Rachel nods. “More than anything. You would be amazing, Charlie. There’s no one else we’d rather have.”
“Holy shit,” he says, wiping his eyes, then gasps and covers his mouth. “Sorry.”
We all laugh.
Epilogue
5 YEARS LATER
“Big day for you guys,” Carlos remarks as we work on painting the inside of the barbecue restaurant we’ve been building for the past several months. We’ve got the doors and windows open to help air the place out, and a lovely breeze is blowing through. I’m still sweaty and disgusting, though, and my back and neck are aching, as is my knee. I’ve been on prescription medication for it for a while now as it’s been getting worse, and I’ve done quite a bit of physical therapy. It’s helped, but it’s still an ongoing problem. Fortunately I have Charlie to soothe my aches and pains in the best ways.
I smile widely in spite of my discomfort. “Yeah, it is.” He has no idea how big.
Charlie has worked so hard over the past five years, earning his GED and then attending night classes to get his degree in elementary education, all while being nanny to his favorite little girl. Tracy keeps him on his toes, but he adores her. She’s sweet as pie, but an absolute spitfire as well, and just as full of snark and sass as he is.
It was only a few days after she was born that he came to me and told me he wanted to start seeing a therapist to help him “work through his shit” as he put it. He told me it was something that he’d been thinking about for a while, but holding Tracy in his arms was the final push he needed because he wanted to be his best for her, for us, and for himself. He said the idea of spilling his guts to a stranger scared the crap out of him but it was something he wanted to do, for all of the people in his life now that had made it better, offered him a place to call home and family when he’d thought he would never have either of those things again. And though I never would have thought less of him for not going to counseling, I couldn’t have been more proud of him for taking that step. He’s made so much progress. He only sees his therapist on an as-needed basis now but I can tell how much working with her and talking through his trauma has made a difference. He’s even more vibrant and lively than he was when we met and his night terrors have all but vanished. With her help and guidance he is truly becoming the best possible version of himself and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
He did have to quit his job at Sunny’s after becoming Tracy’s nanny, but we’re back often enough he still gets to see his friends there and show off his little niece. Of course she’s not so little anymore. She’ll be five soon and starting kindergarten. And tomorrow, Charlie will be graduating from college. I couldn’t be more proud of him. My beautiful boy. Though, he’s grown into quite the young man now. Even more gorgeous than when we met all those years ago, and my heart is still so full of love for him. He’s taught me so much about forgiveness and grace and second chances.
“Paul Richards!” I turn and see the object of my affection coming towards me, but he doesn’t look as devastatingly handsome as he usually does. Probably because of the scowl on his face. Oh, lord, what have I done this time?
He’s dressed in black leather pants that cling to his skin and a cropped pink and black sweater that falls off of one shoulder, showcasing his lovely freckles. I can’t help the smile that creases my lips, thinking about how I had my mouth all over those freckles just last night. On his feet are combat boots, and his red curls fall into his eyes. But he’s clearly upset and I have no idea why. What did I do?
“Uh oh,” Aaron says from across the room. “Angry ginger alert.” I glare at him and he goes back to work.
“What are you waiting for?” Charlie asks once he reaches me. He stares up at me with those gorgeous green eyes that still have the power to make me weak in the knees.
I set my paint roller down over the tray and step towards him off the drop cloth, making it crinkle. My coworkers pretend they aren’t listening, but I know damn well they are hearing every word. They’re right fucking there.
“You wanna tell me what this is about?” I ask. He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest, and I can’t help chuckling. It’s kind of adorable. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring. My eyes widen before I start to laugh.
He frowns. “You’ve been hiding this in your dresser drawer for weeks. Why haven’t you asked me to marry you yet?” He shoves it in my face.
I laugh more now and pull him towards me, kissing his forehead. Oh, my Charlie.
“What’s so funny?” he pouts. Now all my coworkers are staring at us and not even trying to hide it. I hear a gasp and a squeal come from Melissa.
I push him back gently and peer at him, brushing the hair away from his eyes. “I was planning to ask you tomorrow night, after your graduation. After we celebrated with everyone. I thought it would be a nice surprise, something romantic, just the two of us.” He flushes beautifully and bites his lip.
“Oh.”
“But if you hadn’t burst in here demanding that I propose to you, you wouldn’t be the man that I love.” He grins at me. Then I take the ring and kneel, very thankful for the meds and PT that are allowing me to do this right now. Charlie’s hands go over his mouth and tears fill his eyes. He starts to squirm.
“Charlie, you’ve changed my whole world,” I tell him. “From the moment you showed up on my doorstep and threw up on my very clean floor, my life hasn’t been the same.” He chuckles and wipes tears from his eyes. “You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I could be or ever would be again. You are the sunshine in my life, my greatest joy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Charlie—”
“Yes!” he shouts, grabbing the ring and sliding it on his finger. Then he’s pulling me to my feet and jumping up, wrapping his legs around me and pressing his mouth to mine. My coworkers are clapping and whistling, and I’m kissing him as he clings to me.
“There now,” he says, pulling away and beaming at me. “Was that so hard?” I laugh and kiss him again and again.
“I hope you realize you probably have paint on your outfit now,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “It was worth it.”
We have our own little celebration that night, and I can’t deny that as he struts across the stage the following morning in his cap and gown (and bright pink heels), the only thing sexier than seeing him get his diploma, is my ring on his finger.
The End
