Page 133 of Who's Your Daddy?

“Romantic? I mean...that’s not really my style. Hm?” He stops to think about it again. “What counts as romantic? Is it something big...and bold?” He waves his hands in the air to show the bigness of the gesture. “Something like...dozens of fireworks bursting in the sky.”

Again, on cue, fireworks launch from the shore and go off overhead. The night sky becomes a canvas of colors, shimmering and cascading, illuminating the darkness. The brilliant reds, deep blues, and dazzling golds take my breath away.

“And then Dean Martin would start playing,” Peter says, andAin’t That A Kick In The Headcomes blaring through the speakers.

I’m stunned, looking around in confusion. “How are you doing that?”

Somebody must be reading his physical signals somewhere because everything is so on point.

He ignores me though, continuing as if I hadn’t asked the question. “We could get more ostentatious and throw in some colored lights and fountains.”

My mouth drops open. I’m utterly awestruck when the yacht itself seems to come to life. Strings of soft white bulbs decorate the railings and dance to the rhythm of the music, their gentle twinkling a testament to the magic of the moment.

As the song’s tempo quickens, the water around the yacht responds, shooting up from the rubber mat I saw floating on the surface earlier. A carefully choreographed fountain display begins, synchronized with the music. Jets of water dance in time with the melody, arching and twirling to create intricate patterns. Droplets gently hit against my face as I watch on, enamored by the beauty of it all. Colored lights hidden beneath the water’s surface turn each spray into a cascade of radiant hues.

Peter pulls me into his arms and dances with me the same way he did the first day I stayed over at his place, singing along as he sways. “If this is just the be-ginning, my life is gonna be beee-au-tiful.” He holds me close, whispering the next line in my ear.“She’s telling me we’ll be wed...”After a soft kiss on my temple, he pulls away slightly to look at me. “Well, in our case, I’m still trying to convince you. Maybe something like this would work better for you.”

The commotion around us dies off. The last firework crackles and disappears into the ether. The water dies down, and the lights fade into darkness, leaving only the fairy lights on the railing to illuminate the deck. He waits for absolute stillness, and the only movement is the soft yellow glow dancing on his face.

“Or maybe...it could just be me and you out on a boat somewhere. It’s quiet, and no one is around...And I could get down on one knee.” Holding my hand, he takes a step back and drops to one knee. “I could tell you I love you and our baby more than anything, and then ask you to be my wife. Will you marry me then?”

My heart flutters manically. I’m so overcome with emotions, I feel like I may just burst into tears. I only keep it together for a few seconds because when he opens the box to reveal the ring, tears spill out of me without warning. It’s an exquisite ring, a platinum band lined with two rows of tiny diamonds. But my eyes are drawn to the bigger diamond in the middle because it’s cradled between two intricately designed butterflies.

“You got butterflies?”

He nods. “Yeah. I like efficiency. Dual functionality, you know. It shows that you’re mine, but...if it’s going to be on your hand forever, it’s a nice way of keeping your parents with you always.”

I don’t even have enough in me to keep standing. I drop to the floor in front of him, throwing my arms around him to hold him tight. “I love you so much,” I whisper.

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course, it’s a yes.”

He cups my face, stroking my tears away with his thumbs before he kisses me. That kiss encapsulates everything I feel right now. Love. Joy. The promise of forever. With a slight nudge, he eases me back, his body covering mine as I lie down on the picnic blanket.

Lifting one hand in the air, he gives a thumbs up. That must be another hand signal because fireworks go off again. Red, green, and blue gleam against the dark wood of the deck and dance on his skin as he dips his head to kiss me again.

They say time is a relative concept, an ever-shifting, elusive wisp of existence. During times of happiness, months and years can be condensed into a mere moment, a simple memory of a smile, a hug, a kiss.

I’ve only known Peter for about a year and a half, but it feels like I’ve known him for a lifetime. We only spent a few months apart, yet it felt like an eternity. In a short space of time, we’ve been through so much.

We fell in love, had a baby, built a home together. We danced. We played. We made love for hours. We fought. We argued. We broke each other’s hearts. Memories float through my mind, moments of tears and laughter, love and pain. They all go together, intricately woven into this amazing life we now share. One can’t be separated from the other. The good must be taken with the bad.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would fall for an egotistical manwhore. But time has changed him into an incredible man, a man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

The sound of the fireworks rings in my ears. Time is a relative concept, and as his soft lips move over mine, time stands still. As the seconds condense, I get trapped in this magical moment with him. It’s boundless, infinite. It seems to have no end and yet...it’s just the beginning.

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