Engaged, I've been engaged for exactly one month already and it still feels like a dream.
I'm going to marry my best friend and to say that I'm thrilled would be an understatement because I'm way past that stage.
Today my friends were throwing us an engagement party like we did for Tony and Spencer a few weeks after their engagement. I'm pretty excited to see all my friends and family, plus we were using this as a house warming at the same time since this would be the first time everyone would be coming over now that it's all decorated.
I am now in the process of taking my morning shower, a ritual I don't think I'd ever get out of at this point.
Once I finish rinsing my body down I get out and wrap a towel around my body, then plug in my hair dryer and loosely blow dry my hair to get the natural wave I want.
I exit the bathroom and walk into the closet then look around for what felt like five hours trying to decide on what I want to wear for the day, finally choosing what I want I grab it off the hangers and rummage through my drawer for the shorts I want then quickly change into them.
It was a blue lace crop top that landed just below my breast, I paired that with a pair of white high waist shorts and some matching blue sandals that showed off my freshly painted black toenails that I got done just the other day.
I went back into the bathroom and sat down at my vanity then began to do my makeup, going for a simple winged liner and some powder foundation.
I decided to put my hair in a half up half down style but instead of a plain ponytail I did braids around the crown of my head that ended just where I could tie it up and call it a day.
I slipped on a few pieces of jewelry, my favorite London blue topaz diamond ring with the matching earrings, necklace, and bracelet. Jaime had bought me the set a few weeks ago knowing how much I loved it.
Last but not least I put my engagement ring on then shut off all the lights to the bedroom and walked downstairs to where mine and Jaime's dad were outside cooking the food for tonight.
"Hey daddy." I smile giving him a kiss on the cheek as he turned over some chicken that was on the grill.
"Hey sweetheart." He says kissing my forehead.
Just then Jaime walked out the back door with a very happy Lilah propped in his arms.
"Hey babe." He says as he gets near me.
"Hello." I smile reaching up to place a kiss on his lips.
"Hello my baby doll." I say opening my hands out for Lilah who quickly leans forward for me to take her.
She begins to play with my necklace while I talk to Jaime who was looking over our backyard, "So where are we putting the tables?"
"I was thinking right over there?" Jaime's dad suggests pointing to the empty patch of grass.
Our pool was not dead center of our backyard which in turn became a good thing for days like today, our pool was off to the right near the fence, it took up most of the right side versus the middle and the left side of our yard which was nothing but open grass.
We had put fairy lights on each fence that we'd light up when we used the pool at nights, along with fire torches. A few chairs around the small bon fire pit that Jaime just "had" to get.
"That should be good, who's bringing those?" I ask.
"Chris should be bringing them, he rented some from a party store." Jaime answers still looking over the backyard.
"The planner is here!" I hear come from behind me.
I turn around to see Spencer with her arms wide out, Tony following behind with boxes of what looked like party decorations.
"Thank God, at least someone knows what they're doing." Jaime mumbles.
"Okay so let's get this shit started before it's too late."
"I'm just carrying things in, she told me not to touch anything." Tony says with a pout.
"No this is all me." Spencer says before taking the box from his hand and instructing him and Jaime to go get the rest from their car.
I quickly go inside and place Lilah inside the play pin with Joyce, leaving them there with Max who was guarding the play pin as if his life depended on it.
"Good boy Max." I say patting his head then turned towards the door where my best friend became maid of monsters, if that makes any sense at all.
"Okay so that will go there, and this will go right over here." She mumbles to herself.
"What do I need to help with?"
"You can put these on that small table over there." She says handing me picture frames of Jaime and I.
I place them on the table and arrange them around a sign that had our important dates on it,
May 21 – The day we met
June 21 – Started dating
April 13 – Became a family
September 18 – Got Engaged
June 17 – Say I Do
Jaime and I decided on a day that would've been our anniversary of the first time he asked me to be his girlfriend but since that was in the middle of the week we compromised for the seventeenth.
Once the entire backyard was finished I was in awe, Spencer had really outdone herself on this one.
The tables that Chris had brought were covered with a white table cloth that had mason jars in the middle, inside the mason jars were sticks that had paper hearts attached to it with mine and Jaime's names on it.
She had set up a drink bar near the door where you can grab any kind of drink you like, but in case we didn't have it the party was also bring your own beer.
"You did a great job Spence." Jaime compliments.
"Thank you, I try." She laughs.
Within a few hours all our friends and family had arrived and our backyard was full of people, not that I'm complaining at all. I had very few people from my family come but the ones who did were of course relatives from my dad's side of the family, including my cousin Spencer and her husband Austin along with their twins.
Today was the day I would be asking my friends to be my bridesmaids, as well as Jaime asking the guys. I had made the girls a small box of things like a journal and pens, stationary, and a mason jar filled with nail polish, lip gloss, and a small little custom bag that said "Will you be my bridesmaid".
Jaime though had his own way of asking.
"Okay can everyone listen up." Jaime says standing from his spot at our table.
"I have something very important to say," He begins.
"About two and a half years ago I met this pretty little lady next to me and to say I was scared shitless would be an understatement, because she terrified me."
I laugh along with everyone at his statement.
"I didn't know what to do, how to ask her out, or even begin talking to her, it was like I became so new to dating, but I had one person that helped me figure it all out. This guy was there with me since the beginning, and was the one who pushed me to ask Arianna out on that first date." He says pointing to Tony who laughed as though he was remembering exactly how it all happened.
"Before I took her on our first date I was a mess, I kept rambling about what to talk about, what not to say and what I needed to say, and needless to say, he slapped me in the face." Jaime laughed with a shake to his head getting everyone to do the same.
"He told me that if this was meant to happen then it would, he said that there was a reason that I met Arianna, and I might not have known at that moment but I would through time. He was right about it all, and I couldn't have asked for another person to help me through this journey than him."
Jaime looks at me with a smile before turning back to everyone else, "Tony come up here really quick."
Tony looks around then reluctantly gets up from his chair, going around to where Jaime stood at the corner of our table, "Tony man, you've been there to kick my ass when I messed up but also lifted me up when I needed word of encouragement, so I have one important question for you,"
Jaime digs through his pocket then pulls out a little black box, gets down on one knee, getting Tony to turn tomato red, "Tony Perry, will you be my best man?"
When he opens the black box it revealed two cuff links with his initials on it for the tux that he will be wearing at our wedding, Tony puts a hand over his mouth and pretends to cry, "Yes, I do." He muffles while nodding his head.
Everyone begins to cheer while they hug it out, "But I wanted the ring." Tony says pointing to my ring.
"Oh no Perry, this is mine, keep your paws off of it." I playfully glare.
Jaime then finishes up the rest of his speech by giving the other three guys, Vic, Mike, and Chris, their own cuff links as well.
With that said we had our wedding party, I had my girls including my cousin Spencer along with Jaime's best friends, now I couldn't wait to get this started.
After the party I sat outside with the girls while Jaime and the guys were inside talking "Groomsmen business", which more than likely meant they were going to plan a bachelor party of some sort.
"So when is it gonna be your turn?" Alysha asks Spencer.
"We don't know yet, probably sometime after Arianna's, we want to be engaged for a little bit."
I nod my head at her answer then look down at my ring that glistened in the lights of the bon fire I set up, "Jaime and I just want to get married already, he even suggested Vegas." I laugh.
"Well I would be down for that." Danielle laughs.
"I'm just ready to start planning this, we have exactly eight months to plan this shindig and don't know where to start."
"That's why you have us." Spencer says as a matter of fact.
"And for that I am so thankful." I say with a smile.
Once everyone had gone home I was exhausted and full from eating everything in sight, I changed out of my day clothes and put on a pair of yoga shorts and one of Jaime's t-shirts then climbed into bed.
"Jaime," I whisper as he was lying next to me softly snoring.
"Hime." I say again.
"Yes?" He replies groggily.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"I love you more though." I smile although he couldn't see it.
"That's impossible."
"No it's pretty possible." I mutter.
I feel Jaime turn around then place his arm around my waist and pull me into his chest.
"How is that possible?" He asks into my neck before placing a kiss on it.
"Because I loved you before I even met you." I say placing my hand on his cheek.
"Yeah you might have but that doesn't mean you love me more; you've just loved me longer." Jaime laughs trying to get technical.
"Just take it Preciado and stop trying to argue." I laugh.
"Just admit it future Preciado, I love you more than anyone else in this entire universe."
"I won't admit anything that's not true."
"Fine, then we both love each other at an equal amount." Jaime compromises.
"I'll take that." I laugh.
I place a kiss on his lips then turn around in his arms to get some sleep, tomorrow was going to be a busy day for Jaime and he needed his sleep.
--
I woke up to the sound of Lilah's cries coming through the walls, I quickly pull the covers off my body and go over to her room and where she was lying in her crib.
"Why are you crying princess?" I coo as I pick her up from the soft bed.
I take her downstairs, her cries slowly calming down while I pour some of her juice inside a sippy cup.
I find a note on the counter from Jaime saying he went out to a band meeting, they were discussing a small North American tour that Jaime insisted on doing since his coma. Who am I to stop him though, I know he misses being out there and doing what he loves.
If you ask how I feel I can honestly say that I'm okay with him going on tour, sure I'll miss him but I'm already used to this lifestyle so it's not too bad.
I sat Lilah down on her play matte that I set out in the living room then turned on the TV that began to play reruns of Pretty Little Liars, a show I definitely haven't seen in what feels like years.
I opened up Pinterest on my tablet and began looking at wedding things, trying to first come up with the color scheme. As I got deeper into the ideas I began to find nothing but cute things I could do, I quickly pulled out a pen and notebook and began to jot down all the ideas I had.
I heard the front door open and shut and the sound of Jaime's footsteps enter the room, "Hey beauties." He says picking up Lilah who began to freak out as soon as she saw him.
"Hey." I smile writing another idea in my journal.
"What are you up to?"
"Just writing wedding ideas down." I say showing him my two-page list.
"That's a lot of ideas." He laughs taking it from my hands to look at them.
"I know but they're so cute I had to jot them down, I'll pick and choose later."
"I like this one." He says pointing to an idea.
It was a hashtag for Instagram, all of our guests could hashtag Preciado Wedding and we could see their pictures from the night.
"I like that idea too, but anyways how was the meeting, are you going on tour?"
"Yes, starting the day after Halloween." Jaime smiles.
"How many cities?"
"About sixteen, it'll be an acoustic tour, something different."
"That'll be fun, can't wait to go." I smile.
"I can't wait to start, but I'll miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too but we'll be here when you get back." I say leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Oh before I forget, Halloween party at Vic's. We'll take the kids trick or treating first then the real party starts at eight." Jaime says while handing Lilah his phone.
"Ooh yes, what will I be this year?" I begin to think.
"I don't know about you but I think I want to be the Joker."
"That'd be cute, I think I know what I want to be but you'll have to see that day." I grin.
"Why would you say that and not tell me?"
"Because I know how much it bugs you." I laugh.
Jaime then gets up and walks to the kitchen, "What are you doing?"
"I'm hungry, do you want leftovers?"
I get up from my spot as well then go into the kitchen, "Yes, I'm hungry too."
I grab a set of plates and set them on the table while Jaime heats up the food, we sat down and had the left over barbecue from last night and talked about more wedding things.
The more we talked about it, the more my nerves would kick in, I was excited and nervous all in one but mostly excited.
"Grey." Jaime says randomly.
"Huh?" I ask in confusion.
"Black and grey, for our wedding colors."
I think about it for a second then begin to fall in love with the idea, "What about a lilac grey, it's in between a soft purple and grey." I try to meet in between.
I end up having to pull up a picture of the color and as soon as Jaime saw it he immediately agreed, "I like it, that's perfect. Everyone uses red and white too much, we need to be different."
"You're right, I love these colors though." I agree writing it down in the journal I deemed 'The Wedding Journal'
After dinner we decided it was about time to hit the sack, I took a quick shower since I skipped my morning one, and got into bed next to Jaime who was texting on his phone.
"Can I wear Vans?" He asks placing his phone on the night table.
"Yeah, I mean I assumed all of you guys would be wearing them anyways."
"Yes." Jaime says in victory.
"Now I have to text Spencer the colors so we can start looking at other things, then I have to get dresses for the girls." I begin to ramble.
"Hey shhh..." Jaime shushes me, placing his hand over my mouth in the process.
"No more wedding talk for now, we finally have alone time and I want to take advantage of that while we can."
Jaime begins to place soft kisses on my jaw and trails down to my neck.
I giggle once he hits my tickle spot but let him continue nonetheless, he let his hands trail down my sides and let the rest of the night consume us.