*6 months later*

Juliet and I were on our way to meet Trace and his new girlfriend Joanna Garcia. The past six months had gone by really smoothly especially after Trace met Joanna. Juliet had tried to convince me to tell Trace the truth but I couldn’t do it. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. At least that is what I figured.

I have been driving for at least 15 minutes and Juliet has said one word to me yet. I think she’s nervous. You see, Joanna is pregnant with Trace’s kid and needless to say Juliet feels a little cheated. Not because she wanted kids with Trace but because she lost ours. I know she’s happy for them but wouldn’t you feel cheated too?

I look over at her as she stares out the window silently mouthing the words to the song on the radio. She really is beautiful especially with that ring on her left hand ring finger. Oh did I mentioned I proposed? I couldn’t help myself she is the best thing that has ever happened to my life. She was so cute when I did it too.

“Baby what are we doing in Vail, Colorado?” Juliet asked me as she wrapped her jacket tighter around her frame as she stepped off our private plane.

“Enjoying the winter time.” I replied simply as I took her hand and lead her to the town car I had waiting for us to take us to our private cabin. My right hand dipped into my pocket fumbling with the little black box that held her ring. I was so nervous but I had been planning this for so long I just wanted everything to be perfect for her.

“I love it here.” She sighed as her eyes met mine and she threw me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

“I know. I remembered you talking about your childhood winter vacations here at your dad’s cabin. I thought we could get away.” I told her as I stopped fiddling with the ring box and grabbed her hand in mine. She didn’t know we were heading to her dad’s cabin or that I had asked him for her hand in marriage.

“Are we going to go on a sleigh ride?” She asked me excitedly, her wide eyes looking at me with wonder as the town car stopped at the edge of the mountain next to a horse drawn sleigh.

“Maybe...” I replied as I got out of the town car and opened the door for her helping her out of the car. I laughed as she immediately began trying to catch snowflakes in her mouth. I took her hand leading her to the sleigh nodding my head encouraging her to climb up. I followed behind her sitting down beside her and covering us with the blankets the sleigh company provided. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as we were handed mugs of hot cocoa with marshmallows to sip on to keep ourselves warm on the ride to the cabin.

“Baby, when did you plan all this?” Juliet asked me as she snuggled up to me snow falling down softly in her hair.

“A while ago. I know you love Vail in the wintertime. So I talked to your dad and he said we could have the cabin for the weekend.” I told her before I drank some hot cocoa. The only way this could be more perfect is her actually saying yes to being my wife.

“You talked to my dad?” She said in shock as I squeezed her shoulder. “I mean wow you really did do a lot of planning!”

“Yeah, it was hard for him to say no to me. Besides he knew it was all for his daughter.” I said as I tried to play it off. If I said anything more I knew I would be giving too much away.

“Baby, I love you.” Juliet told me as she reached up with her left hand and caressed my cheek.

“I love you too Mami.” I said as I kissed the top of her head. She snuggled against me some more as we enjoyed the snow, our hot cocoa, and the ride. I watched as we got closer to her favorite spot on the mountain silently smiling as the sleigh came to a stop. She turned and looked at me with a questioning gaze.

“Honey, why did we stop?” She asked me as she knitted her eyebrows together in confusion.

“Juliet you know that I love you, right?” I asked as she pulled away from me and faced me nodding her head yes. “I love the way you make me feel.” I told her as I reached into my pocket pulling out the box without her knowing since my hand was under the blanket. “I want to marry you, I want to start a family with you, I want to live with you forever... Juliet Ljungberg will you marry me?” I asked her as I brought out the ring waiting for her answer as her eyes traveled from the ring to my face to the ring to my face again.

“YES! YES! YES! HELL YES!” She shouted as I placed the ring on her finger before pulling her close to me. Our lips met in a soft slow kiss as she pulled away to look at the ring on her finger before cupping my face in her hands and crashing her lips down onto mine.

Just remembering that moment I almost literally had to wipe that stupid smile off my face. I looked over at her catching her looking back at me.

“Whatcha thinkin’?” She asked me as her left hand caressed my thigh.

“About you and our proposal.” I said as I smiled at her my heart soaring as she smiled back at me.

“I love you.” She whispered as she took my right hand in her left one and brought it up to her lips kissing my fingertips causing me to shudder.

I pulled into the parking lot of the only quaint Italian restaurant in Millington. I walked over to her side opening the door for her as I helped her out of my car. I took her left hand in my left hand leading her into the restaurant by placing my right hand on the small of her back. We walked up to Trace and Joanna hugging each of them before sitting down. I’m so nervous. I mean we just got back from Vail so I’m letting Trace know I asked Juliet to marry me over dinner. In a restaurant. Full of people. So he can’t get mad. So he can’t yell. Honestly I don’t know if he even will it’s just a precaution.

“How was your vacation?” Joanna asked as she rubbed her belly.

“It was great! It’s always so beautiful in Vail.” Juliet said as she smiled and looked at me. “Justin planned the perfect getaway.”

“I’m glad you loved it Mami.” I told her as we ordered our drinks and our food. “Actually Trace and Joanna that is why we wanted to come here and talk to ya’ll. Um...in Vail I asked Juliet to marry me and she said yes!” I said with a huge smile on my face.

“Oh my God congratulations! Can I see the ring?” Joanna squealed as Juliet showed off her rock. “Oh my God its beautiful! You did a great job picking this out Justin!” She told me as she nodded her head up and down. I looked over at Trace waiting for his response.

“Oh well....congratulations. Pft. So did you knock her up again J?” Trace asked a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“What the hell man!?! What kind of fucked up thing is that to say?” I asked him as I saw red.

“Trace, seriously? You think that was the wisest thing to say? I mean come on you’re the whole reason we don’t have a child!” Juliet gritted out as she stood up.

“Don’t blame me for losing your child! It isn’t my fault! I’d chalk it up to Karma!” Trace told her which literally made me want to kill him.

“Really Trace? Really? Because it wasn’t Karma that threw me into a kitchen table! It wasn’t Karma that grabbed me by the hair and threw me down your front porch steps! Justin lied to you okay. I didn’t get pregnant until we got back from his tour. And that little beating you gave me caused me to lose our baby! I....I need to get out of here.” Juliet shouted as she walked out of the restaurant.

“You ever talk to her like that again and I swear I will rip your fucking head off!” I warned him as I chased after Juliet. “Mami, hold up. Baby, where are you going?” I asked as she continued to walk away from me in the parking lot.

“Don’t call me that I’m not a Mami! Where the fuck is your car!?!” Juliet yelled as she stopped walking and turned to me. Tears were falling down her beautiful face as I caught up to her and pulled her into my arms.

“Baby don’t cry. Just let me lead you back to my car, okay baby?” I asked her as I lead her to my car raising my hands to wipe away her tears. “You know you’ll always be my Mami and when we do have children they’ll call you that too.” I shush her cries with a kiss as we climb into my car heading off towards my mom’s house.

“Why did he have to say that?” She asked me as I looked into her hurt filled eyes.

“Because he’s an asshole baby.” I said as we pulled into my mom’s driveway.

I helped her out of my car as I opened the front door immediately met by my mom. She took one look at Juliet and pulled her into her arms.

“I’m taking it that he didn’t take it well.” My mom said as she ran her fingers through Juliet’s hair calming her down.

“Not to well Mama Lynn.” Juliet sniffed as she held onto my mom tighter.

“Its okay honey. Let’s go upstairs, you look exhausted.” My mom told her as she showed Juliet upstairs. “Well she’s asleep right now. She looks tired maybe she should go to the doctor tomorrow J.” My mom told me as she came back down the stairs.

“Yeah I’ll set it up tomorrow. Oh mom you should have been there. It was horrible. He brought up the baby mom! The baby! Ugh I could kill him.” I told her as I punched the kitchen counter.

“I know J. But focus on Juliet first then you can deal with Trace.” She told me as she gave me a hug.

“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning mama.” I told her as I tiredly walked up the stairs to the room that held Juliet. I climbed in bed next to her not even bothering to change my clothes as I pulled her into my arms and fell asleep next to my love.