I've been sitting in my car for a good 5 minutes now, contemplating how I should walk up to him or if I should invite him for ice cream. I'm pretty sure Althea told me he likes chocolate.
I drum my fingers against the steering wheel, puffing out a breath. I start to bounce my leg, looking out of the front windshield. I'm currently parked In the Craig street corner store parking lot, my brain jumbled and my heart racing.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
What if he says no? What if she says no? What if I mess something up?
Shit fuck shit fuck shit fuck.
Althea would definitely not like all of this cursing that's going on inside my head.
Fuck it.
I open the car door and get out, walking quickly away from my car and across the littered parking lot. I can see Freddy B. Jones sitting on the bench he always sat on. He was looking at everything with that wise gaze of his.
I wish my heart would stop beating so fucking fast.
When I got closer to him he glanced down at me and then back up as if he were expecting me. I'm not sure how he would be expecting me when I didn't even tell him I was coming.
I stand in front of him for a moment and then realize that's weird and awkward so I sit down next to him, leaving a few inches between us. My leg starts to bounce again as I rub my hands on the front of my jeans.
I stare straight down at the ground. I'm not gonna be the first one to say something. No way. Even though I'm the one that came to talk to him.
"What brings you here today?" Freddy questions into the afternoon summer air. His voice is cool and quiet.
"Oh nothing...just a question." I hesitate, looking over at him and he's still looking up at the sky.
"Oh really? And what might that question be, young man." He still doesn't look at me, his wrinkled hands folded neatly in his lap.
"Permission." I say, no hesitation this time.
He raises his eyebrows and this time he glances at me. "Permission?" He repeats.
I let out a slow trailing breath, my hands not shaky anymore because I know what I want. What I came here for.
"To ask Althea to be my wife."
Freddy looks at me and doesn't say anything but I see something in his eyes. Anger? Happiness? Relief? I have no fucking clue and it makes my head hurt.
"I'd like to marry her." I clarify.
Freddy looks back up at the sky and I look to to see what's so interesting up there. The sky is a bright blue, clouds everywhere and the sun bright but it's nothing I've never seen so I'm not sure how Freddy could sit here everyday and look at the same thing over and over again.
"Your probably wondering why I sit here and look at the same blue sky every single day." Freddy says as if he can read my brain.
"I most definitely could not think of anything else." I shake my head, starting to rub my sweaty palms on my jeans again.
"I look at the same blue sky every single day because it's beautiful. Because I've gotten used to it. Because it's the thing that makes me smile, the thing that keeps me going. The thing that makes me want to wake up. Because if I didn't have this beautiful bright blue sky, I would remember what my life was like." I study Freddy, his content smile as he looks at the sky.
I furrow my eyebrows. "Oh..."
Freddy nods. "Mhm. Sound familiar?" He glances at me with a raised eyebrow, his expression showing amusement.
"So fucking familiar." Images of her flash through my brain.
"Language! You wouldn't talk to the love of your life with that mouth would you?" Freddy shakes his head disapprovingly.
I grin, relaxing into the bench. "Of course not."
We're quiet for a moment, I can hear a bird in the distance singing to another.
I think about her smile and how sweet she is. The nicest fucking person I know and I don't think I could ever live without her. She's apart of me just as much as I'm apart of her and if there was a way to be with each other for the rest of our life's, through sickness and through health and all that other shit, then I'm sure as hell gonna do it.
When I look back at him again he's staring at me. "I know your like a father to her...so I wanted to ask you..." I pause, taking a deep breath. "If....if you'd give me permission to ask her to be my wife."
Freddy is staring at me. Actual tears coming to his eyes. Then a smile breaks out on his face and my heart stops beating so quickly because I was scared he wouldn't give me his approval. He pats me on my back and chuckles. His laugh showing on his face. "Of course. I want her to be happy. You make her happy. But just so you know, Mr. Alvarez, don't hurt her. I may be a little old man but I can really mess you up." He wags his finger at me.
I nod quickly, smiling. "Of course not. I'm glad you think so highly of me, B.J"
Freddy chuckles, patting my back again. We both look up at the sky, smiles on our faces.
♡︎
♥︎ Althea ♥︎
I flip the page of the book I'm currently reading. "The Picture Of Dorian Grey."
My brains to jumbled to comprehend more then two sentences but the thought of being able to finish a classic excites me.
I lay smack in the middle of me and Enzo's bed, my legs brought up to prop the book and the blanket Karlos got us underneath it.
I had just gotten back from a session with Miranda. Lately, we've been talking about my life and how I've been. I haven't had that many nightmares recently but I still do wake up in the middle of the night. She's been helping me a lot though and I have no idea what I would do without our three days every week.
I hear the front door close and shut but I don't look up because I know it's my Tater Tot. I hear footsteps and then they stop and when they don't continue I look up with scrunched eyebrows.
I wonder what he's doing...
Should I pretend to be asleep? Nah. He wouldn't fall for it like last time when I jumped up and scared the living daylights out of him.
I put my book down and grab my phone, navigating to the subway surfers app. I need a break from all those big words. It was hurting my head.
Finally, the footsteps continue down the hall and then the doorknob of the bedroom door is turning and then the door is opening and I can see Enzo in my peripheral vision.
I don't look up from my game though because Jakes going awfully fast on these train tracks which is very dangerous I might add.
When he doesn't say anything, I look up and see Enzo just staring down at me with that sad puppy look. "What are you doing?" He asks, frowning.
"Playing subway surfers. Gotta beat my highscore." I look back down and he's silent as he just hovers me. I pause the game. "What's wrong-"
"I feel like I'm going to throw up," he blurts out, looking down.
I laughed, sitting up on our bed. I pat the spot next to me and he reluctantly sits down as if he would rather be standing. It makes my heart skip a beat "Why? Is something wrong?" Now I'm worried.
His head snapped up and our eyes met. I raise my eyebrows, confused. What pray tell... Then he starts smiling.
"Because, and I think about this everyday, I love you," he paused. "I. Love. Althea Henry Rose Carder. I never thought I could ever love someone as much as I love you and thinking about that makes me want to throw up. And-" he stops, taking a deep breath in before standing up.
I watch, confused as he walks away from me and to the bookshelf. He moves a few books around and then reaches in and withdraws his hand, pulling out a small box.
My eyes widen, my heart speeding up. I put my phone down, the subway surfers theme music still plays gently. He walks over to me, his thumb running over the black velvet. He stands infront of me, clutching the box in his hand, a hand that's shaking uncontrollably. I suck in a breath through my teeth, tears coming to my eyes as I watch him get on one knee. He looks up at me with those eyes. We stare into eachothers eyes, both silent as we watch eachother.
But then finally...
"I love you. I love you so fucking much it hurts and- and maybe I'm not the best person in the world and maybe you shouldn't marry me and maybe I'm overthinking this and you probably won't even like the ring because it took me forever to find one that fits you and-"
I cut him off by pulling him closer to me. He nearly topples over on to the floor but catches himself. I press my lips to his, kissing him over and over again and then all over his face. "Yes," a kiss "yes," another kiss "yes," a final kiss that's not final because there will be so much more in the near future. "I want to marry you."
"You haven't even see the ring yet." He says but he's smiling so big that I can see all the lines around his mouth.
I shake my head, my eyes filling with tears. "I don't need to." then I stop. "actually..." I take the ring box from him and open it.
I gasp.
It's a princess cut wedding ring with a gigantic dimond in the middle and smaller diamonds lining the band. I look back up ar Enzo who's searching my eyes.
"Do you like it? I can take it back-" I cut him off by throwing my arms around his neck. We both fall to the floor and he laughs, wrapping his arms around me.
I pull back from him and grin. "It's gorgeous." I whisper.
I hear the subway surfers music growing faintly. We look at eachother. Then back at the bed where the music is coming from. Then back at eachother. We burst out laughing.
"That's gonna be a real funny story to tell our kids. 'When I purposed to her, there was subway surfers music playing in the back.'" He says.
"Kids?" I say, my eyes so watery I can barely see his beautiful face but I do see when he nods.
"Mhm. A girl and a boy. I can already see it." He says.
I bite my lip. "I can see it to...so clearly."
"I fucking love you Althea Henry Rose Alveraz." His voice sounds choked up. Enzo Alvaraz. Crying? Huh.
"I like the ring of that. Althea Henry Rose Alveraz" I grin, invisioning it.
When I meet his eyes again he's staring at me with love eyes.
"I frackin love you to Lorenzo Keanu Alveraz."
He reaches up and kisses me. "Oh yeah?"
He pulls back and I nod eagerly, bringing his face back down to mine. "Oh yeah, baby!"
♡︎
AND ROLL THE CREDITS.
I can't believe I just wrote an entire book...unbelievable! And the fact that I'm already planning my next one.
Tysm y'all for all the support and I pray that since the book is done it will gain more attention. I would love for this book to be in peoples "favorites list" defo a dream.
I also want to work on better planning. I was planning this book along the way and just wrote down stuff I said. Like, I didn't even realize I didn't give Enzo a job until like chapter 15! Or Althea so, you know.
Epilogue coming soon!
Anyway thank y'all so much! Time to reread my entire book now 🏃🏾♀️.
Word count: 2061
Althea's insta is: _altheaalveraz
Enzo's insta is: _Enzoalveraz
Love, M <3