Perfectly Imperfect | Lippa

"As Long as I'm Alive..." - Forty-Nine (End)

   "Sucks for you, I'm about to-" Lin's eyes widened as his character on screen drove into a banana peel on the floor, causing the kart to make multiple turns. He saw Pippa's chosen avatar zoom past him and the finish line, claiming her rightful spot as first-place winner in Mario Kart. He frustratedly finished the game, sighing in defeat. "Couldn't you have at least let me win once?" he asked Pippa, looking over at her as she continued giggling.

   "No, honey," she answered him, cupping his face after setting down her controller and pecking his lips. "It wasn't my fault that you fell for that banana I placed there earlier," she said, a giant grin on her face.

   It had been several months since the incident, and I'm happy to say that Pippa's recovery had gone well. She had begun attending therapy, which Lin encouraged after she insisted that Lin and Sebastian were the only good things in the world, and that she didn't deserve them, which was most definitely not true. Lin's wounds had healed, and the physical and mental pain the accident had caused him was, luckily, now a thing of the past. Pippa could also say the same, but sometimes, when she was feeling alone, her mind would sometimes wander back to that empty feeling she used to be consumed of when the crash happened. However, she never stayed there for too long, because Lin would always figure out that Pippa was feeling that way, and quickly would help her crawl back out of that miserable place.

   So, yes, they were now playing Mario Kart, laughing together. Pippa had won the last 4 rounds, and Lin was seriously beginning to think that she was cheating.

   "How are you winning so much?" he asked, kissing her head after the question. "You're totally annihilating me. And I actually thought I was good at this game before I started!"

   "It's called strategy, baby," she chuckled. Pippa got up from the couch and stretched a bit, looking up at the clock that hung above the tv to check the time. 2:03 PM. They had spent the whole day playing. Well, not entirely. First, they cuddled in bed an hour after waking up, and after freshening up and eating breakfast, they cuddled for another hour watching TV.

   "Talking about baby, I should go pick up Seb," Lin said to Pippa as he too got up. "Vanessa told me to come get him at around 2:30."

   "I'll make his favorite snack for when he comes back," Pippa said excitedly, already heading towards the kitchen. "Should I also make him a bit of lemonade? I know he loves lemonade. Oh, and maybe I could put on PJ Masks! He can eat and watch."

   Lin couldn't help but smile, loving how adorable Pippa got whenever Sebastian would stay with them. Ever since the incident, she seemed so much more loving and caring to his child, not like she wasn't already.

   "That'll be perfect, love. Just be careful not to cut yourself while cutting the mangos, okay?" Lin made his way over to his beloved and brung her into a tight hug before grabbing his keys, telling Pippa that he loved her, and leaving.

   Now being alone in the apartment, Pippa quickly walked over to the big window in the living room and opened up the curtains a little more. The light made the whole place seem a lot more welcoming and lively. The sunshine showered everything with its golden rays and instantly raised Pippa's mood even higher. She exited out of the game menu on the TV, and turned on Netflix for when Sebastian arrived. Then, while humming to herself, she walked back into the kitchen, grabbing a mango sitting on a fruit basket on the counter. She took out a clean plate and rinsed the mango, swiftly picking up a sharp knife and starting to peel the fruit. Moments later, the mango was cut and on the plate.

   Just as she was about to go wash her hands, Lin stepped through the door, carrying Sebastian on his hip. The two were laughing, and Tobi, who had been snoozing the entire day, shot up from where she had been sleeping to go greet them at the door. Pippa felt herself smile and she quickly dried her hands before going to say hi to the two.

   "That was so much quicker than I thought it would be," she chuckled, giving Lin a quick kiss on the lips and then Sebastian and soft kiss on his forehead. "Maybe time flew past me and I didn't notice," she cooed, taking Seb from Lin's arms.

     "Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you, I teleported there and then back here," Lin hummed playfully, greeting Tobi with as much energy as she gave him (she was jumping up and down excitedly).

     "It was fun!" chirped Sebastian, which earned a little poke to the nose by Pippa.

    "Sounds it, little guy," Pippa cooed, bringing Sebastian to the kitchen. "Look, I cut you some mangos as a snack and Paw Patrol is playing on the tv," she smiled, setting the boy down. She was about to say something else when Lin cleared his throat and said, "Seb, wanna go to the living room to go watch Paw Patrol while mommy and I talk for a bit?"

    Sebastian nodded and hurried off to the living room, the plate that Pippa had given him in hand.

     Pippa watched him run off, the smile never leaving her face. "What did you want to talk—" She had started to turn around to look at Lin, but had frozen halfway. When she saw him, he was on his knee, fumbling to get something out of his pocket. It took him a second, but he finally had a case out. He popped it open, revealing a beautiful ring inside. Pippa could feel her heart jump out of her chest with glee.

     "Pippa," Lin started, "Now I know this isn't a giant proposal and I know there are better ways to do this, but I just couldn't wait. I knew that I wanted to marry you the first time we kissed, even if it was during rehearsals. I knew you had stolen my heart the first day I saw you. We have been through so much together and I cannot think of a better woman to grow old with. You're kind, you're thoughtful, you're sweet, and most importantly, you're my Pippa. You're the one who has always been there for me when I needed someone, you're the one who has always held my hand, even through the brightest of days. You're the one who has supported me this whole time through, and for the rest of our lives, I want to do the same to you. I want to hold you, support you, guide you through life, just as you do to me. You complete me, Pippa. You're my other half. I can't imagine a world without you... So Phillipa Soo, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man on earth and marry me?"

     The room was silent for a moment. Pippa was shaking, and very visibly. Her hands were covering her mouth and a single tear fell from her eye. Slowly, she nodded her head up and down. "Yes," she whispered. Then, she couldn't contain her excitement and emotions anymore. "Yes!" she cried out, heart fluttering when she saw a giant grin break out onto Lin's nervous face. Lin hadn't even stood up straight and Pippa had already thrown her arms around him.

     Their lips found their way to each other, enlacing the two in a tender, yet full of love kiss. Lin was the one that pulled away, a little sob turning into a chuckle. "Can I put this on you now?" he playfully asked, the case holding the ring still open.

     "Oh my gosh! Yes, of course!" Pippa laughed, holding out her hand for Lin. He easily slid the ring on to her finger, holding it a few seconds longer than he needed to. He lifted his gaze to meet Pippa's, feeling at peace as he stared into her eyes.

     "I love you, Phillipa Soo,"

     "And I love you, Lin-Manuel Miranda."

—

My loves! I have finally finished Perfectly Imperfect. After all these years, I finally decided to finish one of the longest stories I have ever written in my life. Truthfully, I will never forget this journey. I will never forget the people I met. Thank you for these wonderful 4 years. Until we meet again.
            All my love,
                   Danielle