Valerie

by Richa Resa

  "I do realize that what you had gone through and it has left you scarred you, left you with thoughts of self-doubt. I had been the reason of it too but at this moment in my life, I love you the most. I just want to be with you, Val. Not just as a friend but more. I just want to be your life partner, the one you could share life with. I want to be present in your and Neal's life." He got on his knees and I wanted him to stop because seeing him like this hurt. The desperation that could be heard in his voice hurt me. It made me feel guilty.

  "So please, I beg of you to please give me a chance. Please let me be a part of your life and say yes. Please marry me." Aiden begged me and I felt tears streaming down my face.

  "I can let you be part of my life and Neal's life Aiden, in every aspect. I will give you a chance but not yet. I want you to live with me and our baby. I know what I'm asking is a lot but Aiden I want you to be with me without that restraint of marriage. We will get married when I'm clean of every doubt, when I'm fully sure about you, me and life, Aiden. Until then we will be together just not married. We will be lovers, parents and together in every sense but just don't beg me for marriage right now. We will get married one day but that day isn't today." There were tears in his eyes of disappointment but at same time happiness and relief lurked in them.

  "I will take what you are giving me Val," Aiden stood up and got into my personal space. Both of his hands were on either side of my face as he looked down in my eyes. I could feel his breath fanning my face. He kept on coming closer until there wasn't much or any space left. If I moved I would have his lips brush against mine. "You know why I'm going to do this?" I could feel my heart beating against my ribs, trying to get out.

  "Because I'm a desperate man for you and I'm telling you in advance that I won't stop trying to get my yes. Not at any cost. I would propose you every damn day and wait for the day when you say yes to make me the happiest man alive. I won't give up on us even if it takes years for you to say agree. I will be right there beside you with each and every step. You will be never getting rid of me with marriage and even without it." He promised and his every word made my heart flutter. His promise made me felt loved in a way that I hadn't felt for so long.

  I felt his promise deep in my bones. I knew his love too damn well that I could feel him inside me. His lips caught mine and I responded like this was it, like I was meant for him and he was for me. It was fireworks people. Fireworks and happiness. I was the happiest woman that day and ever since that. It was the cries of our baby boy that broke our kiss apart and seconds later the door opened and everyone was back. When they heard his cries, everyone seemed to get happy. There was happiness all around the room. Neal was passed around in arms and then, at last, he came to me and Aiden. We looked at him with bright smiles over our face and we were happy. At that moment I didn't realize Carmen was clicking pictures and I was so glad she did. I needed a memory of that moment forever. It showed pure love and happiness.

  Aiden never backed down his promise. Every day he proposed me even if he remembered it at an ungodly hour. There wasn't a day skipped. He pampered me, put me first and I kind of expected for it to go for six months and then come to an end but it never did. He never stopped loving me and spoiling me and our kid.

  Six months passed and they did very fast with Neal and everyone else just trying to be with him. The house was filled with someone or other and then mom and dad moved out but Travis moved in. Every day had been a new day filled with new experiences, some good some bad. One of them was of Neal's first word which wasn't mama or dada but poop. I was really surprised when he said that, kind of laughed out loud at that but minutes later I didn't find it funny. He had really popped. I was kind of glad he learned that word first then any other word. At least he could warn us before bombing the diaper. Aiden missed his first word but Neal's first own step was taken with him. Aiden had always time for Neal and me or he made it even at times when he was damn tired too.

  There were times when we had our arguments but they weren't that big but they were there even if a few. We had fought over me trying to pull myself down, me being too hard on my own self. I had gone through the self-conscious face and he was there for me. I had gone through the phase of not being happy with how I looked and he had made love to me until every inch of screamed of being loved.

  When Laura getting married made it to me worry had swept its way inside of me. I had looked for changes inside Aiden, looked for sadness or unhappiness but only got to see happiness in his eyes. He was happy for her and that eased way all that I worried about. He hadn't changed, nothing changed because of Laura. He loved me every day and I fell for him every damn day more and more. He was my Aiden and like he said I was the one he had eyes for. He made me realize that every day, in the way he looked at me, kissed me, touched me and whispered ‘I love you’. He was the best dad, best lover and ready to be the best husband.

  "Yes," I just whispered and then saw the magic happened. Holy shit! Aiden really wasn't lying when he said my saying yes would make him the happiest man alive because he really looked like that in that moment. Truly, fully happy and too much happy. There were happy tears in eyes.

  "Really?" he whispered and I nodded. He closed his eyes and didn't get up but pulled me down. His hand came out of the blue and I had kind of screamed in fear. I ended up straddling him.

  "You don't know how happy you had made me today, Val. You really have no idea." His words whispered in my ears dripped with happiness and satisfaction.

  "And you don't have any idea how much happy you make me every day Aiden. You don't have any idea about that." He had made his life revolved around me like I was the reason of his existence, loved me beyond expected and he deserved the same love. I was sure I could love him with the same intensity he did may be even greater because every last drop of self-doubt had left me and it was all his hard work.

  "And both of you didn't remember that you haven't closed the door and there is a party going on outside." Any guesses who that was if you guessed it was Shay you are so wrong. This was Jake everyone standing at the door with everyone with him there.

  "And your scream had all of us kind of worried," Shay said from behind Jake.

  "And you all don't know that she just said yes to be my wife." Aiden just dropped it on them and seconds later there was squealing, hugging, and happiness. Everyone was inside the room and it felt crowded but it was good. I was being hugged. Aiden was being hugged and I don't know why but everyone was hugging Neal too, he didn't even know what was going on but he was smiling with everyone else.

  "Are you sure about this, Val?" I turned around to see who it was and there stood Jake who feigned being hurt.

  "I mean you would be bound to him forever and you won't be able to get your chance with me. Wouldn't be wrong for you not give me a chance?" He joked but Aiden who heard the joke and was standing right behind him didn't like it. Before I could say something, Aiden was holding Jake by his neck in his arm in a friendly way.

  "Go find your own girl, you aren't getting mine. I would beat the shit out of you if you ever tried." He warned him and Jake pleaded him like a man in pain to let him go.

  "Damn man that was my neck. It was just a joke. Doesn’t anyone get a joke here?" He kind of yelled.

  "I liked it when he wasn't here." Shay let out her opinion in my ear while looking at Jake. I don't know why she didn't like him. He was a fun person. I could hear wedding plans being formed and Shay joined the other woman in it too. Rose was looking extremely happy that I had ever seen. Someone was pulling my leg and when I looked down it was Neal chewing a small box in his hand. I picked him up in my arms and saw that the box was the ring box. I hoped that Neal hadn't eaten the ring from the way he was trying to eat that box. When I was at last able to open it, I saw the ring safe and sound here.

  "Aiden," I called for him and waved the ring box to him. He left Jake, Sebastian, and Greg before coming to me. Taking the box from me he looked at Neal, opened the box and then breathe
d a sigh of relief. He surely had the same concern as me of Neal eating it. He went on his knees and everyone stopped talking.

  "Will you be my wife till my last breath, Valerie?" I nodded with Neal in my arms. He took out the ring and placed it on my finger and the room once again erupted in cheers. Getting up he took Neal from my arms before kissing the hell out of me.

  This was my life at its best and worst. I had lost everything once or twice but with time I had got everything back and even much more than I expected. I had family, friends, everything but above all, I had love because that's all I wanted. To love and to be loved like everyone has ever wanted in this world.

  Thank You for Reading….

  Yeah, I end it just like that ??

  If you have some opinions or suggestions for me or anything else to say to me, feel free to email me at richaresa20@gmail.com