CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

Epilogue

Jess and Cassie got married in the autumn after she graduated from Columbia.

Cassie knew she would be the one to propose on a late winters night. She was sitting at the table in the kitchen as she studied for the bar exam she would take the minute she graduated college which was in a mere month.

Upon hearing the sound of keys entering its lock, she looked toward the door just in time to see Jess enter. Over time, he had allowed himself to grow out some scruff which was very much appreciated by her.

Jess walked into the apartment with snow resting on the shoulders of his coat and some in his dark hair. When he saw her sitting there he smiled the same smile he had always given her. The joy on his face never changing from when he first met her all those years ago.

"You gotta come with me," was the first thing he had said to her. Not bothering to take of his coat he took a seat right next to her, not forgetting to give her the usual peck on the lips. "Trust me."

She sighed and looked to him, "What are you on about?"

"There's nearly two feet of snow outside," He told her happily. That definitely caught her interest. "We can finally do the thing you always wanted to try."

"You mean cover me up in snow?" She asked excitedly as he nodded in agreement. "Really?" She questions again, not believing that this stupid childish thing that she always wanted to do was finally happening.

Jess closed the textbook in front of her with a smile. "Go put your coat on, I'll help with your 'lifelong dream'," he put air marks around the words.

And that was the moment she knew she was going to propose. Cassie would be lying if she said she hasn't thought about it before, but this was the first time that she knew she was actually going to do something about it.

So throughout the next week she had been to multiple stores looking for the perfect ring for Jess. He was never really a ring kinda guy so it was a challenge. But after what felt like ages of scouring places, she finally found one. A bit pricey but the things you do for love, am I right?

Making sure to get it in his size, she packed it up carefully in its box and hid it in her drawer until the perfect time arose. According to her brain the perfect time was when the two were eating dinner in the kitchen while The Killers played softly on the stereo.

She had waited until the middle of dinner to make the excuse of going to the bathroom to go and fetch the ring. Cassie came back nervously as she felt the outline of the small box press into her leg through the thin layer of her pocket.

Her heart knew that Jess would most likely say yes, but her brain was the one that was causing all the trouble today. It was saying how he'd say no and that would be the end of it. The end of the best five years of her life.

As per usual, she ignored her brain but it could still be heard quietly in the back. Once the two of them had finished dinner Cassie quickly caught his attention and slowly got down on one knee in front of him.

She held the box up in her hand as she looked up nervously at Jess who sat in his chair. "I know this probably isn't how most people do it," she began as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "But I want to marry you Jess. I really really do and I don't know anything I would be more honoured to do."

He didn't say anything just stared at her with his eyes wide open. "So Jess William Mariano, will you marry me?" For a moment neither of them said anything and she felt that her brain may have been right. Jess' face held no sign that he'd even heard her, he just stared at the ring blankly.

Instead he just got up from his seat and headed into their bedroom. Cassie knelt there on the floor in shock, not knowing what to do. She could feel everything inside her break into a million little pieces.