"You and Nichelle are going to mold this beautiful, wonderful human being... and I can't wait to meet her." - Deacon | S.W.A.T Season 6 episode 4
ONE YEAR LATER
He's not here. I look around his office, confused as to why it's empty. Digging in the back pocket of my jeans, I reach for my phone and just as I'm about to call Deacon to ask where he is, there's a knock on the door.
I glance up from my phone to see Owen, Deacon's business partner standing in the doorway. He's a handsome man with a full head of silver hair, expansive shoulders, solid built and a pair of the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen on a man, after Luca of course.
He's dressed in his usual dark blue suit and gives me a friendly smile. "Hey Mya."
"Owen, hey. Have you seen Deacon? He asked me to meet him here so we could drive over to my parents house for dinner together." I explain.
"He said he had a last minute errand he had to run, but when I saw you to give you this." Owen pulls out a small white envelope from his coat pocket and hand it to me.
"What is it?" I ask, eyeing the envelope cautiously.
Owen shrugs. "I was just told to give it to you." He says before turning and leaving me alone.
Stuffing my phone back into my back pocket, I eagerly open the envelope and pull out the white card stock letter inside and read.
Dear Mya,
There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how happy you've made me from the moment you re-entered my life. I know I'm not a man of many words, so I'm hoping my actions today will show you just how much you mean to me and the kids. Enjoy this scavenger hunt I've prepared for you this evening. You have a very important question to answer at the end.
-Deacon
Clue: Where did we have our first date?
"QueensView." I say out loud, a smile suddenly on my lips as I remember the restaurant Deacon took me to as a "thank you" for taking care of the kids and the house.
I fight the urge to text Deacon and ask him what is going on. Instead, I head out of his office and make my way out of the building. Once I'm settled into my car, I drive down the streets of Long Beach until I reach the restaurant where I find Chris waiting for me on the boardwalk where Deacon and I had our first kiss which now seems like forever ago.
"Chris!"
"Congratulations!" Chris brings me into a hug and squeezes me. I squeeze her back, fighting back tears as she hands me the next envelope.
Dear Mya,
I've eaten here a few times with the kids, but no night was as especial as the time that we came here together. The moment we kissed, I knew that if I wasn't careful, you could be someone I could fall for. Turns out I was right.
-Deacon
Clue: Have some ice cream on me.
Chris and I hug one more time before I leave and get into my car again and drive to the the ice cream shop Deacon, the kids and I went to after his team won the charity softball game. I walk inside to see Luca sitting at a table enjoying a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
"Just in time," He tells me as he swallows the spoonful of ice cream he had in his mouth. Luca stands up and hands me a white envelope from his back pocket.
Dear Mya,
Coming here and having ice cream with you and the kids was the first time in a long time that I actually smiled and had a good time. Now vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips is my favorite for many reason.
- Deacon
"Told you you'd like my way of eating ice cream." I mumble to myself with a small satisfied smile on my face as I remember that night on the couch.
Clue: You'll find your next clue at your favorite clothing store.
"I'm so happy for you." Luca tells me.
"Thank you Luca." I walk into his arms and allow him to give me one of his famous Luca Bear Hugs. We say goodbye and I hop into my car once again and drive to Windsor.
Inside, my mom was waiting.
"You knew about this?" I demand, my mouth open in shock.
"Of course. Deacon knew I would kill him if I wasn't a part of this moment." My mom jokes. "Come on, I picked out a few dresses I think you might like." She tells me before she leads me to a rack with a few dresses hanging on there. I sift through the options, silently praising my mom for her choices because every single dress was something that I would wear and matched my style perfectly. It's between an elegant strapless chocolate colored dress and a sea foam satin dress with a midi split. The sea foam dress wins and I pair it with a pair of silver heels.
"You look stunning sweetheart." My mom gasp.
"Really?" I do a little spin and my mom giggles.
"Really. Deacon isn't going to know what to do with himself." My mom tells me. "I have something for you." She says before she turns to her purse, open it and pull out a another white envelope and hand it to me.
Mya,
You're almost done. Meet me at the place that feels like home.
- Deacon
I finish reading the card only to look up to find my mom with fresh tears falling down her cheeks.
"Mom, don't cry." I pull her into a hug.
"I can't help it. This is just one of those days that I always pictured when you were a little girl."
"I love you." I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.
"I love you too sweetheart." She squeezes me one last time before pulling away. "Okay. Get out of here before I get tears and mascara on your dress."
I kiss her cheek before taking my note with me as I leave the store. I feel like my heart is going to explode as I take the road that will lead me home. The twenty minute drive feels like an hour instead and I sigh relieved until I see my dad standing in front of the front door of Deacon's house.
"Daddy?"
"I know I'm not that man you were expecting to see, but I have something to give you before you go to the backyard." My dad says.
I erase the distance between us and study him. "You okay with what's about to happen?"
"No," He admits. "But it's not because of who the man is. It's because I knew I was never going to be ready for this moment. From the moment we took you home from the hospital I've watched you grow into a woman who is smart, passionate, kind, and so beautiful," He smiles proudly as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Deacon couldn't have picked a better choice." My dad tells me.
"Just so you know, no matter what my answer is, I'm always going to be your baby girl." I reassure him.
"I know." My dad tells me with a love in his eyes so overwhelming that it brings tears to my eyes. My father is a proud man; me falling in love with his best friend definitely hurt his ego- so for him to give me his blessings was a big deal, one that I would never take for granted.
Wordlessly, I throw myself into his arms and he doesn't miss a beat, wrapping me up in his embrace that always made me feel like the most special person on the planet. "I love you."
"I love you more." My dad tells me before pulling away. "Alright. Now I need you to close your eyes." My dad says, surprising me.
"What?"
"Do you trust your old man?"
"Of course." I answer without hesitation.
"Then close your eyes."
I do as I'm told, shutting my eyes. I can feel when my dad moves to stand behind me. Abshutter runs through my body when I feel him place something silky over my eyes. The urge to open my eyes and see what the hell he's doing is strong, but I fight it and stand still.
"I'm gonna need you to trust me for a few more seconds okay?" My dad tells me.
"Just don't let me fall."
"Never." My dad tells me before taking my hand. It's quiet for a few seconds as I allow him to blindly lead me into the backyard. Moments later, I feel his large hand disappear and is replaced with one little one.
"You look pretty Mya like a princess." I recognize Lilah's voice.
"Thank you." I smile widely just before her touch disappears. I stop walking, not sure what to do next.
"Okay. You can take off the blind fold now." Lilah tells me. I do as Lilaha tells me, pulling the blindfold over my head, only to blink rapidly to bat away the tears that were ready to spill at the sight in front of me.
Hanging from the willow tree was at least two dozen lanterns and fairy lights. Bending down on one knee in the middle of a heart made from white rose petals looking as handsome as ever in a white pressed shirt is Deacon.
"I never thought I'd get down on one knee for another woman after Annie died. But then you came into my life and I knew there was no else I would want to grow old with. I want to be a family with you and my kids and grow our family with kids of our own. I love you so much. Will you, Mya Nichelle Harrelson marry me?" Deacon opens a small black box, revealing a pear shaped diamond.
I nod my head, no longer fighting back the tears that have been wanting to fall since I read the first note. "Of course I will."
Deacon seems to visibly relax at my answer. Did he really think I'd tell him no? Deacon stands up and slides the ring on my finger. I place both hands on his cheek before pulling his head down to me until our lips touch, and kiss him passionately, pouring all of my love into the kiss.
An eruption of applause and holler causes us to break away and I turn away to see all of our family and friends smiling, clapping and cheering us on.
They were all here. Tan, Street, Luca, Chris, my grandparents and my parents.
"We're gonna have so much fun planning this!" My mom squeals and she squeezes me.
"Let me take care of the honeymoon. I know this great spot with the most beautiful beaches." Luca says excitedly.
"I don't know if we're gonna have much time to do any sight seeing." Deacon smirks, pulling me to his side.
"Watch yourself." My dad warns him, lightly but Deacon and I knew to take him seriously.
"Alright, let's give these two a moment to enjoy their engagement. There's cake and champagne waiting in the house for us." My mom directs everyone towards the sliding door and soon everyone disappears inside, leaving Deacon and I alone.
"You ready to spend forever with me?" I ask him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Absolutely. You're stuck with me forever I'm afraid."
"Which, When you think about your age, that's not really a long time." I tease, which earns me a glare from Deacon. I only tease him because he still thinks our age is a problem. And yeah, it's weird to some people but my parents and the team were the only people who mattered.
Deacon chuckles mockingly before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. "What am I going to do with that smart mouth of yours?"
"Whatever you want Mr. Kay. Whatever you want."
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Epilogue/ Final chapter up next!
Thank you for reading!
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(Author's Note: Btw thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! 🙏🏾💕)