Dear Future Mrs. Puth

Chapter ninteen- how'd we get here?

*meghans pov*
Emmy nods. I lean against the wall for support. How in the seven depths of hell, did my older brother beat the shit out of my best friend. Charlie took Brooklyn from Ashlee and we lead Emmy to the bathroom, where I start to clean her up. I put alcohol on all of her cuts and she hisses in pain. Her purple hair is matted with blood and I order her into the shower, taking her clothes and putting them in the washer. She gets out of the shower and I bring her warm clothes back to her. Ashlee gets ice for her eye and we all sit around the small kitchen table, with Brooklyn's playpen next to me. Charlie is cooking dinner, adorably might I add.
"So" Ashlee says.
"So" Emmy says.
"So" I say, making us all laugh. Brooklyn giggles. Awwwww! I smile at her laugh. Emmy smiles too.
"She laughs now" she asks. I nod and take a sip from my water bottle. I still can't believe that my loving, supporting, annoying older brother could possibly do this. He was never that kind of person. For fuck sake, he used to pass me the football!
"Em..." I say, wanting to know what happened. she sighs.
"So I got home around 11:30 this morning from coffee with my friend, and Ryan was waiting at my apartment. I got really freaked out because last time I saw him, he was drunk and scary. I let him in and we talked and it was all going good, until he started kissing me. I tried to stop him, but her just started taking my clothes off. I kicked him in the balls, but he punched me and scratched me. Then he proceeded to-"
"Okay. I need to go outside for a second" I say and push myself from the table. I cannot believe this. No way in hell would Ryan do something like that. Unless he was drunk. Or on drugs. Maybe the second one. I grab my keys and jacket. Charlie rushes out behind me.
"Where are you going" he asks.
"I don't know" I say, knowing very well I was lying to his face.
"When will you be back" he asks.
"I don't know" I answer truthfully this time. He nods.
"Be careful. I love you" he says and hugs me.
"Love you too" I say and wriggle away from him. He goes back inside and I get in the car. Before I realize what I'm doing, I am parked in front of Ryan's apartment. I sit in the car for a second, contemplating what to say. I take a deep breath and straighten out my red long sleeve dress. I toss my curled hair over my shoulder and tuck my phone into the top of my knee high boots, against my black tights. I march up to his door and knock. He opens it, with bloodshot eyes. Holy fuck, my older brother is on drugs.
"Megh-" I cut him off. I grab him by the front of the shirt and throw him into the hall way, stepping into his house and locking the door behind me. He bangs on the door but I won't open it. His whole apartment smells like pot. For fucks sake. I search his whole apartment high and low, removing every drop of alcohol and every last particle of drugs. I put it all into a garbage bag and do another sweep before I let him in. "Meghan" he says, touching my shoulder. I slap it away and look him in the eye.
"If you ever lay hands on her again, I will end you" I say, glaring at him. I slam the door and drive to the dumps, dropping off the bag. I go back home and call a rehab facility. I give them his address and they are going to pick him up tomorrow. I sigh and sit back in the drivers seat for a minute, before I go inside. Emmy is sitting at the table with Ashlee and Brooklyn. I sit next to them and sigh, running my hand through my hair. I put Brooklyn in her highchair and start feeding her some weird baby food. I wipe her mouth with a bib and then let her crawl around the living room. I grab my plate from inside the microwave and eat. After that I wash the dishes and sit back next to Emmy and Ashlee, only then caring about where Charlie was. "Where is my husband" I ask.
"Upstairs" they both say. Then I realize it's a little to quiet. I look over the couch to see Brooklyn pulling all my movies off the shelf. I sigh and walk over to her, putting them back on the shelf and going upstairs into her room to change her diaper. I look around and don't find Charlie. I walk back downstairs and Emmy takes her.
"Can we go for a walk" she asks. I nod and show her how to put Brooklyn in the stroller. They leave and only then do I see the index cards all over the house. I read the one on the front door first. Happy anniversary. Oh yeah, I totally forgot. I go around the house, reading all the cards. They are all set up in places where we have had our best memories. I get to the hallway, right by the back door. I go outside and see only one card, on a pool chair.

We got engaged here. Here is my very favorite memory because this is the spot where you, miss Meghan Elizabeth Trainor, decided to become my misses Meghan Elizabeth Puth. I will never forget the day you decided to become mine forever, and I am grateful that everyday I can wake up and kiss you. I love you Meghan. I love you so much I would die for you, so please remember this: I do.

What is this? Oh my god, did he die. Tears spring to my eyes and I turn around, trying not to start sobbing. Then I scream because Charlie is standing there in a tuxedo, with flowers and a little box with a pink ribbon around it. My breathing returns to normal when I run to him.
"Happy anniversary, Meghan. One year ago today, I became the happiest man alive. I love you" he says and kisses me passionately, hugging me as well.
"I'm sorry, I forgot. I've just been so caught up in... Well this" I say and show him the picture of Brooklyn and him. He nods.
"It's okay, I still love you. I will always love you" he says and leads me over to the blanket on the ground. I lean my head on his shoulder as we watch the sun start to set.

*charlies pov*

After Meghan and I went back inside, we took a nap. Emmy and Ashlee returned soon after with Brooklyn, and then Ashlee left with Emmy. I bounce Brooklyn on my knee and Meghan gets her pajamas ready. I go into the nursery to see Meghan lightly brushing her fingers over the last ultrasound picture of Brooklyn before she was born. I set Brooklyn on the changing table and start changing her diaper. After that Meghan puts her in her rainbow striped leggings and white tank top. Meghan rocks her in the rocking chair and sings to her. We take the other baby monitor downstairs and sit on the couch. Meghan turns to face me and I do the same. She hold my hand and looks at my face, searching.
"Charlie, this has been the best year of my life. You've given me unwavering love and and adorable baby. Thank you" she says. I lean in and kiss her, unable to stop myself. "How'd we get here? From a music video to this," she says, gesturing around the room. "It's amazing" she says. I nod in agreement. We talk for a while more and then we go up to bed. Around 3 in the morning, Brooklyn starts crying. Meghan makes a move to go and get her, but I push her back down and do it myself. I change her diaper and she is still crying. I sing softly to her as I go downstairs and make her a bottle. She holds it as I walk back upstairs and rock her back to sleep. I lay back next to Meghan and hug her. She snuggles into me and I kiss her forehead. In the morning, Meghan is up, showered, dressed and makeup done, by the time I make it downstairs in my pajamas. Brooklyn is sitting in her highchair and eating a mashed up banana Meghan is feeding her. I kiss Meghan and Brooklyn and then I go back upstairs to get ready. I get dressed in my billboard music award outfit and Meghan is wearing the outfit she wore to the Eco awards in Germany. Brooklyn is wearing a mini version of the mint green romper Meghan wore in the all about that bass video. Her hair is pulled into a whale spout, secured with a clear elastic. Fucking adorable.
"Meghan" I say and hug her. She hugs me back and kisses me. I pick up Brooklyn and wipe her chin. "Ducktail" I greet and kiss her cheek. She laughs. Meghan turns to face me.
"What the fuck is that" she asks. I laugh at the memory.
"Well, one time when Mikaela was sixteen, she went to a party and came home in the middle of the night when I was getting water. She changed into her pajamas really fast and I gave her a glass to make it look like we were both getting water. She said the party was a fucking fail and then my mom walked in and was all 'what's a ducktail'. We started cracking up and from that day on I've called her that as an inside joke. Meghan just shakes her head and laughs. She pulls her hair into a high ponytail and picks up Brooklyn.
"My manager wants me to go in to the studio today to finish the album I was working on before this one" she says, nodding to the baby on her hip. "Come with?"
"Of course" I say and open the front door for her. I help her strap Brooklyn in to the car seat. At the studio she records three songs perfectly and then she stays to help them edit it. She is done about five hours later. We decide to go to the Grammys, which is tonight (thank you for the reminder Kevin) we are gonna take Brooklyn, and it will be her first time around the paparazzi. This should be interesting.