Lost and Found

epilogue | noah

Grinning, I bring my lips together and release a shrill whistle. Blake's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Not even a minute after my whistle has resonated through the air, small yaps from a puppy can be heard from the backyard. In seconds, the Golden Retriever I adopted from the animal shelter barrels toward the fence gate, placing his paws on the wood as if trying to break out.

Blake is beside herself. She gasps once again, the tears that had been welling in her eyes starting to fall. She doesn't bother to hide them as she stares at the puppy with wide eyes, slowly turning to me. Gazing at her, I know there isn't anything I wouldn't do in order to keep her smiling.

"Noah . . ." Blake trails off.

"Do you want to meet him?" I ask with a knowing smile. Blake nods, walking up to the porch steps in a daze as I let the puppy out of the gate. He immediately bounds up to Blake and showers her in kisses. Blake laughs, radiating pure happiness as she cradles the puppy in her arms.

"Do you have a name in mind?" I ask through my grin, smiling down at my radiant girl, knowing there is nothing in this world that is more perfect than she is in this moment.

"Chandler Bing!" Blake exclaims immediately, her response making me laugh.

"I like the name," I say, chuckling to myself.

Blake rises to her feet slowly, gaze soft as she says, "This place is perfect, Noah. I can't believe you did all of this. I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." I smile as I step towards her, taking her hands in mine. "Just saying you'll live here with me is enough."

"Are you kidding? Duh!"

"I'm not meaning just live here with me," I mutter softly. Suddenly, I'm nervous. I've planned this moment for months now, but now that it's actually happening I find myself giving way to nerves. I inhale a shaky breath as I reach a hand into my back pocket, grabbing the small black box I've had safely tucked away until now.

As Blake glances at me in confusion, I slowly lower down to one knee. Realization dawns on Blake's face, her expression morphing a million times over, dozens of unreadable emotions passing through her gaze. Her eyes well with tears as she awaits what is to happen next, hands raising to her lips.

"I want to live here with you forever," I say. "In fact, I want you forever. To be with you for forever. To love you forever. All the time I have had with you up until now has been everything I've ever wanted it to be and more, and I want the rest of my life to pass with you by my side, every day better than the last. Before I met you, I would wonder why God put me on this earth. But when you entered my life, I found the answer to that question. I was made for loving you, Blake Alyvia Rhodes. And I couldn't think of anything better to live for."

My nerves disappear as I stare up at the girl I love more than anything, everything feel right.

"Will you marry me, Blake?" I open the ring box in my hand, Blake's gaze instantly drifting down to the sparkling diamond inside. However, she doesn't look at the ring long, eyes flickering back to mine in seconds.

"Yes!" Blake answers in a breath, tears starting to shed. "Yes, Noah. A million times yes!"

I grin as I rise to my feet, taking Blake's hand in mine and sliding the ring onto her finger. Blake studies the diamond on her hand for a moment before lifting her tear-filled eyes to mine, laughing in delight as she takes my face in her hands and kisses me like the first time all over again. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close, knowing that I'm holding my entire world. I never want to let go.

"We're engaged," Blake murmurs as she pulls away, seemingly in a daze.

"We are," I confirm. I smile as I study her.

"We have a dog," Blake continues.

"We do."

"We're moving in together."

"We are."

"You bought us a house."

"I did."

"I love you." Blake's last statement takes me by surprise. My grin widens.

"I love you more," I retort. Blake's teary expression morphs into a beaming smile.

"Not true," she protests. She lays her palms on my chest, eyes on mine, smiling just for me.

"It is. And I have a lifetime to prove it to you."

Blake rolls her eyes playfully, gaze drifting down to the ring on her finger before turning to gaze at the house in awe. We laugh as Chandler Bing barks at our feet, obviously upset that we've kept our attention off of him for so long.

Blake bends down to scoop the little guy into her arms, turning to face me again. I dangle the house key in front of her and smirk as I ask, "Wanna check out the inside?"

Blake releases a small squeal of excitement as she steps foot into our new home. I watch as she disappears inside, lingering for a moment on the porch. I can hardly wrap my head around everything that just took place. Once again, my life is changing, yet I don't mind. Because my life is changing with Blake by my side, and that can only mean it's changing for the better.

As my gaze lands on Blake who is surveying the kitchen, wearing one of the widest grins I've ever seen her sport, I find myself thinking that I'm doing all of this for her. There's no one else I'd rather go through life with.

Our gazes meet as she turns around. Blake offers me a wide smile, waving as Chandler Bing scampers around at her feet. My heart melts, knowing that girl I'm gazing at is all I want out of my future.

Until I met Blake Rhodes, I spent my life lost, wandering down a dark path. But she took me by the hand and led me into the light; she proved to me that all tunnels must end. Looking into her eyes, suddenly I am no longer lost, but found.

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a/n: i don't think i've ever been so sad to say that a story i've written has come to an end. to all of my readers: thank you for showing this story so much love, for all of the sweet comments and votes and taking time out of your days to read something i wrote. from the bottom of my heart, i cannot possibly thank you all enough.

i hope this is a satisfying ending to this story for you all, and i'm so sorry for the wait! yk, life. anyway, i hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these unsure times. i'm so grateful to have been a small part of your lives, hopefully helping to entertain y'all with updates while we've been in quarantine!

until next time,

- c