Today was the day.

Tyler splashed his face with water, trying to calm his nerves. He’d barely slept the night before; he spent it tossing and turning and thinking of every possible scenario in his head, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever might happen. He picked up the hand towel from the edge of the sink and buried his face in it. He had to be composed. He couldn’t let Nicki catch on.

When he walked back into their room, Nicki was up, getting dressed.

“Morning.”

She looked up at him and smiled.

“Morning babe. I’m going for a run. Want to come?”

He thought it over. A run could be just what he needed.

“Yeah, sure. Just give me a minute to wake up.”

It took Tyler a good half hour after he woke up every morning to become functional. It was a mystery to him how Nicki could spring out of bed and be ready to face the day. She came up to him and threw her arms around him, letting her head lie against his bare chest.

“I’m so excited for tonight,” she said, squeezing him around the waist.

“Me too.” And nervous as fuck.

He’d been preparing himself for this day for the last four and a half months. All of the time in the world couldn’t have made him any less anxious. Tyler had practiced over and over in his head what he would say, what he would do. He tried to imagine every response Nicki could possibly have. Anything that could go wrong. None of that was making him feel any better.

Nicki let her arms fall and backed away, focusing on the task at hand. “Should we bring Marshall?”

“Nah, I think you wiped him out yesterday.”

She laughed. “Poor puppy. Alright, get ready and meet me in the kitchen, k?”

Tyler nodded and watched her as she walked out of the room. He opened the middle drawer of their dresser and smiled. It still tied knots in his stomach when he saw Nicki’s neatly folded shorts and tank tops next to his crumpled up workout clothes. Tyler had promised himself once, not too long ago, that he would never let a girl keep her things at his place. He shook his head at his own immaturity. If he’d only known.

Once he’d gotten dressed and put on his running shoes, he glanced at the clock. It was eleven. He still had six hours before they had to be at the ball. And that was just for headcounts and pictures. It didn’t start until seven, and he had to wait until ten to ask her. It was going to be a long day.

** * * * *

Nicki took a deep breath beside him. “This is my absolute favorite time of year. Everything is so beautiful.”

Tyler glanced at his surroundings. They were coming up on the last weeks of nice fall weather, before it started to get cold. Not a single leaf was still green, but not many had fallen to the ground, either. The trees that lined the streets of their quiet neighborhood were vibrant with the shades of Autumn. He couldn’t help but think of the story Lisa had told him so many months ago of her and Zach; the moment she realized that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.

“Yeah, it is,” he responded.

They ran in pace with each other for a while. Lost in thought, Tyler didn’t notice right away that Nicki had dropped back. The absence of her steady breathing was the only thing that made him realize she was no longer next to him. He stopped short and spun around, looking for her. When he saw her, he laughed and shook his head.

She’d found a huge pile of leaves, and decided to fall into them. Tyler jogged over to where she was and stood with his hands on his hips.

“You’re a child,” he teased.

Nicki giggled and held out her arms. “Come on, lie with me.”

Tyler hesitated, but gave in, as always. He grabbed her hands and let her pull him down so that he was on top of her.

“I really hope no one drives by and calls the cops or something,” he said, chuckling. “I’m sure this looks pretty suspicious.”

“Shut up and kiss me,” she demanded softly, entwining her fingers in his hair.

She didn’t have to tell him twice. Tyler let his lips fall to hers. He relished every second of it, trying to memorize every detail. The chills he got when she ran her hand down his spine; the unbearable softness of her kiss. It was evident that neither of them wanted it to end, but unfortunately couldn’t stay there forever. Tyler was the first to pull away.

“I love you.” He rendered the words unnecessary, but spoke them anyways.

Nicki grabbed the back of his head and pulled him back to her, only for a moment. She rubbed her nose against his, making him smile.

“And I love you.” She paused, never breaking eye contact with him. “And now I really don’t feel like finishing this run.”

Tyler laughed and dropped his head to her shoulder. “Neither do I.” He thought about it. “I have an idea.”

“Do tell.”

“We race back to the apartment. Shower. And cuddle until you have to get ready.”

Nicki pretended to contemplate, as if it wasn’t something she wanted to do.

“Can we have sex?”

“Obviously.”

With that, she pushed him off of her and jumped up from the pile of leaves. She started to sprint, and called over her shoulder, “Loser’s on top!”

Tyler laughed and ran after her.

Only ten more hours.

** * * * *

“Oh, sweetie. You look so handsome,” Tyler’s mother cooed as she tugged at his suit.

“Thanks, mom.”

“So her dress is the color of your tie?” asked Cassidy.

His sisters hadn’t stopped talking about Nicki’s gown. She’d kept it a secret from everyone, including Tyler. The only person who knew what it looked like was Lisa, and that was because she’d helped her pick it out. All they knew was that it was a deep, sapphire blue. Just like the dress she’d worn the first night they kissed. Tyler couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind her color choice.

“Yeah, we’re supposed to match. My vest is the same color.”

Tyler hadn’t had to wear a tuxedo since prom. He’d forgotten how uncomfortable they made him. But damn, did they look good on him. Meeting Nicki had certainly humbled him, there was no question about it. But nothing would ever entirely diminish his vanity.

“I bet she’s going to be drop dead gorgeous. And she’ll look ever better with – “

“Sh! For Christ’s sake, mom! She’s down the hall!” He tried his best to firmly get his point across in a whisper. It seemed to have worked.

“I’m going to be on the edge of my seat the entire night,” she whispered back.

Before Tyler could answer, Candace stepped out into the hallway in a hot pink dress. Brad had asked her to be his date. Tyler found himself unable to stand in the way. He couldn’t imagine someone telling him that he couldn’t be with Nicki. He would never do that to anyone else. Even if it meant letting Brad escort his sister to their championship ball.

“You look great,” he said, trying to sound genuine. She did look great. Too great.

“Thanks, Ty.” She held up her hands, something she often did when she was about to say something important. “Wait. Until. You. See. Nicki,” she said slowly, breaking down each word in her sentence for emphasis.

Tyler felt his stomach drop. His palms began to sweat. The anxiety was getting the best of him. The night he’d asked her to move in, he hadn’t been nervous until he saw her. She’d nearly stopped his heart then. He couldn’t fathom what she might look like now. She’d had her hair and makeup all professionally done. She was still tan from the summer, and her golden locks had become even lighter. Not to mention she would be sporting a five thousand dollar gown.

The only thing that had convinced her to even go near something that expensive was that every dime went to charity. Even then, it had been difficult. Tyler wondered if she would ever become accustomed to life as a hockey wife. Most of them were spoiled beyond their wildest dreams.

“Ty, don’t look so nervous. You’re gonna give yourself away,” said Candace.

“You think I can help it?!” he snapped. “I’m sorry.”

She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, big brother. Just calm down. You know she’s going to say yes.”

“Say yes to what?”

Everyone turned their heads towards the voice in the hallway. Tyler’s jaw dropped. Nicki smiled sheepishly at him.

“How do I look?”

He was speechless. Even if Tyler had known what to say, he didn’t want to speak. He just wanted to look at her. Her curled hair was gathered in a bunch over her left shoulder, leaving the right side of her neck bare. The exposed skin just begged him to kiss her there.

Nicki’s brown eyes were outlined in dark, smokey eye makeup, and wore a hint of pink on her lips and cheeks, leaving the rest of her face fresh and flawless. As if that hadn’t been enough, Tyler glanced down at her dress. The only strap was on her right shoulder, and the cut swooped elegantly across her chest. The strap and the connecting material were embedded with sparkling crystals, which he assumed to be Swarovski, considering the price of the gown. It fell perfectly over her curvy hips, drawing attention to them. Tyler’s attention had been captured, for sure. What really struck him was the lengthy slit in the left side of the dress. It uncovered the entirety of her athletic leg, made longer only by the silver, strappy heels she wore on her feet.

She wasn’t making things any easier.

“I’m going to take the no response as a good thing?”

Tyler nodded his head, dumbstruck.

“You look like a movie star!” Cassidy exclaimed.

“To be honest, Cass. I kind of feel like one too,” she said, giggling. She stared down at her dress. “This is amazing.”

Tyler could feel her eyes on him, but he refused to look up at her. He strode across the room and picked up the flowers he’d gotten for her off of the couch. He heard her heels before he saw her coming. Nicki came within inches of him, leaving barely any space between them.

“Are those for me?”

He finally managed to face her. He nodded and held them up for her to take. She stared at him. Her eyes looked even rounder than normal, and they were sparkling. Tyler noticed that they’d put fake eye lashes on her. He liked them. A lot.

“Tyler, you are so sweet,” she said, placing her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch. “Did you remember the name or is it purely coincidence that you got these for me again?”

Her sense of humor lightened him up a bit. She was still the same girl. Even if she didn’t look like it.

“No, I remembered.” His words came out choppy and unnatural.

“Are you alright, love?”

Tyler cleared his throat. “Yeah. You’re just…” He never finished what he was going to say. What one word could possibly describe the way she looked?

“I’m what, Ty?”

He could feel his eyes softening as he gazed into hers.

“Breathtaking.”

Too much emotion had leaked through his voice. It hit Nicki like a ton of bricks, and she began to tear up.

“Tyler! You can’t make me cry tonight. Please, I’m begging you. If I ruin this makeup, the woman who did it is going to kill me.”

“Sorry,” he murmured, looking at the ground again. He heard Nicki laughing.

“You look like a sad puppy,” she said, putting a finger under his chin. He let her tilt his head so that he was facing her again. “I want to kiss you so badly right now,” she whispered, so only he would hear.

Tyler smiled at her. His brief moment of insanity seemed to be over. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek, being mindful of her perfectly made up face.

“Awwww.”

“Shut up, Cass. You’re ruining the moment,” Candace snapped.

“Oh my God is that Nicki?”

Tyler looked over her shoulder. Evaline and Freddy had come back from an early dinner. The ball was going to be televised on public channels, and they were devoted to spending the night watching it, waiting to see what would happen.

“Hey guys,” she said, lazily waving a hand.

“Look at you!” Evaline shrieked, running up to her.

He let them chat and walked over to Freddy and his family.

“Tyler, she’s beautiful.”

“I know she is. I really didn’t think this could have gotten any harder,” he admitted, feeling slightly ashamed for being so panicky.

“Sweetie, you have to get yourself together, otherwise you aren’t even going to enjoy your night.”

He sighed. “You’re right. Maybe once we’re there and everyone’s around it’ll be better.”

“Exactly. Honey, don’t let her intimidate you. Just because she looks like a celebrity right now doesn’t mean that she isn’t the same goofy girl you fell in love with.”

Tyler nodded. Again, she was right. Their conversation was interrupted by a beep from outside. Nicki raced over to the window and peeked out.

“The limo’s here!”

After saying goodbye to his family, Tyler, Nicki, and Candace made their way to the sleek, black limousine. Inside, Dougie, Greg Campbell, Chris Kelly, and Adam were all seated with their dates. Brad sat alone in the back, but stood up as soon as he spotted Candace. The look on his face astonished Tyler. Brad Marchand actually looked nervous.

Candace pushed by them and Brad came to meet her, whispering something in her ear before kissing her on the cheek. It didn’t set well with Tyler. He felt an elbow in his side.

“Lighten up,” Nicki said, rubbing a hand across his back. “He’s good to her, Ty.”

He imagined that Candace and Nicki had a heart to heart while they got ready. He would be asking her about it later. They sat down next to Dougie and his date, across from Adam and his. They introduced Tyler and Nicki to the girls. Apparently, the girl Dougie brought was his girlfriend. The entire team had been oblivious to the fact that he’d been dating.

Halfway through the ride, Nicki found Tyler’s hand and pulled it into her lap. Her satin dress was cool against the back of his hand, and sent a chill up his arm. He laced his fingers between hers and squeezed. If only she knew what he was planning to do that night.

** * * * *

“Tyler! Tyler over here!” screamed a photographer to his right. Another ten were screaming in front of him and to his left.

“Tyler, I have no idea where the fuck to look!” Nicki hissed in his ear.

Shawn hadn’t lied about it being a red carpet event. There were hundreds of photographers and news reporters lined up behind the bars that had been placed in the street. The team was spread evenly throughout the long, luscious red carpet. The players who drew the most attention were saved for last. Tyler and Nicki brought up the rear along with Nathan, Tammy, Patrice, and his fiancé.

He laughed and flashed a smile in one direction, then the next. “Just go with it,” he said through his teeth.

Tyler felt Nicki slip an arm around his back as she angled herself towards him. She placed her other hand in a feminine position on her hip. He got the feeling that he looked like another one of her accessories; there only to add to her beauty. Tyler was so accustomed to being the center of attention, it actually relieved him to see people paying so much attention to Nicki.

He knew that there had been plenty of chatter when he’d first moved to Boston about his love life. Obsessed fans and teenage girls all over the city speculated over whether or not he was involved with someone. It was only when Candace tweeted that he was single did the rumors finally start to fade. Back then, it had been superb. Thousands of girls did everything in their power to get in touch with him, or better yet, to sleep with him. But he knew that someday when he did decide to stop playing games that the backlash would be dreadful.

The gaggles of girls that had shown up to ogle at him and get a glimpse of Nicki proved his theory correct. When he wasn’t posing for a picture, he was scanning the crowd of fans that had come out to watch them. There were countless girls in his jersey, shooting daggers from their eyes at Nicki. He was sure that’d she’d noticed, too. It was impossible to miss. Some of them were shouting out insults. Luckily, security had politely escorted them out.

When they’d finally reached the end, they were bombarded by interviewers. Tyler ignored most of them, but paid his respects to those from NESN and a few local news channels. They were never pushy, and always courteous. He stopped for a petite, bleach blonde reporter who claimed to be with 7 news. She must have been new, because he’d never seen her before.

“Tyler, why don’t you introduce us to your lovely date?”

He grinned and pulled Nicki closer to his side. “This is my girlfriend, Nicki.”

“It’s a pleasure Nicki,” she said with a big, fake smile plastered on her face. It looked like it was hurting her to hold it there.

“So, is this the end for all of the girls out there hoping to steal your heart?”

“I’d say so, yeah.”

“Well, Nicki, there are going to be plenty of young girls green with envy tonight. What do you have to say to all of them?”

She shot a look at Tyler. She hadn’t been expecting to be asked any questions.

“Uh, I’m sorry?”

The reporter forced out a laugh that made Tyler’s skin crawl. For someone doing interviews, she was anything but personable.

“Do you have any advice to give them about snatching up their own millionaire?”

Nicki’s arm dropped from his back. He knew that she was becoming agitated. From the beginning, she’d made sure that she never got the image of being in it for the money.

“Sure. I’ll give them some advice. If you’re actually shallow enough to try to be with somebody because they have money, you don’t deserve them. And to the nice, honest girls out there who want to find love, just be yourself. When the right guy comes along, he’ll love you for you. Every little, flawed part of you.”

Her harsh response had daunted the reporter. “Alright, then, well thank you for speaking with us Tyler.”

He grabbed Nicki’s hand as they walked away and chuckled.

“You’re awesome.”

** * * * * *

“Ty, this place is incredible,” Nicki said under her breath as they finally walked into the ballroom.

“Yeah. Yeah it is. Shit, I have no idea where our table is,” he said.

“We’re at table six. I’m guessing it’s near the front, right?”

He nodded and led her to the first row of tables. When the tables ended, there was a dip in the floor. To the right was a stage where instruments for a band were set up. To the left was the enormous hardwood dance floor. The itinerary in his hand stated that they would be dining at seven. There would be speeches at eight. And the dancing and events began at nine.

“Oh, there’s six!” Nicki said, tugging him by the arm.

On the table were name cards with a fancy, cursive script. He found the one with Nicki’s name first.

“I’m so keeping that,” she whispered. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear her or not.

Tyler pulled out her chair for her and watched her sit. His nerves had eased slightly; they’d had a lot of fun in the limo and on the red carpet. His mother had been right. Not even a five thousand dollar gown could change Nicki’s personality. She would always be the same girl on the inside.

He stood behind her for a while, not ready to sit just yet. He rubbed her shoulders as he scanned the room. The team was scattered all over the place. Nicki leaned back into his hands and hung her head.

“Forget tonight,” she murmured. “Let’s just go home and keep doing this.”

Normally, Tyler would have been fine with that. But it would be a pretty lame proposal if she was in her pajamas at home. He bent down to whisper in her ear.

“When it’s over, we can go home and take a bath. I’ll rub your shoulders all you want, okay?”

She turned her head to look at him. Her profile was stunning.

“Promise?”

He laughed and left a kiss on her cheek. “I promise.”

“Look at you two lovebirds,” Shawn mocked, giving Tyler a firm pat on the shoulder. “Nicki, I heard about the interview.”

Nicki’s head shot up at him. “Should I not have said that? I’m really sorr – “

Shawn interrupted her. “Don’t apologize. You’re the first girl I’ve ever seen give shit back to a reporter. I can’t wait to go home and watch it.”

She laughed, shoulders moving up and down underneath Tyler’s hands. “I couldn’t help myself! I’m here trying to make a good first impression on everybody and there she is, accusing me of being a gold digger.”

“You’re an inspiration. This whole night is about trying to be the best person you can. I think you gave a great impression to a lot of girls out there. I mean, if you’re going to be with Segs, there’s going to be a lot of people looking up to you. That’s what I’d call being a good role model.”

“That means a lot coming from you, Shawn, thank you. And I can already tell this night is going to be spectacular. You and your foundation did a really nice job.”

“Oh, it is going to be spectacular. You have no idea,” he said, winking at Tyler.

He glanced at Nicki out of the corner of his eye. It seemed as though she hadn’t noticed the wink, or the implication in Shawn’s tone. The clock was ticking away; ten was inching closer and closer.

“I should probably go mingle. Take a seat, Segs. I’m trying to get everyone to their tables; maybe you can start a domino effect.”

“Will, do. See ya later,” he said, sitting in the chair designated for him.

“Does he have something special planned? Why would he say I have no idea?” Nicki asked. Shit. Of course she’d noticed.

“I couldn’t tell you. He’s always got something up his sleeve,” he said, trying to save his own ass.

“Hey sweetie.”

Tyler turned to look at the voice coming from above him.

“Dad! What are you doing here?!”

Nicki sprung out of her seat to hug her father.

“Tyler bought me a ticket. I’m sitting with Jackie and the girls, table forty two, I think.”

“I’m so happy you’re here! I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Bill laughed and kissed her forehead. “Maybe it’s because you spent half of the summer travelling.”

“That could be it,” she said, backing up from his embrace. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, honey.” He paused. Tyler knew what was coming. “Listen, Nick. I have someone I want you to meet.”

Nicki stared at him, eyebrows crinkled. Bill waved someone over. A brunette who looked to be in her mid-forties came over to them.

“This is Diane. My girlfriend.”

Diane stuck out a hand. Tyler laughed. Bill clearly hadn’t told her much about Nicki. She wrapped her arms around Diane, nearly knocking her off of her feet.

“It’s so nice to meet you! Dad! How come you didn’t say anything?!”

“I wanted to wait, to make sure it wasn’t just some fling. And I didn’t know how you would react.”

“Have you not heard my pleas for you to start dating again? I’m so happy right now!”

Diane was beaming. It obviously meant the world to her that Nicki was so approving. It was just another thing on a list of so many that Tyler adored about her.

“It’s really nice to finally meet you. Your father’s told me quite a bit about you. He failed to mention how gorgeous you were, though.”

Nicki giggled. “Oh, Diane. Flattery will get you so far in life,” she joked. “I don’t normally look like this. This,” she said, gesturing towards her gown, “Is the product of hours sitting in a chair while people poked and prodded every inch of me.”

Bill smiled at them and said, “Why don’t you girls get acquainted? I’ll stay here and keep Tyler company.”

They both watched as Nicki and Diane walked away, arm in arm.

“I can’t believe I was nervous about telling her,” Bill said, shaking his head.

“You know how she is. She loves everyone. She’s been telling me for months how much she wanted you to start dating again.”

“Good. I’ll be honest with you, it didn’t feel right at first. The first few women I went out with made me completely reconsider what I was doing. But then I met Diane… she’s just great.”

Tyler was honored that Bill was letting him into his personal life. He never thought he would grow so close with a girl’s father.

“So, how are you feeling?” Bill asked.

He let out a breath. “I’m holding up. The closer it gets, the better I feel about it.”

Bill placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll do fine. I gotta tell you, Tyler. I’ll be really proud to call you my son-in-law. After watching our family shrink the way it did, it feels great to finally be adding to it.”

His words hit Tyler hard. He’d never realized how much it might mean to Bill to have a son again. Or to have grandchildren someday. Nicki was his only chance for that.

“Thanks, Bill. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Half the battle is in-laws, right?”

Bill chuckled and nodded. “You got that right. I know you’ll take care of her. That’s all I can ask for. I just want her to have the best life she can. I wish I could have given it to her, but I made some really bad decisions in my life. Ones that affected Nicki, as much as I hate to admit it.”

It was Tyler’s turn to be comforting. “It doesn’t matter. You know how much she loves you. She’s clearly forgiven you.”

“You’re a good kid, Tyler.”

** * * * *

“And last, but certainly not least, Tyler Seguin escorting his stunning date, Ms. Nicki Westmoore.”

Nicki looped her arm in Tyler’s as he followed the procession of his team to the main floor. They’d called the players out as if it had been a debutant pageant. In Tyler’s opinion, it was a little over done. But the expression on Nicki’s face told him she was having the time of her life. He knew most girls only dreamed of being in her position. She knew it, too.

The speaker stepped off of the stage as the band began to play. It was the song they had rehearsed to over and over again. Tyler was thankful for it. There was less than an hour left until it was time. After dinner and the speeches had ended, Tyler told Nicki he had to use the bathroom. He booked across the room to his mother, who gave him the ringbox. She’d held onto it for him the entire summer. There was no way he was chancing Nicki coming across it one day. He could feel the square bulge in his pocket. He hoped and prayed that her hands didn’t wander near it.

“May I have this dance?” he asked when he turned to face her.

Nicki lifted her dress, curtsying, as they’d been instructed to do. “You may,” she said, grinning.

They locked together, waiting for the cue to start. Tyler wasn’t fond of how planned it felt. He and Nicki had spent hours dancing around the apartment when Freddy and Evaline went out. So, maybe it was a little foolish. He loved it.

Tyler let himself get lost in their movements, in Nicki’s stare. They weren’t supposed to break eye contact, but even if they had a choice he wouldn’t have. Suddenly, every second felt too important to miss. He was completely unaware of everything going on around him.

When the song stopped, there was some applause, followed by the rest of the attendants being invited to the dance floor to join the team. A lot of the people who had gotten tickets were diehard fans and charity workers, and many of them went around to each of the players trying to get autographs and pictures. Of course, Tyler was being bothered nonstop. To his astonishment, most of the people wanted Nicki in their pictures.

Once it started getting close to ten, Tyler checked his watch incessantly. At five minutes of, the speaker, whose name he still hadn’t caught, asked for everyone except for the Bruins to return to their seats.

“As we all know, tonight is a night for charity. It’s a night where we can all come together in a wonderful atmosphere to celebrate helping others. But that isn’t the only thing being celebrated here tonight. As a Bostonian and sports fan, it’s my honor to congratulate the Boston Bruins on their Stanley Cup Championship. You’ve given this city a much needed lift and brought us all together in so many ways. To show our appreciation, we have a little something for each of you. It’s my pleasure to introduce Mayor Thomas Menino to present you with your gifts.”

The massive room roared with applause. No one besides the team had known the mayor was going to be there.

Tyler felt his palms start to sweat. His heart was beating so fast, he was afraid he might have a heart attack. Shawn’s plan was finally in full swing. The mayor accepted the microphone from the speaker and began to talk. Tyler always had a hard time understanding him. He said something unintelligible followed by, “Captain Zdeno Chara!”

Chara led his wife, Tatiana, up the stairs. He shook the mayor’s hand and smiled for a picture before accepting the small gift bag. Tyler had no idea what was in them.

“Ty, why did he bring his wife up? Do I have to go with you?”

“Why? Do you not want to?”

He looked down at her, awaiting her answer.

“Course I want to. I just don’t get it.”

Tyler didn’t have a response for her. It was only a matter of time before everything finally made sense to her. The seconds passed like hours. Finally, the mayor called his name. When he went to walk up to the stage, he found that his legs were barely working. They felt like jello underneath him. Nicki stood tall and strong next to him, arm through his.

He shook hands and smiled as the flash went off in his face. Mayor Menino handed him the bag. Suddenly, everything he’d practiced seemed irrelevant. Tyler set the bag down on the floor next to him. The silence around him was deafening. The only thing he could hear was his heart pumping blood fiercely through his veins.

Tyler swiftly reached into his pocket and got down on one knee. He watched as the shock set in on Nicki’s face and lifted the top of the tiny box.

“Nicki Olivia Westmoore, will you marry me?”

A shaking hand covered her mouth. She nodded slightly and held her left arm out to him. Tyler trembled as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand before standing up to face her. Nicki barreled into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. The silence was finally broken; the room erupted. He held her, trying to ease the sobs that shook her body.

“Tyler, I don’t think I’m ready to get married,” she whispered into his ear.

He laughed. It was a laugh filled with relief. “I don’t think I am either,” he said, pulling her closer. “Just tell me you will.”

Nicki leaned back so that her face was inches from his. She kissed him like the world was ending that night; like it was the last time she would ever see him.

“I will, Ty… I will.”