Finally My Forever (18 page)

He squeezed my hand as he bent to put a quick kiss on my lips. His mouth was soft and warm, and I couldn't imagine myself being any happier than I was at that very moment.

"I love you," he whispered, smiling down at me.

Okay, so I take that back. This moment just officially got happier.

I popped up to give him one more kiss on the cheek. "I love you too," I whispered back.

Epilogue

Three weeks later.

It was 2:00 in the afternoon, and I was teaching 28 eleventh grade students. They were my most difficult group this year, but earning their respect proved a rewarding venture. They were a rowdy bunch, so I had to be on top of my game everyday to keep their attention. It was the day before we got out of school for our Thanksgiving break, so they were especially amped. They were my last class of the day, and I told them we'd have some free time at the end of class if they let me get through my lecture and seemed like they were paying attention.

I was talking about the relation of temperature and pressure when I heard a knock on my classroom door.

"Everybody stay quiet," I warned as I crossed to open it. I figured it was someone wanting to borrow something. I had a little window so I could see into the hallway, but a picture of a turkey holding a bubbling beaker that one of my students painted in art class currently blocked it.

I opened the door, feeling slightly frustrated that I had been interrupted during my lecture and would now have to work to get their attention again. I found Micah standing on the other side smiling at me. A smile spread across my face as I glanced back into the classroom to make sure everything was still under control. I looked back at Micah with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"I came to see you. Can I come in?"

I glanced at the students again, who were now looking at me curiously. They couldn't see who I was talking to, and a few of them were leaning over their desks and craning their necks as they tried to get a glimpse.

Micah took a giant step past me and peered around me to see the students. I watched in surprise as he smiled at them. "Do you guys mind if I come in for a second?" he asked.

Most of the class yelled, "No," at the same time, but a few of the girls let out whistles and calls of approval that made me smile and roll my eyes.

Micah was standing right next to me, and he looked at me with a huge smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your class," he said, not seeming regretful at all. "I'll just be a minute." He put a hand around my back and pulled me close to give me a quick kiss on the cheek, which drew whoops and whistles of approval.

"Just sit right there," he said, gesturing to my desk. "I have to grab something from the hallway."

He walked out the door, and one of the girls yelled out, "Is that your boyfriend?"

Another one yelled, "He's hot!" a statement that was followed by murmuring, clapping, and laughing.

"Shhhh!" I said, turning to them with wide eyes but an underlying smile.

Everyone was quiet as we watched Micah enter the room carrying an acoustic guitar. They let out another round of catcalls as he walked to my desk. He propped himself on the corner of it and patted the spot next to him, telling me to sit.

I smiled and obeyed, but nerves and adrenaline were already taking over my body. I could only think of one reason why he'd bring a guitar into my classroom, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

"I have a Thanksgiving song to share with you guys if you don't mind," Micah said.

And there went that idea.

I continued to smile. The students made various noises and whistled as he positioned his guitar under his arm and gave it a strum.

He began to sing and play, which shut them up completely. They were thoroughly entranced from the first note. He was hilarious as usual and had them laughing with lyrics that had to do with turkeys and Pilgrims and the poor Indians who got the short end of the stick.

Then he shifted to look at me and, in song, admitted that he wasn't there to sing about Thanksgiving at all. He said he was there to sing a love song and went into lyrics that were equally as funny, but all focused on how awesome I was and how much he loved me. I laughed to keep from crying as I glanced back-and-forth between him and my students, trying to take it in.

Several of them had taken out their phones and we're recording the whole thing. It was all such a blur of wonderful excitement that I had trouble taking in all of the lyrics. All I know is that it ended with, "And hopefully pretty soon you'll be calling her Mrs. Bennett."

Before I knew what was happening, he set his guitar on the desk behind him and reached in his pocket for a ring box before getting down on one knee.

The students erupted in a chorus of cheers. Unable to believe what was happening, I put my hands over my eyes, peeking through my fingers.

"Carly Howard, I love you something terrible," he said. "Will you please, please be my—"

I cut him off before he could say it. "Yes!" I said, pulling him to his feet.

He stood and gathered me into his arms.

My students were going insane. I could hear them yelling things out.

"That was off the chain!"

"Dude, he just proposed!"

"Ms. Howard's getting hitched, y'all!"

"I videoed almost that whole song!"

"Send me that. I'm gonna use that song to propose to my old lady!"

I tried to hold back the tears as I pulled back to stare up at him. I couldn't believe he was once untouchable, and now he was mine.

He smiled at me and leaned in for a kiss. My first instinct was to break the kiss right away since I wasn't sure how appropriate it was in front of my students, but once his were lips on mine, I just couldn't bring myself to pull back. My knees grew weak, and I was unable to do anything but relish the feel of his perfect, warm lips on mine.

Another round of yells went up, but neither Micah nor I paid attention to it. He put his hands on my face and kissed me tenderly as if he couldn’t bear to let me go.

The cheering grew louder and finally, we managed to pull our lips apart. We smiled at each other for a second before I looked at the classroom full of ecstatic students.

One of the girls, who happened to be the most beautiful, popular girl in school, was using her notebook to fan her face with one hand and had her other hand raised high.

"Yes, Emma?" I asked.

"Does he have a twin brother?" she asked, pointing at Micah.

Everyone cracked up.

I smiled. "There's only one of him," I said trying my best to look regretful.

Emma, along with the other girls in the class had no shame whatsoever making a few last love-struck comments as Micah said goodbye and went for the door.

He thanked them on his way out for letting him interrupt class and wished them all a happy Thanksgiving.

The final bell would be ringing before too long, and I knew there was no sense in trying to finish my lecture, so I told them we'd get to it after the break. We spent the rest of the class with me answering personal questions, most of which were about Micah. The girls were interested in seeing my ring, so I let them pass it around the classroom so they could take a look.

A few of the students had managed to get most of his song on the video, and we watched it together. I told those who captured it to email it to me so I could watch it anytime I wanted, and they all promised they would. They couldn't believe how good it was and went on and on about how he should be a famous singer.

The final bell rang, and after taking a couple of minutes to pack up my things, I was on my way to the parking lot. I was wearing a smile as I thought about his song and how it was written just for me.

Then suddenly I noticed that Micah was standing in the parking lot. He was leaning casually on the front fender of my car, and smiling as he watched me approach.

"You are unbelievable," I said, when I was close enough for him to hear me.

He looked like a dream sitting there leaning against my car, and I just couldn't believe he was mine—officially mine with a ring and everything.

"You're unbelievable," he returned. "I loved seeing you in there. Your students love you."

"They love you too," I said, walking straight into his open arms. "Where's your car?" I asked looking up at him.

"I had Blake drop me off after work so I could ride home with you."

"What if I would have said no?" I asked.

He gave me a sly grin. "You wouldn't have."

"You know that?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Why, because I'm crazy about you?"

He shrugged. "Because you're supposed to belong to me."

"And now it's official?" I asked, holding my hand in the air to examine my new ring.

"I wouldn't call it official just yet."

"We still have to get married, huh?"

"Yep."

"When's that gonna happen?" I asked.

"Whenever you want," he said squeezing me.

"Let's do it soon," I said. "Maybe by next Christmas."

"Next Christmas?" he asked, looking down at me as if I were crazy. "Like a year from now? That's not soon."

"I thought that was soon," I said. "I assumed it took a while to plan a wedding, and thought people might think we were rushing into it if we did it any sooner."

"Since when do you care what people think," he asked.

I shrugged and smiled shyly. "Do you want to do it sooner?" I asked.

He laughed. "I'm ready to do it yesterday," he said.

"Me too," I said, "I just didn't want anyone to think—"

"I don't care what they think," he said. "And nobody's gonna think anything anyway."

"What about Christmas then. Or maybe New Years?"

"Like in a few weeks?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Or whatever you were thinking," I said.

"Christmas sounds great. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned."

I smiled at him and bit my lip. "I can't believe we're doing it."

"I can," he said. "It's the most natural thing in the world to me."

I stared up at him. "I'm gonna be a good wife to you," I said.

"I know you will," he said, smiling.

He placed a gentle kiss on my lips. It was an unspoken promise that he'd be good to me too.

Everything had happened really quickly between us, but it was flawless—a seamless plan by The Master Planner. Maybe it took some tears to get us there, but they now seemed like a distant memory. I was right where I was supposed to be, and so was he.

The End

(till book 2)

S.D.G.