Jack:
"Chloe..."
"What are you doing here?" She asked with her arms folded across her chest.
"Uh... I live here."
"You don't live here."
"Yeah, I do. The band split up and I live with Deja now."
"Well, Deja would have told me that you moved in."
"But she didn't, did she. If you wanna argue with someone over why or if I live here, go argue with Deja."
"Well, then get out of my way so I can go argue with her. I don't have time to talk to men who can't commit."
"I can too commit!" I yelled as she pushed past me.
"No, you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"Bet."
"DEJA!" We both yelled at the top of our lungs. It was quiet for a bit before we heard stumbling down the stairs. Deja's hair was a complete mess and she was only wearing one of Jayden's big shirts and Nike socks.
"What? What happened?" She asked looking around.
"Deja!" Chloe squealed.
"Chloe!" Deja yelled running up to her as they hugged each other tightly. I rolled my eyes.
"Where's Jay? I bought him a present."
"He's at football practice, what is it?" Deja asked grabbing the bag.
"A nerf gun."
"He has way too many toys," Deja said laughing. "But thank you."
"You have some explaining to do," Chloe said pointing at me.
"It's rude to point," I said. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"No one's talking to you. Why is he here?"
"He lives here," Deja said with a smile.
"Ha!" I laughed with a smirk.
"Well... I was planning on staying for a week, but I guess not."
"Oh come on, you two need to grow up," Deja said rolling her eyes.
"Shut up, you haven't talked to Zach in like 6 years," Chloe said.
"Actually..." Chloe looked at her. "Zach and I are... a thing? I don't know what we are. I'm still really confused."
"What?!" She squealed and jumped up and down while hugging Deja. "Finally!"
They both laughed. As much as I hated having Chloe around, I also missed talking to her on the phone all night long.
...
Zach: *it's the next day just in case you're confused*
I sat next to Deja with my arm around her on the couch. Jay sat on the other side of the room watching Jane the Virgin, but he constantly looked over at me to make sure I wasn't getting too close to his mom. I feared him even though he was a 6-year-old.
Deja was on her phone and I was bored so I softly kissed her jawline and tried to get a reaction from her. She just continued to scroll through Instagram. I angrily lied my head on her shoulder, she looked down at me and smiled. I watched the funny videos that she was watching when I heard movement from across the room.
I looked up and saw Jay. He got up and walked over to us. He pushed my head out of the way and sat down in Deja's lap making me angry. He just smirked and lied his head down on Deja's chest as they watched funny videos together.
"I'm gonna go grocery shopping," Deja said placing Jay in my lap and getting up. Jay looked at me in disgust before hopping off my lap and following Deja.
"Can I come?" He asked.
"No, you have to stay home."
"But why?"
"Because."
"Because, what?"
"Because I said so." He pouted.
"I'll come with you," I said getting up.
"No."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because I need someone to stay with Jay while I'm gone."
"What about Jack?"
"Jack's not here. He's in the studio."
"Chloe?"
"Chloe doesn't want to come back to the house unless Jack moves out."
Jay and I looked at each other. I walked over to Deja and held her hand.
"He doesn't like me..." I whispered.
"So, do something fun with him and get him to like you."
"Well, I don't know how to take care of a child."
"You'll do fine." She kissed my cheek and gave Jay a kiss on the forehead telling him to behave before she walked out the door.
I turned around and faced him. He stared at me before walking into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" I asked. He pulled a chair over to the counter and climbed it. "Jay, get down from there."
He just shrugged and grabbed Oreos out of the top cupboard. He tossed a whole stash of junk food onto the counter and climbed off.
"Hey, does your mom let you eat those?" I asked.
"Does your mom still have to wash your ass because it stinks," he said grabbing the junk food and walking to the living room. He sat down in front of the TV and changed it to a scary movie.
"You're going to get in trouble," I said.
"What? Are you going to tell my mom?"
"Yeah, I'll call her right now and tell her that you're eating junk food, watching a scary movie and that you swore at me."
"Wow, that just makes you sound like a bad babysitter."
I sighed.
"Why do you hate me?" I asked sitting down next to him and turning off the TV. He looked at me angrily. He tried to reach for the remote but I move it away from him.
"Do you love my mom?" He asked.
"We've already been through this, Jay. I love your mom more than anything in the world."
"On a scale from 1-10, how much do you love her?"
"11."
"Only 11?"
"Beyond infinity is how much I love her. Does that settle this?" I asked.
"Do you want to marry my mom?"
"Yes, Jay. If I'm being completely honest with you, I want to marry your mom. I've wanted to marry her since we were 16. But I can't do anything if you won't let me."
"Does my mom make you happy?"
"She makes me happy and I know I make her happy too..."
"If you guys get married, do I have to call you dad?" He asked.
"No. Why does it matter?"
"Because I don't want another dad!"
"Well, then I'll just be Zach to you."
"If you marry my mom, you guys have to get married tomorrow."
"That's not how it works, Jay. I can't just propose and set up a wedding by tomorrow. Wedding planning takes time-"
"Tomorrow or never." He looked me in the eyes.
"Okay. Okay. I'll do it." He smiled and handed me a ring pop. "You want me to propose with this?"
"Mommy will be back from the store in 20 minutes. That's not enough time for you to get a ring and come back. And if you do try to leave, mommy will be back and find me home alone and I"ll be eating junk food while watching scary movies. And if that happens, you can kiss mommy goodbye."
"This will have to work then..."
Jay quickly picked up all of the junk food and put them back into the cupboard. I helped him clean up the living room.
"Zach, do you play the guitar?" He asked as we sat in the living room, waiting for Deja.
"Yeah, why?"
He hopped off the couch and ran downstairs. He came back upstairs a few moments later dragging a guitar behind him.
"This is mommy's."
"I know," I said recognizing the light colored wood. It used to sit in the corner of her room, but never once did I see her touch it.
"Can you play me a song?"
"Uh... sure. Do you have any requests?"
"Perfect by Ed Sheeran. That was my mom and dad's favorite song."
"I remember..." I sighed. I felt awkward playing the song that Deja and Jayden always listened to together.
//
"She's here!" Jay called from the living room.
"She is?!" I ran into the living room and looked out the curtain with Jay.
"All yours." He smirked sitting down on the couch.
"I'm nervous!"
"Oh, suck it up."
"But what is she-"
The door swung open behind me. Deja stood there with groceries.
"Hi, boys!" She said with a smile.
"Here, I'll help you." I grabbed a few of the bags and carried them to the table.
"Thank you! What did you guys do while I was gone?"
I looked over at Jay he just smiled.
"Hi, mommy!" He yelled running over to Deja. Deja smiled and picked him up placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Hi, love! What did you guys do today?"
"Nothing. Do you want a ring pop?"
"I'm not hungry right now-" Jay began to fake cry. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll have a ring pop."
"Okay, Zach!" He yelled jumping out of Deja's arms. He pushed me towards Deja. I felt the wrapper of the ring pop in my pocket.
"What?" Deja asked laughing at Jay.
I slowly got down on one knee.
"Um... so, this isn't as big and grand as the way Jayden proposed to you. I don't think I'll ever be able to beat everything that Jayden did for you while he was alive," I said. I looked over at Jay who was looking down at his fingers from hearing his father's name. "But I love you. And by now I know you're tired of hearing it from me. You've heard me say I love you since we were 16. And when I was 16 like I didn't- this is all me winging it, by the way, sorry if I stutter- anyway, when I was 16, I was still learning to love. I was still learning the meaning to love. But the more I was with you, I- the more I was with you the more I understood what love was. And even now, I'm still learning about love. Love isn't something you should take for granted, it's amazing and beautiful. Love is what you had when you were with Jayden. Every moment, every gaze, every kiss, all that you shared with him was love. Love is what you share with Jack. This home, your friendship, your tears. That's love. Love is you and Jay." I looked over at him. "You love him so much that you're willing to push aside the feelings that you have for me to make sure he's happy. Because you love him. And the protection he has over you, his want and his need to fight for you in whatever, is love. And now, I'm kneeling on one knee in front of you because I've never felt more love in my life. Because that's all I've ever wanted to do. Love you and be with you. So, what is love, if I can't be with you? It's nothing, to me. Deja, please marry me..."
She laughed at the ring pop. But she also had tears slipping from her eyes.
"Say yes, mommy!" Jay yelled. Deja just continued to laugh and cry while nodding her head yes.
I got up and hugged her.
"We have to get married tomorrow."
"What?"
"Jay said tomorrow or never."
She laughed and nodded.
...
I don't think I've ever been happier in my life. The 4 guys who I'd spent most of my life with sitting on the sides. My- now- beautiful wife and her son, plus her best friend. And me. Gathered in this small room, while we got married with two ring pops until we got our actual rings. It was small and short, but I've never been happier in my life because the day I thought I'd never see... the day I got to marry the person who made me want to be better and made me love my life.
///
IT'S NOT OVER! THERE'S STILL MORE! BUT THIS DOES SOUND LIKE THE BOMBEST ENDING IN THE HISTORY OF ENDINGS... BUT IT ISN'T! TRUST ME.