Seize the Day

I stood in the backyard one bright summer day, hanging clothes on the line to dry. I'd spent the past few days cleaning up the house, knowing it would all have been in vain in a couple hours.

I continued hanging up the clothes and every now and then when the light would hit it just right, the diamond on my finger would glint. I put my left hand out in front of me, looking at the two silver bands on my ring finger. A slow smile crept to my face as I remembered back to that day so long ago...

... With his hand grasped tightly in mine, he led the way down a path in the woods. The crisp summer light beat down on us, casting odd shadows from the trees. I didn't need to ask where he was taking me; I knew this path too well.

We finally came out to a clearing that had a drop off to a creek below that ambled across the rocks. He pulled me in front of him as we stood there, staring at the view. We'd made this our spot and it made me melt inside when he first showed it to me, because I never pictured him to be the sensitive kind of guy.

I smiled to myself when I felt him pull me in close to him, my back to his front. His right arm snaked its way around my waist, his hand resting on my stomach. The smile never left my face as I put my right hand over his. He didn't place it there subconsciously or out of habit. He'd been so excited the few days before when I'd told him what was growing inside me.

I linked my fingers with his while they rested on my stomach and I could just feel that he was smiling. The wind blew gently through the clearing and I heard him lightly start to laugh. I turned to face him.

"What's so funny?" I asked, the same smile still lingering on my lips. He smiled and leaned in to give me a gentle kiss.

"Nothing... I just think it's cute that your hair is shorter than mine is," he said, smiling again as he used his free hand to play with a chunk of my hair that was now cut to my chin.

I had to admit, it was a bit funny, and I laughed lightly with him as we both turned back to the view before us. Silence came over the clearing, save for the sound of the creek gurgling over the rocks.

After awhile, I heard him sigh deeply. I didn't press the matter to ask what was wrong because I'd come to learn that when he sighed like that, it meant he was thinking. It was better to keep quiet and let him carry on with his train of thought.

He leaned his head forward and kissed my cheek. "I love you..." he whispered into my ear.

"I love you too," I replied. Being held so closely to his body, I could feel him reaching into his pocket, but I thought nothing of it. That was, until I felt him slide something small and hard onto my finger. I looked down at my hand and my breath caught in my throat. There on my ring finger was a platinum band with a nice hunk of diamond attached. I drew in a shaky breath as my eyes started to sting with the presence of tears.

"Marry me?" he whispered into my ear. I nodded my head vigorously before turning around and engulfing him in a tight hug, which he gladly returned...

... I smiled at the memory, but was shaken from my thoughts when I heard someone calling for me.

"Mommy!" came the voice of my four and a half year old daughter Evita. I turned around to see her running towards me from the back door.

"What is it sweetie?" I asked as I knelt down to her, which was a difficult task considering my current condition.

"There's a big silver thingy in the road! Its humongous!" she said with a big smile. "Its like this many big!" she giggled and held her arms stretched out wide.

"Alright. Go inside for a second alright?" I asked, and she nodded. I ruffled her messy black hair and she ran back inside.

I walked around to the front of the house. Turns out the humongous silver thing in the road was a tour bus. They were early.

I stood on the front walkway to the house. The door to the bus opened, and I shielded my eyes from the sun so I could see. A figure stepped off the bus and I could instantly tell who it was.

"Zacky!" I yelled, and he set his bags down as I went over to him and smothered him in hugs as best I could. "Oh gosh, I missed you so much," I said into his neck as he hugged me back.

"Jeeze, we were only gone five months Kimmy," he replied.

"You're saying that as if you didn't miss me at all!" I said, playfully hitting his bicep.

He smiled the smile that always used to make my legs turn to jell-o. "Of course I missed you. I'm glad it was only five months."

"Daddy!" I heard Evita shriek from the porch steps. I turned around in Zacky's arms and watched her run as fast as her little legs could carry. She latched herself around Brian's legs, and he knelt down to hug her. He picked her up and she took his fedora off his head, and placed it on her own. She was in love with that hat.

Zacky gave me one last hug and started to take his bags inside as everyone else got off the bus. I walked over to where Brian had Evita in his arms.

He looked down at me and smiled. "Hello Mrs. Haner," he said before kissing me lightly.

"Don't call me that! It makes me feel old," I whined.

"Oh shush, 27 is hardly old." he replied.

"Mommy lookit! I stole Daddy's hat!" Evita giggled. Brian and I smiled.

"I see that. And now Daddy has hat hair," I said, looking at Brian and sticking my tongue out at him. He smirked before he leaned in and kissed me again.

"Ewww Daddy. Why you kissing Mommy?" Evita asked while scrunching her nose up. Brian pulled away and chuckled.

"Cuz, I love Mommy. I love kissing Mommy," he smiled.

"But she's got cooties!"

"I love Mommy's cooties too," Brian replied, kissing me lightly again. He set Evita down on the ground.

"Hey Evi, go get Uncle Matt," he said and she ran over and tackled Matt. Brian turned back to me and pulled me in as close as possible. He looked down at my stomach that was slightly bigger than the last time he saw it. Slightly meaning a lot.

"Jeeze, you're huge," he joked.

"Well thanks for being sensitive," I smiled up at him.

"How far along are you again?"

"Seven months. I went in for another ultrasound last week," I smiled at him as he rested his forehead against mine.

"So... what's the verdict? Do I get a little boy this time?" he asked, an excited glint in his eyes.

"What, you don't like girls?" I teased.

"It's not that. I just want a boy so I can pass on the Haner name. Maybe even my whole name. Haha, Brian Haner III," he said.

"You are so not naming our son 'Brian Haner III'!" I laughed at him, hoping he'd catch on.

"So we're have a boy?" Brian asked with a huge smile.

"Yes Brian, we're having a boy. And I wanna name him Frankie."

"Frankie's a good name," he said before kissing me.

"Get a room!" I heard Matt yell to us, and we broke apart to look at him. He was standing next to Val while holding Evita, who was giggling like crazy.

"Jeeze, I haven't seen you in five months and they won't even let me make out with you." Brian sighed.

I smiled. "You'll get your time later," I said softly, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"I love you," he said and kissed the tip of my nose.

"I love you too. Even if you have funny hat hair," I smiled before we walked inside the house to join the rest of our friends.

If there was one thing that my relationship with Zacky taught me, it was that I had always had feelings for Brian. Brian was there from the start, and he was there til the end. This was my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way...