Forever Yours [Complete]

43.

Maureen

Ryan’s hand pressed lightly into my lower back as he drew me closer to him. I placed my hand on his shoulder and felt the smooth fabric of his suit jacket beneath my fingers. Holding my other hand in his, he spun us around, stepping in time to the ballad the band was now playing with the violinists.

“I can't get over how good you guys were... how amazing your voice is," I said, shaking my head in wonderment. He smiled.

"I owed you for that day in my house where we exchanged secrets and yours was-"

"How ticklish I am," I rolled my eyes and he had the grace to give me an abashed grin. "I think the deal was-"

"If we proved how ticklish you were, I would play and sing for you... are we even now?" 

I smiled, feeling a rush of happiness and euphoria wash over me. "More than even."

"Good. Because from here on out I reserve the right, as your future husband, to tickle you whenever I want." I shook my head quickly, swatting his arm even as he grinned triumphantly. 

"Don't even think about it, Ryan."

He just smirked, spinning me away from him for a second before pulling me back.

"Did I tell you that you look beautiful tonight?” He asked and I had to smirk at his obvious change of subject. But I let him - only because I was so extremely happy.

“Yes, you did. But thank you… you look very handsome yourself. Very sexy.”

He shook his head with a laugh. “I remember back when I first met you... if I said the word sexy anywhere around you, you would turn beet red.”

“Shut up,” I scoffed.

“I’m completely serious. And then you would do this cute little thing- biting your lip… drove me crazy. Still does.”

I laughed and let him twirl me away from him and then spin me back. "How come you can dance so well? I’ve been dying to ask you all night.”

“You can thank my mom for that. She made me take lessons as a teenager and since Dad wasn’t around, I had no one to get me out of it.”

I chuckled. “You didn’t like it?”

“Heck no. I was humiliated- all the other kids in my class were girls…” He paused and then made a face. “Which was also it's only redeeming factor...”

“Those girls must’ve been thrilled to be in your class.”

“Probably… there was this one girl, Caitlyn. She annoyed the crap out of me. Followed me around like a puppy dog wherever I went… I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, you know, but she used to wait outside of the classroom as soon as the lesson was over so she could walk home with me. So I would create distractions and stuff and the minute she wasn’t watching, I’d sneak into the janitor’s closet to wait till she left.”

“Oh, poor you,” I sympathised.

His eyebrows rose. “Is that sarcasm I detect?”

“Impressed that you noticed, Sherlock.”

“Impressed that you dare speak so smartly to your fiancé and future husband,” he returned, tilting his head to the side.

I laughed aloud. “Oh my gosh- I can’t believe we’re engaged!”

He gave up the charade and laughed too. “I know, right. But you knew that I would propose, didn't you?” He asked curiously. I shook my head, confused. “The dream your dad had…” he prompted.

“How did you know about that?” I asked, before answering my own question. “Dad told you, didn’t he?”

“Yeah… he told you that I talked to him?”

“Mm-hmm.”

After Ryan proposed to me (a moment I would cherish for the rest of my life: hearing his low, husky voice whispering “Will you marry me?” into my ear, just for me to hear, and then kissing me softly as the crowd applauded wildly) he brought me down to the rest of my family who were all in varying degrees of emotion. Cara was nearly hysterical with happiness, jumping up and down and shrieking. My mother was crying (and hasn’t stopped since) and my father was trying to keep his expression stern and not show how much he was affected. I had been able to stop crying though the tears rose every time someone congratulated me. Apparently, my whole family was in the know about the proposal- except for the younger kids. They had been planning it for two weeks, ever since Ryan approached my father about us marrying. My father said yes and told him the dream he had had all those months ago. It had been months since Ryan had given his heart to God, but Dad told me that the day that he asked for permission to marry me was the first time Dad had ever seen him so positive that it was God’s plan for our lives.