Come on, be my baby, come on

August 2018

I smiled as Tyler swam with Lane in the pool in the late August heat. I was sitting at the edge of the pool watching the two of them playing around and having a lot of fun. Sawyer and Dustin were in the pool too, and Mae, Candace and Cassidy were all sitting with me at the edge of the pool without feet dangling in the refreshing water.

Ty and I had been back in Dallas for about two weeks at that point. And we were finally having my family over for a barbeque, and his family had come down from Brampton to join us. My dad and Ty's dad, Paul, we at the grill cooking and talking, while my mom and Ty's mom, Jackie, were sitting at the table talking as well.

Not long after, we were all sitting around the large outdoor table eating and talking and having a pretty good time. I was sitting next to Tyler who was sitting at the head of the table.

The summer had been crazy like Katie had said. Between the parade that had taken place in Dallas a few days after the win, the travelling, the parties...it was absolutely insane. But I loved all of it. Seeing the people come out to cheer for the guys during the parade was absolutely amazing. The guys were all so happy, and sitting in the car with Tyler as we drive down the downtown Dallas area watching his face just stay in a constant state of happiness was truly magical. He was so happy and so proud, and I was honoured that I was part of all of it.

"Okay, everyone!" Tyler called as he stood up after it looked like everyone had finished eating, "I just want to thank everyone for coming by today! Especially my family, coming all the way down from Canada," he said smiling at his family, "you guys know it's been a crazy summer...what with winning the Cup and all," he said casually but adding in his signature cocky smirk as the table cheered, "I just wanted to take a second to thank everyone for the love they've shown me this summer. This has easily been the best summer of my life because I've gotten to spend every second with people I love, while celebrating this amazing accomplishment on a team I love.

"But I want to take a second to single out you, Rae," he said looking at me with a smile as I smiled back at him, "you've been right there in my corner for a year and a half now...and I couldn't imagine anything other than that...so thank-you for believing in me and believing in this dream, even though two years ago you didn't know what a hockey puck was or what the Stanley Cup was," he said as I laughed nodding, "but you've become probably one of the biggest hockey fans ever, and I'm so glad you're cheering me on. And I wanna thank-you more than anything...for being my rock this summer. You kept pushing me forward and letting me do what I needed to do. Even when it all got crazy, I knew coming home to you would put everything into perspective to me. And it always did. Because I'm doing all of this for you. Every goal I get is still for you," he said with a wink.

"But...I think it's time for your turn in the spotlight, for all eyes to be on you, in the best way possible," he said, and his hand went to his pocket and he bent down to one knee and my breath caught in my throat. This was it.

"Raeanne...I love you more than anything. You've shown me everything that I've ever wanted in life. And I used to think all I wanted was hockey...but a life with you is what I've been destined for, for my whole life. My life has been a build up to you. Will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box and holding it up to me.

I kept my eyes on his even when mine began to get blurry with tears I nodded and breathed out, "Yes."

He smiled and stood back up, taking my hand and pulling me into him for a tight hug.

"I love you," he told me.

I smiled, "I love you too," I whispered.

He pulled me away from him and took my left hand in his and slipped the ring on my finger. I finally looked down and my heart skipped a beat. The ring was stunning. The band was made out of diamonds and then a large stone in the middle; it was shinning even in the dim sunlight.

Everyone crowded around me, wanting to look at the ring and hug us and tell us how excited they were. We took some photos and Tyler went right to his Instagram page, where I was a known presence thanks to Ty posting all the time, where he posted a photo of the two of us, me with my left hand on his chest showing off my ring as we looked at each other with smiles, where he captioned it, cheesy as usual with him. But I loved it.

'I've never been happier than in this moment with her. If anyone needs me, I'll be spending forever with my best friend.'

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and smiled down at me, "So here's my question," he said to me quietly.

"What's that?" I asked with a smile.

He grinned at me, "Did you ever think that weird guy that sat down with you at dinner would ever be your future boyfriend, or soon to be husband?"

I laughed and shook my head at him, "Never," I told him honestly, "but I'm really happy that that's what he turned into."

He pulled me into him for another hug and nuzzled his head into my neck, "Can I tell you a secret?"

I laughed as I tightened my hold around his waist, "Of course!"

"I knew I would fall in love with you the moment I sat down across from you," he told me softly.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, leaning my head against chest, "I'm glad that you did and that you didn't give up on me."

"Never," he told me, "I never would have been able to go the rest of my life without having at least trying to know you."

I pulled away from him and placed a short kiss against his lips, "I love you, Ty," I whispered.

He smiled, "I love you more, Rae."

Notes

Still more to come!! Let me know what you think!!