I'm pretty sure Ethan is going to pass out right here by this podium. His legs are visibly shaking like a leaf, and his fingers keep trying to loosen the tie he has on. It's not until little droplets of sweat start to trickle down his forehead that I lean over to tap him on the shoulder. "Relax." I tell him. "This is supposed to be the best day of your life."

There's a violinist playing to the tune of Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran, all of the guests on their feet as the bridal party starts to walk down the aisle.

"Remind me to tell you that on your big day with my sister." He shoots back. "This shit is nerve wrecking. Fuck."

We're in the church that him and his family grew up attending. I've been here a couple of times with Ethan, but when we both got into high school we stopped coming. I guess I felt like I was committing so many sins on a daily basis at that point that I wouldn't exactly be welcomed here.

The church is beautiful though. Huge, cathedral ceilings with stained glass windows that go all the way to the ceiling. It's definitely a picture perfect place. The kind of place you'd dream about getting married in.

Maddie comes next, and it's not like I have this revelation that she's supposed to be my wife or anything like the movies talk about. I've already known it for a long time, and if anything, seeing her walk towards me makes me so damn excited for our wedding day. I can't wait to marry her.

We still haven't talked about what was said at the club two nights ago. I've been dodging her questions relentlessly about proposing, and I know that I have to get a move on and plan it. I've got the ring, but my idea on the proposal isn't fully in place yet.

Finally, the guests all rise as we wait for Maya to make her entrance, and when the doors finally open, everyone audibly gasps.

Maya looks stunning. Her hair is falling into waves down her back, a white mermaid dress with beading going all the way down. Her veil is long, giving it a vintage feel. It's definitely got Maya written all over it.

"Holy fuck." Ethan whispers, and it's the first time I've ever seen him cry. We've been best friends since we were kids, and yes, I saw him cry as a kid, but never as an adult.

Mary and Richard are dabbing at their eyes with tissues as they sit on the mahogany benches in front of us, and for once they aren't bickering. I'd hope for their sons sake that they'd be able to keep it together at his wedding for crying out loud.

"You're perfect." Ethan smiles at her when she reaches him and shakes her fathers hand, all of us turning our attention towards the priest.

_________

I step outside of the reception hall to get some air. All of the dancing made me hot as hell, but thankfully this suit is a dark navy, hiding any sweat stains I may have.

You can hear the thumping of the music outside, and it gets louder when the door opens up again, Maddie coming out behind me.

Her hair is pulled to one side, the blonde ringlets falling a little past her shoulder. She's wearing a baby pink satin dress that looks absolutely breathtaking on her, the material clinging onto her hips in all the right places.

We haven't talked a lot this past week, and I have a feeling I know why. I also know that's probably why she came outside with me. She wants to talk about it, and I have no clue what I'm going to say.

We have this whole thing now about open communication, but this is literally the one thing I have to lie to her about. I don't want her to piece it together. I want the proposal to be a complete surprise, and I'm so close to finishing. So fucking close. She has no idea.

"Hey." She breathes out. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

I nod and wrap my arms around her waist when she's close enough. Thankfully the sun is just starting to set, the blistering heat wave from earlier diminishing by the second.

"We said that we're being honest now, so..." she clears her throat. "I'm just going to come right out and say it. Why did you react that way when Jake thought we were engaged?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, the way you responded. You said no way as if the thought of marrying me was horrific or something. Do you not see marriage with me? Is that it?"

"Madison." I deadpan, and I never call her by her full name, but come on. Really? "I was just caught off guard, okay? I see marriage with you. Believe me."

"Really?" She asks, completely unsure of herself as she looks up at me.

I bend down to gently kiss those lips of hers. "You will walk down that aisle for me, baby, and I will be able to officially call you mine. I want the house, I want the picket fence, and I want a lot more Izzy's with you."

"Oh yeah?" She's laughing now, and I'm glad I could make her smile. "How many more Izzy's?"

"As many as you're willing to let me put in you."

"So marry me then." Maddie says immediately, and I stare at her for a few seconds to determine whether or not she's serious.

"What?"

"Marry me, Cam. I want the house, the picket fence, all the babies... I want all of it. Let's just do it. Go to Vegas or something. I don't know."

This is not happening. I know she didn't just propose to me. No, no, no!

Literally all of my plans are shot directly through the window, and I have to come up with something fast.

"Isn't that something I should be asking you?" I arch a brow up, attempting everything I have to mask my nerves.

"So ask me then if it'll make you feel better." She shrugs. "Like you did before."

This isn't how I want this to go down. Everything needs to be perfect for this. Maddie deserves more than just a simple question popped into the air. She deserves the whole nine yards. I'm literally going to give it to her if she just waits another week. Just one more week.

I don't want her to catch on though, so I can't give anything away.

"It's not the right time." I tell her, and clearly that was again the completely wrong thing to say because she takes a giant step back from me, out of my grasp now.

"When will be the right time?" She replies irritatingly. "I don't want to be that girl that begs for a proposal Cameron because that's not me, but what's stopping you? Is it because you don't trust me all the way still?"

She is so far from the truth, but as I rack my brain to try and figure out a way to not give my actual plans away she throws her hands up into the air.

"Oh my god, you don't trust me." She says.

"Mads, that's not it, I just-"

"No, it's fine. Really. I shouldn't have sprung the idea on you like this anyways. I was caught up in the moment, and I know you said you wanted to take things slow. I'm rushing it."

She's not rushing anything. I'd put another baby in her right now if she asked me to. I'd do anything she wanted, and it's killing me to not be able to tell her.

Should I just forego everything I had planned on doing? I was going to rent out the football stadium for her. Every square inch of it would be covered with roses, fake candles to outline it all, but it feels like I'm ruining things right now by keeping it from her. I don't know what the fuck to do.

"Mads-" I try to reach for her, but she shakes her head and steps back from me even further, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not in the mood to talk anymore." She mutters. "I'm actually going to head home. I have to pick up Izzy from the sitter, and then-"

"Please don't leave like this." I beg. "I hate when you're upset with me."

"What would you like me to be?" She cocks her head to the side and narrows her eyes. "Happy? I've tried so hard to prove to you that you can trust me again, and I've let my guard down with you. I trust you again, and I know just because my guard is down shouldn't mean that yours automatically is too, but I at least thought we were making progress."

"We are." I reiterate, completely exasperated. "Is this really how you want me to propose to you though, Maddie? You want me to pop the question because I'm forced to?"

"Forced to?" She finger quotes the air, letting out a laugh of disbelief. "Are you fucking serious Cameron?"

Cameron.

I fucking hate when she does that.

"Fuck, I didn't mean it like that Maddie, Jesus."

"Have a nice night." She laughs with sarcasm and opens up the door to the reception venue, slamming it loudly behind her.

Fucking hell.

Why do I always say the stupidest shit? I never should have worded it like that. I just meant that I should ask her and make it special. Not that I'm not ready to propose, but I just want to do it on my own timing.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I sit down onto the curb and glance up at the sky. It's nights like these that I really wish my mom were here right now. She'd tell me just what to say. She'd know exactly what to do.

I don't know if it's just a coincidence, or if my mom is really watching over me or not, but the door pops open again and Mary steps out, her eyes softening when she sees that I'm upset.

"I came to find you, honey. Maddie just left." She goes to take a seat beside me, but I put my hand out and shrug my jacket off first to lay it down onto the pavement before she sits. "Care to tell me what's going on?"

I take full advantage of her wanting to help, spilling out the past ten minute conversation to her that I just had with Maddie. I tell her about the grand proposal I was trying to do, and then I show her a photo of the ring, helping her wipe away her tears when she can't stop talking about how damn beautiful it is.

"Honey, you put so much thought into all of this, and I think it's wonderful." She says, but then follows it with, "But, you know Maddie, and honestly she doesn't need a stadium filled with roses. At the end of the day she just wants you. If you want it to be an extravagant proposal then she's going to love it, but if you're that worried about her being upset and you're scared to wait any longer, I'm certain she'd love something small and intimate, too."

Maddie isn't like Katie, or any other girl I've dated. She doesn't need a stadium filled with roses, she doesn't even expect that, but she deserves it. She deserves something special, something meaningful.

Something so uniquely... us.

An soon as the sentence floats into my head, an idea immediately pops in, excitement coursing through my veins as I take my phone out and text my agent.

I'm not going to let Maddie get away from me again. I'm not going to lack communication, I'm not going to have our fight last for days. I'm going to prove to her that this is a forever thing between us for good this time.

I shove the phone back into my pocket to wait for a reply before I lean over and wrap Mary in the biggest hug I can muster up. I don't think I've hugged her since she came to my game a few months ago, and it's like hugging my own mom. I can feel her through Mary, and I truly think this woman is my guardian angel.

I don't let her go, burying my head into her shoulder. She squeezes me tighter when I say, "I don't think I've ever thanked you for watching over me after my mom passed." I choke out. "Or when my dad was absent. You took me in like I was your own, Mary, and I can't thank you enough for that. You never complained, you never thought I was a burden, you just welcomed me with open arms into your home every single day. You're like a second mom to me."

"Oh, Cameron." She sighs and wipes some of her tears as well. "Your mother would be so proud of the man you've become. And I am your second mom, or at least I will be soon I hope after you do whatever idea just popped into your head a minute ago."

Giving me a pat on the back, I stand up from sidewalk to help her up, shrugging my suit jacket back on.

"Thank you for this talk, Mary, and I know I've asked a lot of you already, but is there any way you could just do one more thing for me?"

She eyes me skeptically, laughing when I bat my eyes in a childish manner.

"Pleaseeeee?" I beg. "For your favorite soon to be son in law?"

"Oh, fine." She sighs and opens up the door to the reception hall back up. "All I'm saying though is that this better end with a proposal for my daughter tonight."

Trust me." I reassure her. "It will."

A/N:

ITS FREAKING HAPPENING!!!!!!

I AM SO EFFING EMOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY

NOBODY TOUCH ME

ARE YOU GUYS EXCITED?!?!

WE CAN ALL CRY TOGETHER

ITLL BE FINE

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