(I know that this is kind of late. I wasn't going to write an epilogue, but...)
Four Years Later...
It was seven in the evening when I walked into our apartment. My classes lasted a lot longer than I wanted them to. Jordan had been throwing up all day, and I wasn't there to help her. Luckily, Lexi was. She was a little more mature than her annoying little boyfriend.
I did all I could to try and help under the circumstances. I called in and set up a doctor's appointment for Jordan for tomorrow. Not to mention I also tried calling her while I had a short break, but she was too sick to even answer. I had to tell Lexi to pass on the message.
I hated being away from her for too long, especially when she was sick.
The second I shut the front door behind me, I was expecting to see Jordan. I wanted to hold her and make her soup and just make her feel better. Whenever one of us became sick, we continued to make jokes about soup. I wasn't sure anyone else understood what we meant when we laughed about it, but I liked it that way. It was fun having a little inside joke that no one else knew about.
"Jordan?" I called out when I noticed she wasn't in sight. "Where are you?"
"Out here," she replied softly, and I followed her voice until I was in the next room. Jordan was sitting on the couch, looking a little pale. I didn't think much of it, because she was sick all day. But she also had a nervous expression on her face, and I tried thinking of reasons she might be worried.
"Hey, baby," I greeted her with a smile. I sat down right next to her and scooped her up in her arms. I saw her smile a little, and I was glad I was making her feel just a little bit better. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah," Jordan nodded her head and wrapped her arms around my waist. She buried her head into my chest and said, "I'm feeling just fine now..."
"That's good," I let out a sigh, holding her tighter. "I was afraid that you'd still be really sick. I feel horrible for not being here today to take care of you. I would have taken the whole day off with you if I could have..."
"I know you would," Jordan nodded once more. She pushed against my chest slightly, just so she could look at me. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Yeah, I grabbed something quick after my last class," I copied her by nodding as well. "I figured you've already had soup or something, so I didn't bring anything back that would upset your stomach."
"Well, Lexi made hot dogs a little while before she left, but I didn't have any because the sight of them made me want to puke... But if you want any, they're in the fridge."
She told me this with a small smile, but I could tell that while she was talking, something else was clouding her mind. I just had to find a way to get her to tell me about it.
"Okay, I'll probably have some later," I returned the smile, readjusting our position so Jordan was now lying on top of me. "Speaking of Lexi, why isn't she here? She and Alex usually stay here until midnight. It's barely seven o'clock."
"They just felt like going back to Alex's apartment early, that's all," Jordan spoke a little faster than she normally would. She let out a low chuckle after she said that, then began shaking slightly.
"Are you okay, Jordan?" I asked her, pulling back an inch so I could look at her. "You're shaking. Are you sure that you're feeling better?"
"I'm sure," she nodded, trying her best to assure me, but I could tell something was eating away at her. She forced a smile on her face.
"Well, I'm going to be taking care of you all day tomorrow, whether Lexi and Alex like it or not," I breathed into her hair, holding her tightly. "Then I'll take you to the doctor to see what's wrong..."
Jordan went silent for a pure second, as if her mind travelled somewhere else. Before I could ask what she was thinking about, she blurted out, "I have a present for you. Wait here. I'll go get it."
"Am I forgetting something important?" I felt my eyes widen as soon as I thought about it. I was usually good with remembering dates. I would've felt like such a dick if I did forget something. "Because you should tell me if I'm forgetting something important, because I'll go buy you something right now."
Jordan ran out of the room to go get her gift and all I could think about was what important date I was missing. She didn't even bother telling me what I was forgetting, and I started feeling anxious. I began thinking of all the dates and repeating them out loud.
"Today isn't the first day we met," I boasted, knowing that one by heart. November 7th, 2007. That one wasn't for awhile. "We didn't get together today." I had to stop myself from smiling at that thought. "And Hunter didn't get caught today... It isn't even the day we first kissed or anything. What am I forgetting?"
I didn't even stop to think about if anything I said was the slightest bit embarrassing. I remembered everything about Jordan, because she's the best thing that ever happened to me. Sometimes I forgot other birthdays, but never had I once forgotten anything that involved Jordan.
I remembered the exact date we met. Hell, I still remember the exact feeling I had when I saw her for the first time. I still get that feeling sometimes.
"You're not forgetting anything," Jordan smiled, finally saying it. I was beginning to worry, and she didn't have the heart to tell me she was only teasing. She sat down on the couch again, holding her hands behind her back. "I can't just get a present for my amazing boyfriend?"
Boyfriend. Sometimes I still forgot we were only dating. I'm sure most people would think we were married. Everyone already knows we're going to get married sooner or later, I just need to find the right time to ask her.
Until she called me her boyfriend, I almost forgot about the engagement ring in my pocket.
But as she smiled up at me, I eyed her suspiciously. "Now I'm thinking that you did something wrong."
Jordan rolled her brown eyes and displayed the wrapped box from behind her back. I thought about what could be in it, but nothing came to mind. "I didn't do anything wrong. I just felt like getting you something..."
"But why give it to me now?" I asked, hoping she'd give me some sort of hint to what was in the box. I took the box from her and waited for her answer.
"Just because," she pushed the box closer to me. "Open it, open it."
I let out a low chuckle at her enthusiasm. "Alright, alright, I'm opening it..."
Jordan sucked in a breath as I ripped the nicely wrapped paper. She looked nervous but excited, and for some reason, it only made me worry even more. I opened the box with ease and looked inside the box. It was a neatly folded shirt.
I picked it up and it unfolded, letting me read whatever was written on the front.
I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but this wasn't it.
"World's Greatest Dad?" I read out loud, wondering why she had gotten me this shirt. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I read the shirt a few more times. I looked between Jordan and the shirt a few more times, waiting for her to explain.
She gave me a look as if she was expecting me to figure something out by the shirt, but my mind went blank. Was this supposed to be some sort of gag gift? "Why are you giving me a shirt like this?"
Jordan cocked her head toward the box and said, "Look."
Doing as I was told, I looked back in the box for whatever else I was supposed to find. Once my eyes landed on the object I had received in the box, my eyes widened greatly. Was that...?
I dropped the shirt so it fell on my lap and stuck my hand in the box, fishing out the pregnancy test. After I had it in my hands, I stared at it in awe. My mouth seemed to stop working, because I had so much to say but nothing was coming out.
"You're..." I blinked, not taking my eyes off of the test with a little plus sign. "Plus means... positive, right?"
Jordan rolled her eyes and giggled. I couldn't have felt like a bigger idiot. Of course plus meant positive. She wouldn't give me a shirt saying 'World's Greatest Dad' and then give me a negative pregnancy test.
I wasn't thinking straight as I waited for Jordan to give me an answer. She nodded, smiling at me. "Plus means positive," she confirmed.
My head turned so I was now staring right at her. "So... so you're..."
Jordan's smile only widened. "I'm pregnant."
"Oh, my God," I couldn't stop myself from staring at her stomach. Soon, there'd be a baby growing in there. Our baby. "You're... you're pregnant. There's a baby inside you. Our baby. We made a baby..."
Jordan laughed at my reaction. She reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling it over and placing it on her stomach. "We made a baby."
The shock was starting to fade, and I felt myself smile. We were going to have a baby.
"Jordan..." I managed to say in a gasp, pulling her closer and placing a kiss on her lips. I pulled away soon after, having to say something before I exploded. "We're going to have a baby. We're really going to have a baby..."
She started to laugh and I chuckled as well. Things couldn't have been more perfect.
There was so much I wanted to do at that moment, but I wasn't sure what. I stood up, picking up Jordan and spinning her around. She laughed again, and I smiled broadly. When I placed her back on the ground, I didn't waste a single second before I kissed her.
I pulled away, just so I could look at her. Her big, brown eyes stared back into mine as we just continued to smile. I tore my gaze away from her eyes and focused on her stomach. I couldn't believe it. We were having a baby.
No matter how many times I repeated that to myself, I still couldn't believe it.
Suddenly, a thought came to mind. Although Jordan had just told me she was pregnant, I couldn't think of a better time to do this.
"Jordan, I should have done this a long time ago," I admitted, pulling away from her just enough so I'd have enough space to bend down. Her eyes were filled with confusion, and I couldn't help but think that she looked adorable like that. I couldn't wait to see what her reaction would be when she realizes what I'm doing.
I bent my legs, just until I was down on one knee. Jordan's eyes widened, and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling further. "I should have done this a long, long time ago..."
"Oh, my gosh," Jordan gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes never left mine for a second as I started speaking.
"Jordan, you've changed my life since the moment I laid eyes on you," I started, hoping I wouldn't mess up during my proposal. I had practiced it a few times, but I wasn't sure if I'd ever actually say it. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out the box that had been sitting there for far too long. I usually kept it with me, waiting for the perfect chance. This had to have been the best time to ask. "I was going to ask you this once we graduated from Yale, but I think now's definitely the best time. When we first met, I never thought anything like this could have happened. But here we are, in the apartment that we live in together, celebrating the fact that we're going to have a baby..."
Jordan now had tears in her eyes and I felt as if I was going to start crying as well. Who ever thought that we'd be where we are today?
"Jordan Emery, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" I asked her, letting out a breath as I did so. I opened the box, allowing her to see the diamond ring I had bought her. Tears were now falling down her cheeks, and she didn't even try to hide them.
"Of course I will!" She cried out and I slipped the ring on her finger. I stood up and she pulled me into a hug almost immediately. Today had been just one big set of events, and I couldn't wait to tell everyone else. I was sure Jordan had already told a few others about the baby, but the proposal was going to be a surprise.
"I love you, Jordan," I said, burying my face into her neck.
"I love you, too," Jordan replied, sniffing.
And that was it. After eight years, Jordan and I were going to be getting married and having a child. Although Jordan loved me, I still teased her about the time she didn't. Sometimes, I still find it hard to believe we are where we are now. Who would've thought someone like Jordan would end up falling for someone like me? Who would think Jordan would've even spare me a second glance? Because I didn't.
"See, Grandma?" Jordan asked, looking up at the ceiling. "You got your wish. That troublesome enemy of mine and I are getting married and we're having a baby. I just wish you were here to see it."
"She'll see it," I assured her, wiping away the stray tears with my thumb. "Even if it's from up there, she'll see it. She's proud of you, Jordan. You got through everything that you were put through. She's very proud of you."
"Jesse, I'm sorry for when we were younger," Jordan said out of nowhere, more tears forming in her eyes. My heart started to hurt when I saw how sad she looked when she said this. "I must have made you feel horrible all throughout high school. Words will never be able to express how sorry I am..."
I smiled at her sadly, holding her tighter than I was before. "You have nothing to be sorry for," I spoke quietly. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for..."
So Jordan and I stood there, just holding each other. Neither one of us were saying a word, but I knew that both of our minds were being filled with different thoughts. God, we were going to get married and have a kid. I couldn't believe it.
All I knew was that I couldn't wait. We were going to write a new chapter in our life, one that didn't involve gangs, or police that still circle around our apartment to see how everything's going. The protective custody wasn't exactly something I was fond of, but I had gotten used to it. And soon, we'd be able to start over. I'd be able to start over.
Jordan knew everything that happened with Hunter, and she continued to stay by my side. If that isn't love to you, I don't know what is. Even when he had been arrested and locked away, Jordan was paranoid. I couldn't blame her. After I left the gang, I was always looking over my shoulder, expecting to see him chasing after me.
But we were starting over. Everything from our past could disappear, and I wouldn't miss it one bit. Well, not completely. I never want to forget our first kiss, nor do I want to forget the reaction on Jordan's face when I had run into her in the ice cream parlor. I don't want to forget the day we got together, and I definitely won't forget the day Hunter was caught and thrown into a rotting jail cell. Some things will stay with us forever, and those are the memories I never want to forget.
I leaned in and kissed Jordan again, feeling overwhelmed from everything that was happening. I felt like I was on top of the world from all the different events that had happened in the last hour.
We moved to the couch, neither of us breaking away. Nothing was on either of our minds except for each other. The past was in past, and the future was yet to come, and all I could think about was how happy I was to spend the rest of my life with Jordan and our new son or daughter.
We had been on the couch for about five minutes when the front door opened and closed. I heard footsteps running closer and suddenly Alex showed up. Why was it always him who interrupted us?
"Please, not with a child present in the room!" He cried out.
Usually, I'd be annoyed with him. He always had to interrupt at the best times. But this time, I couldn't help but laugh. Jordan began laughing as well, and then Alex joined in. It started as light laughter, but soon escalated into us clenching our sides to stops ourselves from falling over.
I couldn't believe that through everything that's happened, Jordan still chose to stay with me. We've been through everything together, and this was just the beginning. Finally, we'd be getting somewhere in life without any complications.
We had to go through so much together.
And I wouldn't have changed one bit.