Zenith.

Moving in with Jack had taken a small bit of a push. He asked her to come in on their anniversary. At first she had said no, since she didn’t want to impose. In all honesty, she just wasn’t sure they were ready to take that step. After thinking it over for a few months, she began to realise that no place was home without him. They moved in together at the 18 month mark, both of them content with the decision.

However, there were those little things: he would always forget to buy milk, she made little messes everywhere she went, and they both never seemed to have the same sleep schedule, let alone tour schedule. Airplanes and Skype calls made up a good amount of their contact.

This was one of those rare weeks where they’re both on break at the same time.

She’s digging through the fridge when he steps in. She turns around and as she sees him struggling with the grocery bags, she thinks that domesticity has never looked so good. She goes over, helps him by taking some of the bags and putting them on the table. She knows that by the next time they’re both here on a break, most of the food would be expired, but it’s nice to pretend.

He kissed her and she smiles, looking up at him. “Good morning,” she says simply as she begins to take the groceries out of the bag.

"Here’s the milk." He gives her a bag and she knows his amused smirk is because of the surprised look on her face. She takes the milk and heads to the fridge. She’s still in the fridge when she hears, "Oh, by the way. Will you marry me?"

She laughs, even if it’s a lame joke. “Yeah, sure.”

She closes the fridge and turns around. She immediately freezes up when she sees Jack on one knee, a small velvet box in his hands. Her eyes widen and her hand covers her mouth. “Jack,” she says quietly.

"Jessica." He smiles and bites his lip, looking down at the box. He opens it and the diamond inside glitters. "I…" He looks up at her, the smile widening. "I am so in love with you. I have always been in love with you, ever since the second I saw you. I thank God every day that he put me on this earth for you. We’ve only been together two years, but I know that this is what I want. I want to be with you in twenty years. I want to be with you until the day I die, and after." He plucks the ring out of the box, holding it between his thumb and index finger. "Jessica Marie Bowen, will you marry me?"

She was tearing up when she saw him and now they’re all slipping down her face. She sniffles and nods, putting her hand out for him to slip the ring on. He gets off his knee, pulling her in and hugging her tightly. He kisses the top of her head and she manages to say, “I love you so much,” against his shirt.

He nods and says, “I’m sorry the ring is so small.”

She laughs and pulls back from the hug, looking up at him. She looks down at the ring, not caring how small the diamond was. She looks up at him, knowing that he would be the person she would spend the rest of her life with. Jessica Marie Barakat. She thinks back to when they first met. She wishes she knew what she had gotten into.

"I love you," he says, leaning down and kissing her.

A greatest hits type of slideshow plays through her mind. Her and Jack meeting. The simple handshake that would lead to so much more. The first time they went out for drinks, how he had gotten so trashed that he tried to play the bar’s piano for her. When they went out for an early lunch and she spilled syrup on herself, he had done the same so she wouldn’t have gotten embarrassed. Going up to a cabin, wasting the week in the lake and bed. How they had always been so angry at delayed flights and hotel wifi.

"I love you, too."

They kiss again. They spend the day wrapped up in sheets and each other, feeling like nothing else could ever compare.