Always & Forever

✨Chapter Twenty-Four✨

We were watching the stream of New York City on the TV. It was going to be midnight any minute. I was sitting on the arm of the couch when TJ grabbed my hand to pull me up.

            "There's going to be fireworks at midnight, let's go watch them." He led me out to the back porch and I folded my arms. It was so cold that I could see my breath. I could hear everyone counting down from ten in the house. When they reached 1 and called "Happy New Year!" I turned to face TJ so that I could kiss him. He was on one knee with an open ring box in his hand. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of my lungs. "Arabella Ivy Watson, the last five months of my life have been more than I could ever wished for and it's all because of you. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" He asked and I couldn't get my words out. It just came out as a choking noise. I nodded my head quickly, hoping that the tears wouldn't freeze on my face in the cold. TJ slid the  onto my finger and stood up so that he could pull me into his arms for a sweet kiss. I heard the family clapping inside and Mrs. Watt was taking about a million pictures.

            "Congratulations!" Brynlee hugged me when we came inside. This is what her and Gabriella had to be whispering about earlier. They knew that TJ was going to propose. This would be hands down the most memorable New Years of my life.

            We flew home on the morning of January 2nd after having a really beautiful New Years Day dinner with JJ and TJ's parents. As nice as Wisconsin was, it was nice to be home in my own bed. I rolled over and looked at TJ's peaceful face. Even though we had been tired when we came home, we still made the time last night to celebrate our engagement. He smiled when he opened his eyes and saw me staring.

            "Good morning, fiancé." He rolled onto his side and draped his arm around my waist. I smiled, running my fingertips up and down his arm.

            "I love that word." I kissed him softly. "Are you hungry?" I asked, rolling over onto my side. I propped myself up on my elbow and TJ kissed the hollow of my neck.

            "Only for you." He nipped at my neck, causing me to giggle. They were going back to practice today because they had a game this Sunday. I was going to miss him so much. The game was going to be out of town and I didn't want to take Lucas traveling again. I knew he was going to still be tired from the trip we just took.

            "Mommy, daddy?" I heard Lucas coming down the hallway. He had grown accustomed to calling TJ daddy since that first time he did it on Christmas Eve. It turned out when he did it, it made TJ really happy. I had thought when he froze, he had been upset. He wanted to adopt Lucas officially after the wedding. It made my heart so happy.

            "Just a second, Lucas!" I jumped out of bed so that I could grab something to put on. TJ just watched me the whole time with a small smile playing on his lips. I couldn't help but smile too and threw a pillow at him. "Get dressed." I whispered, pulling on shorts and a long sleeve. He just laughed and put on a pair of basketball shorts. I opened the bedroom door right as Lucas was reaching for the knob. "Hi, baby. Are you hungry?" I asked, picking him up. He shook his head and reached for TJ when he came up behind me.

            "Bike, daddy?" He asked TJ expectantly with his wide, innocent eyes. I could tell that it was breaking TJ's heart that he had to say no.

            "I have to go to practice, buddy. We'll go for a bike ride when I get home. I promise, okay?" He asked. I knew Lucas wanted to pout and throw a fit but we were working on not crying when we didn't get what we wanted.

            "Okay." Lucas reached for me and I rubbed his back. I felt so bad that he couldn't spend all the time in the world with TJ. I knew how much he loved him.

            "How about we go over to B.B.'s house and go swimming today sweetheart?" I asked him and he was still pouting but he nodded his head. "Okay, go to your room to play for a little while and then mommy will take you to get donuts, okay?" I put him down and he ran back down the hall to his bedroom.

            "Well, that just broke my heart." TJ sighed as he walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge. I ran my fingers through his hair and sat on his lap. He sighed, wrapping his arms around me loosely.

            "You'll be home before he goes to bed. It'll be better for him to go outside after dinner so that he won't burn in the Arizona sun. I'm basically going to have to dunk him in a bucket of sunscreen to go swimming." I brushed the hair on the back of his neck with my fingernails.

            "You're right. We're even practicing in the indoor stadium." He kissed my cheek softly. "I should get dressed and eat something. Do you want to go out for dinner tonight? We'll be done by then."

            "I'd like that. With Lucas?" I asked. It could go either way. We took Lucas half the time and had Brynlee babysit the other half of the time.

            "I think that would make him happy. Dinner and then a bike ride." He brushed some hair out of my face. I smiled and kissed him one last time before standing up. I knew that if I didn't let him get dressed now, he never would.

            "I'll make you something to eat before I get Lucas' bag packed." I smiled before I headed downstairs. "Want to help make daddy breakfast?" I asked Lucas when passing his door. He dropped the toy that was in his hand and ran to grab my hand, ready to go downstairs with me.

Brynlee's POV

            I was going to have my first ultrasound tomorrow and I was so excited. Before he left for practice, JJ had caught me with a throw pillow under my shirt, looking to see what I would look like with my baby bump. I was feeling better after the trip and excited to pop out. Arabella was going to bring Lucas over to go swimming and I was sitting on the counter, eating chopped strawberries while waiting for them. JJ had only 15 minutes this morning before he had to leave for practice, but when he caught me with my baby bump, we had used about 10 of them.

            "Hey, Bryn." Arabella was holding Lucas' hand when they came into the kitchen. She had told me how sad he was when TJ told him he had practice so I wanted to make sure that the day would be fun for my godson. We would order his favorite pizza for lunch and let him get all pruney in the pool.

            "Hey, Bells. Hi Lukey." I jumped down from the counter and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled up at me and I could see that he had chocolate on his face. Arabella put a box of donuts on the counter, that explained the chocolate on his cheeks. "Who was more sad about TJ going to practice, you or Lucas?" I asked her while she sat Lucas on the counter so that she could cover his whole little body in sunscreen.

            "I think it was pretty even." Arabella smiled as she put Lucas back on the ground. She took off her tank top and started putting sunscreen on herself. Maybe I could get a nice tan before my pregnancy belly popped out.