The Underground

The Final Chapter

When we returned home from our little getaway, it was kind of hard to pretend that things weren't completely – insanely – different than when we'd left. Luckily, Niall didn't know either of us well enough to pick up on our little glances and subtle hints.

"Did you have a good time?" Niall asked.

"Yes, the best," I said, winking at Louis when Niall glanced away.

"While you were gone, I was talking with Maryellen and she was able to get a flight sooner than the twenty-second. Would it be okay if she arrived on the fifteenth?" Niall asked, looking hopeful.

"Sure," I said, looking at Louis, who agreed that it shouldn't be a problem.

"It will be nice to get to know her," he said.

"That's this weekend!" I gasped after glancing at my phone. I was shocked that December was flying by so quickly. Well, I guess we spent a few days snowed in, and then Louis and I had spent the past three days consummating our marriage.

"Yep," he said, eyes twinkling.

"Any thoughts on how you're going to propose?" I asked.

"I might borrow Louis' song, if that's all right by him. Your fiance's really talented, you know that?"

I bit my lip to stifle my smile while I stole a glance at Lou. "Yes, he's fantastic."

Over the next few days, we both finished up our Christmas shopping, and then firmed up our Christmas travel plans. We would go to my parents' house on December 22 and stay til Christmas. Then we would fly to Michigan on the 26th and stay til after the New Year. Somewhere in there, he would pop the question – again – so that our families and friends could witness it. I'm not sure how my mom was going to take it, but it honestly didn't worry me one bit. I knew I could handle whatever she had to dish out.

After the holidays, we would come home and settle in, preparing for the beginning of college and med school. It was still a bit surreal that I was only nineteen and I was already married, before I even started college! I would have put off marrying Richard for as long as I could have, but I was thrilled to be Louis' wife.

I talked to Carly almost daily, who in turn reported that Harry was calling her almost daily as well. I was really excited for them, and I just hoped that something would work out between them. Everyone deserved to be happy. Even Richard, I suppose, although I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about what he was doing nowadays.

The day that Niall's girlfriend arrived, he was so excited, you would have thought he was a ten-year-old and it was already Christmas morning. He rushed around the house, getting food ready and then he went out and got her flowers, putting them on the night stand next to his bed.

He asked Louis and me at one point, "You don't mind if she shares my room, do ya?"

I tried not to laugh because he seemed so nervous about it. Louis simply told him it was fine.