I look in the back seat and shake my head at my son who is fidgeting and squirming like I’ve never seen him before.
“He’s super giggly and fidgety tonight. Have you been feeding him sugar before I got home?” I ask Jax as he drives us for pizza.
“Yeah.” He winks at me. “Cubes of the stuff, straight from the bowl.”
“He’s definitely excited about something,” I laugh.
“He loves pizza, don’t you buddy?” Jax says.
“Yes,” Matthias squeaks.
We’ve ordered our pizzas and the waitress brings our sodas and a juice box for Matthias. He takes it and giggles at Jax who fake-scowls at him.
“What’s gotten into you two tonight?” I ask. There’s definitely something going on here.
“I was going to wait until after dinner until you had a full stomach and couldn’t run away,” says Jax, “but my wingman here is about to burst so I kind of think this is my window.”
“Window?” I frown at him but he pushes his chair out and drops to one knee.
My heart starts to hammer in my chest.
“I know this isn’t the most romantic setting, Angel, but our little guy picked the venue.” He looks across at Matthias who giggles uncontrollably.
Our little guy? Damn, that makes my heart melt.
This can’t be happening, can it? He’s about to tie his shoelaces or something. But then he reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a beautiful platinum diamond ring. The rock is huge but I don’t even care. It could be a piece of aluminum and it would still have the same meaning.
“You make me happier than I ever thought any person could be. Please say you’ll let me spend the rest of my life trying to do the same for you. Will you marry me, Angel?”
I blink at him, and then the ring, and then my son. My heart is racing in my chest and I’m sure that at any moment I’m going to wake up and this will all have been some incredible dream.
“Momma,” Matthias giggles and I realize Jax is still on his knees and I haven’t answered.
“You are the only man I’ll ever love, Jax.” I lean down and kiss him. “You already make me happy beyond my wildest dreams, but I’ll still marry you anyway.”
“Yes,” Matthias shrieks while Jax slides the ring onto my finger before pulling me up from the chair and kissing me.
There’s a chorus of cheers and clapping from the other diners and the restaurant staff, and when he puts me back down on my chair, I can’t stop smiling.
I’m going to marry Jackson Decker!
I’ve been in a blissful daze of happiness throughout our meal and then during the drive home, so I don’t even notice that we’re not driving toward my apartment or Jax’s house until we’re in the hills.
“Jax, where are we going?”
“To give your mom and dad our news.”
“I think giving it over the phone might be best.”
“It’s okay.” He winks at me. “He knows we’re coming.”
“My father knows about this? How?”
“I went to see him today.”
“You asked his permission?” I frown at him. What is this, the nineteen-fifties?
“No, but I did want his blessing.”
“And he gave it?” I blink in surprise.
“Well, he didn’t punch me in the face.”
“Oh well then,” I chuckle.
“And he told me to bring you by after so you could show you mom your rock.” He flashes his eyebrows at me.
“Wow!”
“I know.”
I hold out my hand and admire my rock. “It’s beautiful. Thank you,” I whisper.
He reaches out and takes my hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing my knuckles. “You’re welcome.”
“It’s very big,” I say as it sparkles on my finger.
“I know, and I know you’re not usually into flashy stuff, so I bought it for me, not you. You can change it if you don’t like it though?”
“I love it, Jax,” I say with a contended sigh. “But what do you mean, you bought it for you?”
He turns to me with a wicked glint in his eye. “I wanted it to be unmissable on your hand. Like so big it could be seen from space,” he laughs. “Then everyone will see it and know you’re mine.”
“Your possessiveness is so hot,” I purr.
“You’d better get used to it, Angel.”
As Jax, Matthias and I stand on my parents’ doorstep, I feel so nervous I might throw up. Matthias yawns loudly and Jax picks him up.
The door is opened by Magda and she looks surprised when she sees us. “Why didn’t you use your key?” she scolds me.
“I never use it after eight when the boys are in bed. You never know what you might walk into in this house,” I say, recalling the time I caught my parents half-naked in the hallway.
“Ah, yes,” Magda nods. She knows. I wonder how many times she’s caught them in an uncompromising position.
“Lucia.” My mom comes into the hallway as we step inside the house. “Jax.”
“Hey, Mom,” I smile as my father walks up behind her, his hands in his pockets.
I look at Jax and notice that my son has fallen asleep in his arms. God, I love this man so much.
“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” she asks and I hear the concern in her voice.
“Yes, Mom,” I say as I walk toward her. I hold up my hand. “Jax asked me to marry him,” I squeal the words like an excited teenager, as though I’m channeling my sixteen-year-old self, who first laid eyes on the hottest man on the planet in this very hallway.
My mom shrieks too and I love that excitement is her first reaction—not worrying about how my father will react, but genuine happiness for me.
“Oh, Lucia.” She wraps her arms around me and I bury my face in her sweet-smelling hair as my cheeks actually ache from all the smiling.
“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart,” she whispers.
When I look up my father is standing right beside us. “I’m getting married, Papi.”
He wraps his arms around my mom and me together. “Congratulations, mija,” he says and I swear my heart feels like it’s about to burst.
“Jax. Get over here,” my mom says and he walks over, too. My mom hugs him and then she glares at my father until he shakes Jax’s hand.
“Congratulations, amigo,” he says.
“Thanks,” Jax smiles at him and then he puts his arm around me while he holds onto Matthias with the other.
“Oh you three look so adorable together,” my mom says as her eyes fill with tears. My father rolls his eyes but then he catches my eye and winks at me.
“We need some champagne to celebrate,” my mom says.
As we start to walk down the hallway, Jax stops suddenly and we all look at him.
“Fuck!” he whispers.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Who’s going to be my best man?” he frowns.
“Jax!” My mom gives him a nudge on the arm.
“What? This is a serious question, Alana. There are not many people that I like in this world. And my best buddy will be pulling father of the bride duties.”
“I sure will.” My father wraps an arm around my shoulder and we start to walk through the house. “You’re on your own, amigo.”
