Chapter 151: #151

Chapter 151

~Dwayne~

Luke cornered me in my office two days after the funeral.

"Got a minute?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"For you? Always. What's up?"

He sat down across from my desk, looking more nervous than I'd seen him in years. Even during the whole Tyler takedown, he'd been composed. Focused.

Now? He looked like he might throw up.

"You okay, man?" I asked.

"Yeah. No. Maybe." He ran his hand through his hair. "I need your help with something."

"Okay. What kind of help?"

"A huge one." He took a breath. "I want to propose to Hannah."

I sat back in my chair, grinning. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"That's amazing! Congratulations!"

"Don't congratulate me yet. She hasn't said yes."

"She will. Anyone with eyes can see how much she loves you."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You two are perfect together." I leaned forward. "So what do you need from me?"

"Help planning it. I want it to be perfect. Special. Memorable."

"Have you thought about how you want to do it?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it for weeks actually." He pulled out his phone, showing me some photos. "The beach. At sunset. Just the two of us."

I looked at the pictures. It looked beautiful.

"This is great. Where is it?"

"About an hour outside the city. Private beach. I already called and reserved it for next Saturday."

"Smart. Privacy is good."

"Hannah's not really into big public displays. She likes intimate moments. Just us. No audience."

"That makes sense. She's pretty private about her personal life."

"Exactly. So I was thinking, sunset. A simple setup. Maybe some candles. Flowers. Nothing too elaborate."

"Sounds perfect."

"But here's where I need your help." He set his phone down. "I'm terrified I'm going to mess it up. Forget what I want to say. Drop the ring. Something."

"You won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you love her. And when you love someone that much, the words come naturally." I smiled. "Trust me. When I told Shailyn I loved her, I did not make a rehearsal or anything. I just said what was in my heart."

"And if my heart is just screaming in panic?"

I laughed. "Then you say that. Tell her you're nervous. That you're terrified. That you've never wanted anything more than to spend your life with her."

"You think that'll work?"

"I think honesty always works. Especially with Hannah."

He nodded slowly. "Okay. Okay, yeah. I can do that."

"Do you have the ring?"

"Not yet. I was going to go shopping this week. Any suggestions?"

"Ask Shailyn. She knows Hannah's taste better than anyone."

"Good idea. Will you ask her for me? Get some input?"

"Of course. She'll be thrilled. She loves this romantic stuff."

"Thanks, man. Really. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd figure it out. But I'm happy to help." I stood up, moving around the desk. "Luke, you're going to make Hannah so happy. This is going to be amazing."

"I hope so. I really hope so."

We shook hands, then pulled into a brief hug.

"One more thing," I said.

"What?"

"I want to be there. Not at the actual proposal, you need that moment alone. But after. To celebrate. Maybe bring some champagne. Toast to your engagement."

"You think she'll say yes?"

"I know she will."

He smiled. Genuinely smiled for the first time since walking in.

"Alright. Saturday. Sunset. Let's do this."

"Let's do this."

\---

I got home around seven PM.

Shailyn was in the living room with the twins. Lily was building a tower with blocks while Rose was trying to eat a stuffed elephant.

"Hey," I said, kissing Shailyn.

"Hi my love. I have got something interesting to tell you."

"Oh? What happened?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. Let me just…" I scooped up Rose. "Hey, baby girl. We don't eat elephant toys, remember?"

She giggled, grabbing at my face.

"Bath time?" Shailyn asked.

"You know it.” I confirmed.

We got the girls bathed and into their pajamas. Read them stories. I sang songs to them. The whole bedtime routine.

By the time we collapsed on the couch, it was almost nine.

"I'm exhausted," Shailyn said.

"Same. But in a good way."

"Agreed." She curled up against me. "So what was so interesting about your day?"

"I have something to tell you," I said at the same time she said, "I have something to tell you."

We both laughed.

"You first," I said.

"No, you go. I insist."

"Okay. But this is pretty big."

"Mine might be bigger."

"We'll see about that." I shifted to face her better. "Luke came to see me today."

"Is he okay?"

"More than okay. He wants to propose to Hannah."

Shailyn gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "What? Really?"

"Really. Next Saturday. At sunset. On a private beach."

"Oh my God! That's so romantic! Hannah will be thrilled.”

"He's nervous though. Terrified actually."

"Of course he is. It's a huge step."

"He asked for my help. Planning it. Making sure everything's perfect."

"And you said yes, obviously."

"Obviously. I also told him to ask you about ring preferences. Since you know Hannah better than anyone."

"I do. I know exactly what she'd love." Shailyn was already pulling out her phone. "Classic. Simple. Elegant. Nothing too flashy."

"That's what I figured."

"This is so exciting! Our best friends are getting engaged!"

"I know. It's pretty great." I paused. "He also said he wants it private. Just the two of them. No audience."

"That's very Hannah. She hates being the center of attention."

"Which is why I suggested we show up after. With champagne. To celebrate."

"Perfect. We can bring the girls. Make it a family thing."

"Exactly."

We sat there, both grinning like idiots.

"I'm so happy for them," Shailyn said. "They deserve this."

"They really do."

"Luke's going to cry, isn't he?"

"Oh, absolutely. I'm planning to record the whole thing."

"Dwayne!"

"What? He'd do the same to me."

"Fair point."

"Also, I'm one hundred percent sure Hannah's going to cry too. So it'll be a mutual sobfest."

"I love that for them."

"Me too." I pulled her closer. "Okay, your turn. What did you want to tell me?"

"Right. My news." She bit her lip. "So Hannah is pregnant!”

"Wow. Really?"

"Well, she's due in about seven and a half months." She said trying to make me understand something

"Okay?"

"And I'm due in about eight months."

I did the math. "Wait. So you guys are going to have babies at basically the same time?"

"Basically, yes."

"That's insane. Amazing, but insane."

"I know. Our kids are going to grow up together. Be best friends just like us."

"Just like you and Hannah."

"Exactly." She looked at me. "Can you believe this? A year ago, we were in the middle of chaos. Fighting Tyler. Exposing Dante. Barely holding it together."

"And now?"

"Now we're married. We have two beautiful daughters. Another baby on the way. Our best friends are getting engaged and having a baby."

"It's a lot."

"It's everything." She touched my face. "Life really does get better, doesn't it?"

"It really does."

"Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Make sure this is real."

"It's real. All of it."

"Good. Because I never want to wake up from this."

We kissed. Soft and slow and full of promise.

When we pulled apart, Shailyn was smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm just thinking about how far we've come. How much has changed."

"In a good way."

"In the best way." She rested her head on my shoulder.

“Of course. Best decision I ever made was choosing you."

"First best."

"What's the second?"

"Marrying me."

I laughed. "You're right. That was definitely another number."

"And now we get to watch Luke do the same thing. Ask Hannah. Build a life with her."

"It's pretty full circle."

"It is. Everyone's growing up. Moving forward. Building families."

"You sound surprised."

"Maybe a little. I spent so long just surviving that I forgot what it feels like to actually live."

"And now?"

"Now I'm living. Really living. And it's better than I ever imagined."

"Even with the sleepless nights and dirty diapers?"

"Even with all of that."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while.

Then Shailyn spoke again.

"Do you think they'll have a big wedding? Luke and Hannah?"

"Knowing them? Probably something small. Intimate. Like the proposal."

"I could see that. Just close friends and family."

"Unlike our wedding."

"Our wedding was perfect."

"It was. But it was also pretty small."

"Because that's what we wanted. What mattered to us."

"Exactly. And I think Luke and Hannah will do the same thing. Focus on what matters to them."

"I hope so. They deserve to have exactly what they want."

"They will. I'm sure of it."