, as I nodded my head, “Are you serious? What kind of a question is that? Of course she wants you to marry me.”
“Can we ask her anyway?”
“Alright,” he thinks I’m crazy but I really think Ayden should be involved in this. “So if Ayden says yes then you say yes?” I nodded my head, “Alright, I like my odds.”
“Me too,” I giggled, “You really surprised me.”
“Yeah, you surprised me too. I thought maybe you’d say yes.”
“Shut up,” I laughed and grabbed the ring.
“Nah, you can’t wear the ring until you say yes,” he smiled and grabbed the box from my hand and put it in his pocket. “Let’s go get Ayden.”
“It’s too early.”
“I don’t care, I miss my girl. We can pick her up early. Come on, put some damn pants on.” He threw my sweatpants at me.
“What happened to No Pants Day?”
“It’s been overshadowed by Wait for Sari to Say Yes Day.”
I laughed and wrapped my arms around his waist, “We’ll just wait for what Ayden has to say.”
“You’re killing me, I hope you realize that.”
“I do,” I answered before kissing him gently, “It’s kinda cute.” I don’t know why he’s acting so nervous… what if Ayden doesn’t want us to get married? She had no problem whatsoever when we started dating, in fact I’m not even sure if she realized it completely. But she doesn’t know much about marriage. Sure, she loves me and loves hanging around with me but what if she doesn’t really want me to be her Daddy’s wife. That makes me like her mother.
Justin waited in the car when I ran in the school to get Ayden. If he went in it would just cause a scene and we decided that’s not exactly what we need right now. She ran out of school and into Justin’s arms as he waited by the car.
“What’s up baby girl?”
“Daddy!” Ayden screamed, “I missed you soo much! Where’s my gorilla? Did you get me a gorilla?”
“Wow,” Justin chuckled,” You didn’t miss me at all, you just want a present.”
“No, no Daddy I missed you! I just want my present too.”
“Alright, come on then let’s get home.”
Justin tried to ask Ayden as we drove home but I managed to stop him. It’s cute how he’s so excited and nervous about this. It’s quite the change for him to be the nervous one instead of me. I kind of like it.
“So Ayden,” Justin began once we made it home, “How would you feel if Sari and me got married?”
Ayden didn’t say anything at first and I felt my heart beating in my throat. She just looked between the two of us and then put her finger in her mouth like she does when she’s thinking. “Like… Sari would be my mommy?”
“Kind of,” Justin answered.
A second later she started screaming, literally screaming, then climbed out of her chair and started jumping up and down, “Yes! Can she? Yes! She’s my favorite Daddy! Can you Sari? Please? PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE! I’ll be so good and I don’t even need a gorilla! I want her to! Please Sari! You and Daddy get married! Please?”
I had some sort of a mixture of laughing and crying while I watched her jumping around the room. Justin laughed and grabbed the box from his pocket, “I think that’s a yes.’
“I’d say so.”
“So that’s a yes from you too, right?” I nodded my head, “You gotta say it Sari.”
“Yes! Yes, I will marry you.”
“Perfect,” Justin smiled as he put the ring on my finger, “Absolutely perfect.” He said before kissing me passionately as Ayden clapped and continued jumping around the room like a crazy person. “Alright, calm down Ayden.”
“We gotta call Granny! I wanna call her! You guys is getting married!”
