Beautiful Mistake

xxxviii

The front door opens and closes and I hear an over dramatic shiver.

"Hey, come warm me up." Collin walks into the living room and throws himself next to me on the couch. He cuddles into my legs and the difference in temperature between us makes me shudder.

"You're gonna get sick." I say, resting my arm on his back.

"Am I?" He asks, his green eyes are cute and bright as he looks at me.

"Yeah, it's almost twenty degrees out, lightly snowing and you were out there in shorts and a thermal."

"I don't wanna be sick." He whines, putting his hand on my stomach. "You can't keep doing this to me Caroline. Today is a really horny day for me."

"I'm sorry," I laugh, flicking his forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"We aren't dating Collin. You can go get it on with some girl at our school."

"I don't want to get it on with a girl at our school, I want to get it on with you." He groans, "We're practically dating. You have our kids in you, we have an apartment together, we're forced to be together. Forever." With that, he gets off the couch and sits on his knee in front of me, "I know we've only really been talking since August but I've always noticed you. Walking through the hallway at school, I even remember that pink bow you used to wear every day to school in kindergarten." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a navy blue box, "Now, before you get ahead of yourself, I'm not proposing, but it is a promise to propose. I promise to always, always love you. I promise to stay by your side for the rest of eternity and I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you and our children have the best life possible."

My vision gets clouded with tears and for the first time in a while, I don't stop them from falling. My heart is beating the fastest I've ever felt and my hands are shaking uncontrollably.

"You've never told me you loved me before." I laugh as the tears keep streaming.

"Well I do, I love you so fucking much it's insane. It's the type of love that I can't put into words." He finally opens the box to reveal a small diamond ring. "Now, this is your turn to say yes and take this ring."

"Yes!" He stands and picks me up from the couch. His hug is long and warm. When he finally pulls away he takes the ring from the box and slides it onto my pinky finger, "I hate ugly crying." I say, giving him another hug.

"I felt like this was something you needed. This last week has been the shittiest you've had. With the whole thing with Tessa, your dad leaving, my fight I had with my mom, I just felt like everything was being put on you. This one moment, is something I hope you remember was good out of all the bad."

"Of course I will." I look at the ring and then ask, "How did you know what ring size I had for my pinky?"

"I kind of guessed. You're starting to have chubby fingers so I kind of went off that. So, we're gonna have to get that resized once the twins are here." I nod and sit back down on the couch.

"Thanks for the compliment by the way." I say, looking at him with a stink face.

"Listen, I don't say these things to insult you. I say them to make sure you know that I love you the way you are." I scoff and roll my eyes.

"The hell you do! You always talk about me being fat." I cross my arms and he smiles at me.

"Now I know why! When my cousin was pregnant she looked the same, except for her ankles disappeared..." He trails off, "Anyway! You're having twins so I expect you to be all big and waddle around all the time."

"You're making this worse with every word you say."

"I know," he sighs as he sits down next to me.

"You're so pretty when you cry." He says, wiping my cheeks.

"Why is that a thought?"

"Your eyes turn dark brown. It's pretty hot." I push his hand away from my face, "See! You don't take my compliments either." He pouts.

"They always seem sexual!" I argue, trying to repress a smile.

"Because they are!"

"Great, well I've got to say. I'm always down for sausage in the morning." He raises an eyebrow and gives me a gracious smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind." He pats my leg and asks, "Want to go to a party tonight?"

"A party? On a Tuesday?"

"Yes on a Tuesday. Beth said it's mandatory and to bring you." He boops my nose and smiles sweetly.

"Is it a family thing?" I ask. His mother already doesn't like me, why do I have to suffer even more.

"Well, it's not a party, it's an adult gathering as they like to call it."

"Adult gathering? Are you talking like a ball thing?" I'm seriously trying to find out what kind of 'gathering' this is.

"Look, it's one of those gatherings where people dress up nice, eat expensive food and gossip about other rich people. We both know Beth and I are the farthest from the rich type. And she's even dressing up tonight."

"The difference between Beth and I is that I'm pregnant, with twins! What kind of dress would fit me?!" I stand off the couch with a little help from the arm rest.

"We can get you a plus plus sized dress? Above the knee, hot as hell."

"The fact that you still think I'm hot despite the large bump taking over my body is amazing." I say, walking over to the stairs.

"I think you're hot, I caused that bump so you know, it's hot." The amount of times I've rolled my eyes, I'm surprised they don't roll out of my head.

I change into a tank top, long-sleeve shirt, thermal yoga pants and an oversized sweater.

"Good idea, I have to change too." Collin says entering his own room.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood." I whisper, putting on ankle socks and snow boots.