Logophile (noun): a lover of words.
"Justin, you need to put a ring on that young woman's finger soon," my mom spoke from beside me while I watched Kat mingle with the guests with a sweet smile on her lips.
"Mom, we've only been together for four months now," I responded, not taking my eyes off Kat, making me blush a little.
"Son, don't act like you haven't been looking at rings already. You're in love with her, and she's in love with you," she replied, looking at me, making my face grow a deeper shade of red.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see she was giving me her knowing look. I smiled as I looked at the ground because she was right. I had been looking at rings, but I knew Kat wasn't ready for it. I'd wait to marry Kat when she was in a place where she was prepared to settle down.
"She's 19 and has her career planned out. She wants to finish college and get set in a career she loves before settling down, Mom," I replied, looking at her, trying to remain patient and not jump the gun.
"Justin, you can always have a long engagement," she smiled, looking up at me.
"Kat and I have talked about it before. When we get engaged, she doesn't want it to be for more than a year," I explained, remembering the conversation we had our weekend away.
"Son, she may have said that, but for you, she'd do a long engagement. Plus, she's thinking of transferring out to a University in Texas," Chaplain Hurley commented, walking up on my left, making me jump a bit.
"Sir, I couldn't let her do that! She's always wanted to go to ASU, and giving up that dream isn't like her," I argued, looking down at him, confused with the sudden change.
"JJ, she's always sacrificing her dreams for others. Originally, she was going to become a Marine, but she gave that up for her family's peace of mind. I fought her tooth and nail to not give up her dream, but when she sets her mind to something, nothing can change her mind," Johnny replied, looking up at me, with eyes telling me more than he was saying.
"Kat would have made an amazing Marine." Mom commented, looking past me to Johnny, as I realized I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I kept Kat from pursuing the Marines.
"Johnny, she needs to get into the Marines. The day I met her, I could see that she wants to serve her country. If Kat doesn't, she'll regret it and always wonder what her life would be like if she had," I spoke, looking back across the backyard to her, envisioning Kat as a Marine.
"All of us think it, JJ," Marshall commented, walking up to our growing group, that was bound to catch Kat's attention.
"Then why would she give it up?" I asked again, getting frustrated for her.
"She doesn't want us worrying about her safety," Jacob replied, walking up as well, shrugging his shoulders.
"How do you even know what we're talking about? You were on the other side of the yard! You too, Marshall!" I exclaimed in confusion, realizing where Kat's brothers were before jumping into the conversation.
This family must have superpowers or something. The Hurley's were a family that knew how people felt about their family members and were quick to speak their minds.
"Because, JJ, it's Kat you're talking about. Even when she brings a new friend to these, we always talk about her giving up the Marines." Mama Hurley replied, walking up, knowing her daughter the best, "but unlike everyone else, you're the one that can make Kat realize that it's okay to follow her heart. No matter what, we'll always be worried about Kat. She's the only girl Johnny, and I have."
"Since I have all of you here, can I get your permission to ask Kat to marry me?" I asked when her whole immediate family was around me, knowing now was the best time to ask.
"I know Marshall and Jacob approve of you. You have my permission as well," Mama Hurley smiled, making my heart warm at her response.
"Son, you have my permission as well, but you'll want to take Rae with you to pick out a ring" Johnny smiled, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Who's Rae? I know Kat's mentioned her before, but I've never seen her," I questioned.
"The brunette that just walked in," Jacob replied, nodding at the beautiful woman that walked in.
"Rae!" Marshall called to catch her attention.
"Hey!" She smiled when she got over to our group.
"Rae, this is JJ, Kat's boyfriend. JJ, this is Rae, Kat's best friend," Marshall introduced.
"Kat told me about you after you two first met, I didn't think she was serious, but when she sent me a picture of y'all on your first date, I knew she couldn't be lying" Rae smiled, shaking my hand.
"She's told me a lot about you as well. However, I was expecting..." I searched for the right word.
"Taller and more intimidating?" She smirked.
"Yeah, pretty much," I laughed.
"Based on the way Mama, Papa, Jacob, and Marshall are staring at me, you have something to ask of me, don't you?" Rae smirked.
"Yeah, well, you see, I want to ask Kat to marry me, but I need your help picking a ring," I blurted.
"This actually isn't the first time one of her boyfriends has asked for my help picking out a ring, but yes, I will help you," Rae agreed.
"I forgot that Dom was going to ask her to marry him before they graduated, well that is until she broke up with him," Jacob commented.
"So, I'm not the first?" I questioned.
"Yes, but the first wasn't right for her. Dom wanted her to be something she wasn't," Pa clarified, "He wanted her to follow him across the country and be his little housewife. At the same time, he brought home the bacon."
"I already know that is something she will not ever be" I shook my head in disbelief that anyone would ever try to turn her into that type of woman.
"Hey, Kat, can JJ and I borrow your car? I need his help picking something out for Randy!" Rae called across the yard full of people.
"Sure, the keys are in my purse!" She yelled back.
"Thanks!" Rae yelled, and I followed her inside.
"We've got about an hour before she starts to get suspicious," Rae stated as we got in Kat's car.
"Then we better get going," I smiled.
A few minutes later, she pulled into the mall parking lot just down the road from Lori's. I followed Rae into the first jewelry store we found.
"Hi, are you two looking for an engagement ring?" A perky bleached blonde asked while Rae and I looked at rings for Kat.
"Oh, we're not together!" Rae exclaimed.
"Oh," she replied with a flirty smile.
"But I am looking for a ring for Kat, my girlfriend," I affirmed.
"Oh. So, tell me what you're looking for. Tell me about Kat," she answered.
"How do I begin to describe, Kat? She's just whoa. She's athletic, but a little girly, incredibly smart, funny, and the perfect combination of country and hood," I replied with a goofy smile on my face.
"Kat does also have a large love for anything gothic," Rae spoke, clearly remembering something.
"How about this?" she asked, handing me a rose gold ring with a large peacock sapphire in a halo setting with smaller ones around it and on the band. It was flashy, but not too flashy.
"Rae, what do you think? She's your best friend, so you know her best," I asked as she looked at it.
"She'll love it, JJ!" She smiled, "she's a size four and a half. Do you have that in stock?"
"Just so happens that I do have one," the girl smiled as she pulled out the ring in the right size.
"Wrap it up!" I grinned, handing it back to her.
"Alright," she smiled back, putting it in a box and ringing up the total.
"Thanks," I smiled after paying and slipping the box into my pocket
"Shit! She's going to suspect something if I don't actually get Randy something!" Rae exclaimed as we walked towards the mall exit.
"Where would you go to get him something?" I asked.
"This is going to sound so weird, but Spencer's," Rae replied shyly.
"Alright, let's go," I laughed, slipping into the store as we got to it.
"JJ!" Rae exclaimed, running in after me.
"Here," I stated as I handed her a bong.
"How do you know Randy smokes?" She asked, taking it from me.
"Kat told me," I shrugged.
"Of course she did," Rae smirked, paying for the bong.
We rushed back to the house and got back inside just as the hour mark hit. Kat's parents, brothers, my parents, and my brothers came running towards me. I pulled the box from my pocket and showed it to them before Kat could notice her family was gone.
"Take her for a walk on the golf course. The sun is setting, so it'll be romantic" Mama Hurley smiled, getting giddy, handing me a blanket for us to sit on.
"Alright," I smiled back, slipping the box back into my pocket.
I walked outside and found Kat laughing with a guest at the party.
"Hey, babe, sorry to interrupt, but can you take a walk with me to the lake?" I asked.
"You mean the pond? Yeah, the suns going down so we can watch the sunset" she smiled, following me as best she could, walking on the rocks in her heels.
We walked through the grass on the golf course until we reached the pond, as Kat put it. The sun was hitting her face in a way that made her look like she was glowing. The wind picked up a little and blew her hair back. I glanced behind me and could see Rae and Bill taking pictures.
"Kat, you know I love you, right?" I asked, fidgeting with the box in my pocket.
"Yes, JJ, I know you love me" she smiled up at me with a confused chuckle.
"Katherine Joann Hurley, I know we haven't been together for very long, but I can't imagine my life without you. Even though you don't know it, you motivate me to work even harder. I want you to be mine forever, but not as my girlfriend, as my wife," I spoke as I got on my knee and pulled the box from my pocket, "baby, will you marry me?"
Kat's eyes were big with surprise, and unshed tears were in her eyes. I could see that she was struggling to find an answer.
"Say, yes!" Marshall and Jacob yelled.
Kat laughed as she nodded her head, furiously throwing her arms around my neck. Her lips met mine, and I could feel the smile on her lips. She pulled away enough to really look at the ring that still sat in the box.
"Holy crap, that bad boy is huge!" She exclaimed as I slid it on her finger.
She bit her lip as she stared at it, and I stood up. She looked up at me through her lashes, and her cute little smile morphed into a huge toothy grin. I laced my fingers with hers and turned to walk back to the house, but Kat pulled me back.
"Can we stay and watch the sunset?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes at me.
"Yes," I smiled, sitting down, after putting down the blanket, "sit in my lap. That dress is too nice for you to sit in the damp grass even if there is a blanket."
She sat down on my lap and leaned her head back onto my shoulder. I could see her kick off her heels as she snuggled further into my arms. The sun made her face glow even more, and the sapphires on her finger sparkled. Before I knew it, Kat was fast asleep on my lap, and the sun was gone.
A miracle is on its way big enough to change your entire life for the better.