Your Man Valentine

Valentine’s Day is a blessed event that occurs once a year to promote all things Hallmark. Things like cards, gifts, candies, jewelry, and everything else. It is one day I’ve always dreaded because there was one person I always wanted to spend it with. It took us a long while, but we finally figured out that both of us wanted that. But this isn’t about back than; this is about right now, the present.
“Marry me, Mae Lynn O’Connor. You are the only thing I love more than hockey, hell, more than life itself. I picked you, that first day of hockey practice to be my drill partner, even though you were a girl. It was you who I wanted on the opposite end of my first kiss, even if I had to claim it was for ‘practice’ just to get you do actually do it. I only wanted the first kiss I ever had with a girl to belong to you. Than I choose you for my first girlfriend. Our families were excited. Eric and Jordan gave me shit, but Jared just thought it was the greatest idea ever. Our mothers swooned and took us across town every weekend for our little ‘dates.’ And when I asked you to the Junior Prom, you accepted. That evening, you looked just as gorgeous as you do tonight. And now, I pick you to be my wife and my partner for the rest of our lives. I want to be the man you come home to every night, sleep next to, tell everything to, and have my children. I want to be your man, Mae. So will you marry me?” he drawled out from his place on his knee. Tears had long ago begun to fall and it was through my tears that I managed to nod.
“You’ll always be my man,” I told him, blubbering. I watched him stand, pick me up in his arms, and than we were spinning in circles, much like my head was from the excitement. He put me down when the cheers and clapping from our families interrupted us. He quickly placed a chaste kiss on my lips and slid a ring on my finger. I looked down, expecting some outrageously expensive piece of silver. But I was completely surprised to look and find my grandmother’s wedding ring there. I knew than and there that he had asked my dad for permission to marry me, provided I said yes. My father thought of Marc as his son, that’s what he thought about all the Staal boys. And I was the Staal’s daughter. “It’s Grandma Lynn’s,” I whispered. He nodded and kissed my cheek. I looked around the big room that he obviously rented to host our entire families. Everyone was spread around the dining hall, intermingled, and looking genuinely happy for us. Marc placed one hand on the small of my back and we headed to where both of our parents were.
“Congratulations,” Linda Staal is the first one to say. Henry repeats after his wife while my parents say it in Finnish.
“Thank you,” I replied and hugged Linda and Henry and than my mother before finally ending with my father.
“She would’ve wanted you to have it, Mae,” Dad told me in Finnish.
“I know,” I had replied.
“Let’s dance, future Mrs. Marc Staal,” Marc requested. I gave my dad one last hug and kiss before being swept away from my parents and into the arms of my muscular fiancé.
“This is just so perfect, Marc. You rented a space, got our entire families together, got the ring from my father, and still managed to make me feel perfect. I don’t know if there is any guy out there that is better for me than you are.”
“There better not be, I’ll beat him up,” Marc quickly chided.
“Well than, maybe you should beat up Eric, he looks like he wants to whisk me away for a dance.”
“Nah, he’s a married man, you can dance with him without me being jealous.”
“Can I dance with my future sister, Marc?”
“I guess, only one dance though, she’s mine!” he laughed and kissed me before leaving me in the hands of his older brother.
“Congratulations,” Eric told me. “Your ring is beautiful.”
“Thank you, Eric.”
“You’re welcome. So, how far along are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know about the baby, Mae.”
“Eric, how do you know? I haven’t even told Marc yet.”
“You told Tanya, she let it slip one late night we were up with Levi.”
“Well than, I can’t exactly blame her for telling you. Poor thing must’ve been half asleep seeing as Parker rounds her around the world during the day and than Levi at night.”
“You never answered my question?”
“Three months, I just found out two weeks ago. I was going to tell him tonight, but than he brought me here.”
“You still should tell him tonight. When you go home and it’s just the two of you. It’ll make his face light up like yours did when he asked you to be his wife.”
“I could. But it depends on how wiped out we are.”
“He’s coming back; tell him tonight, Mae, he’ll love you even more if that’s possible.” Eric kissed my cheek and than headed back towards his family.
“Hey you, what were you and Eric so cheeky talking about?”
“Levi and our engagement, I mean, look at the little guy, he’s adorable.”
“I do have some pretty cute nephews, don’t I?” Marc cockily replied.
“And than there’s Parker, he’s just a little rugrat. But cute to boot.”
“Makes me wonder what our kids will look like someday. If they’ll have my hair or if they’ll be more strawberry blonde like you, or will they have my brown eyes and freckles.”
“I think they’ll look more like you, I mean, you boys all look like Henry. Parker and Levi look just like Eric. I think they’ll look exactly like you.”
“Maybe, just maybe,” he commented before he kissed me and we danced the rest of the night away.

“Good night, future Mrs. Staal.”
“Marc, I have to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“Remember how we were talking about what our kids would look like earlier?”
“Yeah, because Levi and Parker look so much like Eric. Why?”
“Because we won’t have to imagine for more than six months,” I rushed to let it out.
“You mean I’m going to be a dad?” his face really did light up from what I could see of it on the pillow next to mine.
“Yes,” I murmured.
“That’s great, absolutely amazing really. I really am your man huh?”
“That you sure are, babe,” we kissed before falling asleep entangled, with Marc’s hands never leaving my stomach where our baby rested.