Sophia Parker

"Trust me, this coffee machine is the best! I've never had such good coffee in my entire life."

"Okay, okay, give it a try." I laughed.

"By the way, how was your parents' visit to New York?" Lily asked.

She'd insisted I come over and try out her brand new coffee machine. Being in her new apartment made me a bit nostalgic. I definitely missed living here. Phoebe moved in from her old apartment which used to be on the top floor. And to be fair, she'd done a better job with the place than I did.

"Ugh! It was a disaster!" I groaned as I put my hands over my face and sat at my old kitchen island.

"Really, it couldn't have been THAT bad." She placed the fresh cup of coffee she'd just made in front of me. It actually smelled heavenly.

"Thank you. And yeah, maybe I am over exaggerating a little bit. Overall it wasn't too bad... but at first it was. Adam had a little confrontation with my father." I took a sip of the warm beverage. "Wow, you're right. This home-made mocha tastes really good!"

"I know right! I told you this coffee machine is perfect." She chimed. "But what happened between him and your dad?"

We both laughed because we were having to separate conversations at the same time. Coffee and my parents visit. We decided to park one for now.

"Let's just say, my dad is not over that whole incident that happened in Virginia."

"Wow, how long is he going to hold that against the both of you?"

"I don't know... But in the last few days he was here, he definitely eased up. Eventually, he realized that there was nothing that he could do about it. What's done is done."

"Exactly! It's time to move on. I mean, there's a baby on the way for heaven's sake." She said.

*ding*

"Oh! I'm not expecting anyone... and I don't remember ordering anything." Lily said suspiciously as her doorbell rang.

"Actually... I know who it is." I said.

"How?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I kind of... invited Phoebe over." I said carefully, anticipating her reaction. Surprisingly, it wasn't negative at all. I got laughter from her instead.

"Right, you're funny." Lily waved me off. "Seriously, who is it?"

I could see from her face, she didn't want to believe that I had the guts to invite Phoebe over to her place without telling her. But this whole thing had to be squashed and I needed to get them both together in a room to do that.

"I'm serious. And I'm going to let her in. She has something important to say to you."

"Sophia." She looked at me seriously. "That girl hates you. Don't tell me you completely let her back into your life."

"Please Lily, I've already forgiven her and so should you. Technically, you don't really have a reason to dislike her because she never did anything directly to you."

"Whatever. I was only defending you, but now, I could care less anyway." She waved me off again, very dismissively.

I ignored her and went to open the door for Phoebe. She had her famous cookies in her hands, the one she bakes when she's about to call a truce. And they smelled absolutely delicious as always!

"Hi." She smiled weakly.

"Hey Phoebe, I'm so glad you came." I hugged her firmly. As much as what happened between us was unpleasant, she was the main reason that Adam and I are together. She helped me come to terms with my feelings for him and realize why we needed to be together. And I will be forever grateful for that.

I let her go and she turned to Lily.

"Hi, Lily." She said.

Lily simply folded her arms and didn't respond.

"I know you're not a fan of me right now. And rightly so. But I just wanted to say that I was definitely going through a lot with Sean during that period. Still, that's no excuse for what happened. What I did was terrible and completely out of character. I let jealousy consume me so much and the way I lashed out was 100% unacceptable. I just hope that one day you'll forgive me and we can be friends again." She got out shakily. She was now wiping the tears that had started falling from her eyes.

I rushed to the kitchen to get some tissues and helped her wipe her tears. At this point, Lily was already consoling her too.

"Shhh, it's okay Phoebe. I forgive you." Lily said.

"Thank you." Phoebe breathed. "I made you some cookies, both an apology and housewarming gift."

"Thanks. I live for your cookies. They're the best." They both laughed.

It was so good to see that they were finally back together again as friends.

"Awww, I'm so glad you two have made up. Finally, the trio is back!" I joined their embrace.

"I'm glad too. I really love what you've done with the place." Phoebe said to Lily as she scanned the apartment.

"Thanks, you're invited anytime." Lily smiled.

* 2 weeks later *

"Omg omg omg!!!" I screamed the moment Lily opened her front door.

"Um... hello? We're watching something here." She pointed to Phoebe who was sat on her couch with a huge bag of popcorn.

"Hi!" Phoebe waved.

"Well... whatever you're doing can wait, I have some big news." I beamed.

"What is it?" They asked.

I paused for a little dramatic effect.

"Adam and I are taking a trip to London!"

"Ahhh! That's amazing! First getaway as a couple."

"I know, anytime I went on trips with him in the past, I was always taking notes, organizing his diary and stuff like that. Now it's going to be a proper romantic holiday. No business involved, just..."

"Pleasure?" Phoebe finished my sentence.

"Absolutely." I smiled dreamily.

"Yes girl!" She raised her hand and I proudly gave her a high five.

"Will you two stop it." Lily frowned.

"Awww, sorry Lilz." Phoebe said.

Quick life update on all of us. Adam and I were still going strong and he asked me on a romantic weekend trip to London. Phoebe and Sean finally got back together and their relationship has been flourishing ever since. Lily on the other hand was still single, which made her feel left out.

"Don't worry Phoebe. You'll find someone. I know it." I sat next to her on the couch and gave her a hug.

"Why don't we set her up with someone at work? Maybe Paul Lewis? He's single... and sexy." Phoebe suggested.

"Oh! Oh! Who's that?" Lily asked enthusiastically.

"Nah, I don't think you'll like him. He's the head of HR at Adam's company. I think you'd be better suited with an investment banker." I said to her excitedly.

She thought about what I said for a second.

"Yes, you're right! The work we do is similar... only I deal with the legal side of things."

"Who cares! What matters is the level of mind-blowing sex you-"

"Phoebe!!!" We both screamed before she could finish off her sentence.

"What? It's the truth!" She threw some popcorn in her mouth nonchalantly.

"God I've missed you so much." Lily said and we all laughed.

*********************

Adam Wilson

"We're here." I announced as I opened the door to our hotel room. After a long flight, we were finally here in London.

Our room entitled us to an unparalleled view of the City. The glass panels surrounding the walls gave a panoramic skyline view overlooking the River Thames and other notable landmarks. We were currently in the Shard, the tallest building in the whole of the United Kingdom.

"Oh my god, this is so breathtaking. I can't believe this."

I watched Sophia study her surroundings as she walked into our luxurious suite in the Shangri-La hotel.

"I'm glad you like it." I folded my arms contently as she smiled at the amazing view through the huge glass windows.

"Like it?" She turned around to face me. "I love it! Thank you so much for doing this for me." She ran over to me and gave me a hug.

"It's my pleasure, Sophia." I hugged her back wholeheartedly.

"You're always doing the best things for me. I can't show you how appreciative I am." She said.

"Actually, yes you can." I smirked.

"How?" She looked up at me innocently.

I had to refrain myself. The moment right now was pure and perfect, I didn't want to ruin it with a risqué joke.

It was currently 2am in London which meant it was 9pm in New York...

"Later this evening, I'm taking you out for dinner. Say yes."

"Yes!" She kissed me without thinking twice about it.

My heart leapt in my chest with happiness, but at the same time, I suddenly felt anxious. Today was a big day for me. I had everything planned out to a T. So far, things were perfect. Let's just hope they stay that way.

"The bed looks really comfy." She said suggestively as she broke off the kiss.

"Hmmm... would you like to put that theory to a test?" I played along.

"Don't make me start without you." She teased with her beautiful sultry eyes.

That's it. She's awakened the beast.

Next thing she knew she was picked up and slung over my shoulder.

"Ahhhh, Adam." She cried helplessly as I navigated us towards the bed.

I managed to turn those cries into screams... which lasted all through the night.

***

"I still can't believe we didn't use the trains. You know much I enjoyed taking them the last time we were here." Sophia moaned.

We were in a taxi and I was taking her to a special location after a spectacular dinner at the Shard.

"No trains Sophia, this is much more intimate." I said, holding onto her hand lovingly. But that wasn't the real reason why I chose to take a taxi. I was almost running behind schedule and I wanted us to get to our destination as quickly as we could. Thankfully we were almost there.

"Really?" She looked at me unbelievably. "After last night, how much more intimacy do you still want?"

I chuckled at her.

"Relax Sophia, I'm taking you somewhere important and I just wanted us to be on time. We'll be there soon."

She looked out the window impatiently.

I must add that she looked absolutely stunning in her silk off-shoulder black dress. I had us go shopping earlier today at Harvey Nichols. Part of my agenda was to get her the perfect outfit for tonight. Her dress was paired with a pair of Saint Laurent heels and a bag, thanks to the personal shopper that I hired. They definitely did a good job in making her look exquisite.

"Oh my god!" She gasped. "Look, its the London Eye again! Oh please, please tell me that's where we're going."

"That's exactly where we're going my love." I confirmed, after which she launched towards me, attacking me with kisses.

"You." *kiss* "Are." *kiss* "The." *kiss* "Best."

"Come on now Sophia, the taxi cant go past Westminster bridge so we need to alight here."

She hopped out excitedly and followed my lead. I navigated us through the light crowd and found our way to the ticket stand.

Checking my watch, I saw that it was exactly 6:30pm which meant our special capsule was ready.

"How come there isn't a line of people. Last time we were here, this place was very busy, we had to get an express ticket. Plus its a weekend." Sophia asked curiously.

"I'm not sure Sophia. But for us, that means it's easier to get on." I said hopefully, trying to momentarily divert her away from her suspicions.

"Yeah, I guess." She seemed hopeful too.

After a few minutes, aspecial attendant directed us into an empty capsule, one which I had personally reserved and customised.

The moment Sophia walked in, she was met with beautifully-lit lanterns and flowers, with rose petals on the floor. Right in the middle of our capsule was a table with 2 glasses, a trug filled with ice, and a bottle of sparkling wine - non alcoholic of course. I could see that the decorations took her breath away. She clearly wasn't expecting any of it.

"Adam." She whispered. "You did this."

"Yes, I did." I nodded.

She didn't say anything. She just hugged me. And I hugged her too.

Our capsule had moved almost halfway and we hadn't said a word to each other. We just enjoyed each other's company, embracing tightly as we took in the viewed of the well-lit city.

This very moment was nostalgic. Memories flooded as I relived the same exact experience that I had with Sophia just a couple months ago. The energy in the atmosphere was indescribable. And I know Sophia could feel it too.

"This is where it all began." She said softly, looking outside at the beautiful view.

"Indeed." I responded from behind her. She was rubbing my arms that were currently encircled around her waist.

"We had our first kiss right here." She recalled.

"Mhm... In this very capsule." I kissed the exposed skin at her shoulder.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually got us back into the exact same one. How many strings did you have to pull to achieve this." She chuckled.

"Hey! I'm more influential than you think. I've got a lot of friends in high places."

We both laughed momentarily before settling into comforting silence once again.

We'd soon reached the top of the Eye and I suddenly felt nervous.

Fuck.

I'd managed to keep myself composed all day but now that the moment was finally here, I felt like I was no longer in control of any of my five senses.

"That night..." Sophia started, bringing me back from my thoughts. "...what made you kiss me?"

"I don't know, Sophia." I hugged her closer to my chest. "All I know is I had been meaning to do so for a long long time and... I guess that was just the right moment."

"Well, I'm glad you did." She said.

I took a deep breath and let go of her momentarily. I took two steps backwards and reached into the pocket of my suit. With shaky hands, I pulled out a tiny box which contained the most expensive thing I had ever bought for a woman.

"Me too." I said.

This was it. I got down on one knee behind her.

"Adam..." She whined. "Come back. I feel so cold and lonely without you."

"Sophia." I called out to her.

Finally, she turned around and gasped when she saw me on my knee with the little black box in my hands.

"Sophia. That night, I kissed you because you'd pierced my soul. For months I was half agony, half hope. I harboured such precious feelings for you and I needed to express them. I needed to let them loose. Just like a butterfly hatching from its cocoon, I wanted to be able to fly... with you."

My speech came out wholeheartedly and sincerely. I had one prepared but I abandoned it last minute and just spoke from my gut. At this point Sophia had covered her mouth, with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I never wanted to fall in love. I didn't believe that I ever would. But I knew I was in trouble that very day when you walked into my office... You alone have brought me so much happiness. For you alone, I have thought and planned. I mean, look at all of this." I gestured around us and she laughed.

"I want to give myself to you completely, with a heart even more yours than when you broke it countlessly over the last couple of months." I joked again.

She didn't laugh this time, she just shook her head regrettably and mouthed those words "I'm sorry" to me.

"Sophia, I have never loved anyone as much as I currently love you. Will you please marry me, and spend the rest of your life with me, our unborn child, and any other future children we may have?"

I finally opened the box, revealing an dashing 18ct diamond ring. I know Sophia wouldn't want anything too flashy or expensive so I went for a moderately-priced ring. This only cost about $60,000.

"Yes, Adam. I will marry you." She said softly. "I'll marry you because I love you very much too!" She launched herself into my arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Thank you my love." I said as she pulled back.

I slipped the ring on her finger and was relived to see that it fit perfectly. I had stolen a ring from her dresser and had it measured so I could get the appropriate size.

I stood up on my two feet and kissed my soon-to-be wife thoroughly. Just as planned, beautiful fireworks began to go off outside of the capsule.

"Oh my!" Sophia jumped at first but she soon relaxed once she realized that it was all part of my elaborate proposal.

We watched the display for a few minutes before it came to an end.

"This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me." She said tearfully. "I'm so glad that I met you. I'm so glad that you fell in love with me. I'm so glad that I'm having your child. You don't understand, I'm so glad that it's you."

I wiped the tears from her eyes with my hands and looked down at her intense dark eyes. "I promise you Sophia, my love for you will last forever."

"Forever sounds perfect." She smiled.

Forever with her was absolutely all that I could ever want or need...

***********