"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Mom asked, leaning up against the counter. After getting her settled back in, we had made our way into the kitchen, Jake putting a pot on the stove to make everyone tea.

"Well.." I said, handing her the wedding invitation. "Emily and Sam are getting married, so.. Jake and I were going to go shopping for something to wear. Right?" I asked, smirking over at him. He nodded, his smile growing as he poured the boiling water into our mugs.

"Oh my goodness, how beautiful!" She said, reading it over. "Oh, she's so funny, giving me a plus one." Sometimes it made me sad, knowing she'd never experience that same feeling she did with my dad, that same feeling I was finally experiencing now, but she seemed at peace with it.

"I take it.. you two are going to go together?" She asked, her lips curling into a smile. I could see Jake's smile growing as he kept his back to us, placing a bag into each of our mugs.

"Yeah." I sighed, unable to contain my excited grin. "He convinced me."

"And it wasn't easy either." He chimed in. I playfully rolled my eyes, peeking back over at him.

"Well, that's very sweet." She said. "I'm sure you two will have so much fun." My face dropped.

"Y-you're.. you're not coming?" I asked. She sighed, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"It wouldn't be fair to RSVP yes when I have no idea how I'm gonna be feeling that day." She said, putting the invitation back down. I hated that she was missing so much. It wasn't fair. And for me to go out and have a fun night, knowing she was sitting up at home all by herself, feeling terrible. I was supposed to be here to help her. How could I go out and party at a time like this?

She could sense it.

"But you two will have so much fun. I'll be waiting up for you to tell me all about it." She said cheerfully. I felt my cheeks burn.

"Well, um.." I started, unsure if I wanted to bring this up in front of Jake, knowing how she got. "Jake had mentioned.. maybe.. getting a room, since.. the reception is going to be in the ballroom of the hotel, we figured-" She nodded, smirking back at me. I felt my whole body get hot, praying she didn't make whatever comments I knew she was thinking.

"That's smart. You don't want to be driving after all of that anyway." She said simply, winking over at me. I sighed, giving her a gentle smile as Jake made his way over to the counter with our tea.

"That's what I figured." He said, sitting down across from me, flashing her an innocent smile, knowing that was not what he figured at all.

"Well, don't let me take up any more of your time." She said, grabbing her mug. "I'm gonna go lie down for a little while."

"Are you okay, I can help if-"

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine. You two go have fun! Show me your dress when you get home, I'd love to see it."

"Okay.." I managed, watching her slowly make her way down the hall, waiting until I heard her door close before turning back to Jake.

He stared back at me from over his mug, taking a big sip, licking his lips of what remained as he flashed me an adorable grin. I felt my cheeks burn, unable to contain my smile that escaped from my lips. I loved these little innocent moments with him, and how he managed to make even the most mundane instances feel so intimate. I reached over for his hand, gently intertwining our fingers.

"You okay?" He asked, lightly brushing his thumb across the top of my hand. I nodded, holding back the tears I could start coming to my eyes. I was so lucky, for how good he was to me, how good he was to her, and to think, my whole life I went with him just a few feet away, always there.

I could have been this happy.. my entire life.

"I'm okay." I sighed, taking a sip of my tea, smiling at the fact that he knew exactly how I liked it, despite not remembering if I had ever told him.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." I said softly, going over and sitting down next to him, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"It's no problem, it's just tea." I smirked up at him catching him already smiling back down at me.

"I mean.. for everything." He nodded.

"Of course, Jaime."

"Do you have any ideas for what you want to wear?" I asked, trying to change the subject before it got too heavy for my liking. He shrugged.

"I figured.. we'd see what you look the best in, which.. I assume will take forever considering you look so good in everything so.. finding what looks best, well.." I playfully shoved him, giggling to myself as he reached his arm around me, pulling me in closer, kissing the top of my head. "But.. we'll just see what we find and what we like. But.. it is coming up so, we'll probably have to decide on something soon."

He was right. And the sooner the wedding got here, then the end of Summer was right around the corner, which meant the light of my life would be stripped away from me, filling me with nothing but the emptiness of Autumn's cold embrace.

"You know she knows why we want to get the hotel room, right?" I asked, smirking back up at him, taking another sip. He held his stare on me for a moment, his cheeks burning red.

"Yeah.. I kinda figured she did." He laughed. "But.. as far as I'm concerned.. that is why we got it. Whatever happens.. happens, right?" I nodded, feeling my heart beat faster.

"Mhm.."

But I knew what I wanted to happen.

It was just a matter of.. if he wanted to.

I finished the rest of my tea, peeking over to see his mug was now empty too. I grabbed his, bringing it over and placed it into the sink, when I heard him get up, feeling him wrap his arms around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder. I couldn't help but laugh, cuddling closer to him as I rinsed out the rest of the dishes, now unable to keep my mind from wandering of the day we would slow dance in our own kitchen in nothing but the soft glow of the light above the sink. He would have made dinner and I would clean up after, and then together we'd put the kids to bed and..

I snapped out of it, having never even imagined having kids before.

"You ready to head out?" He asked, gently rocking us back and forth as he nuzzled his face into my hair, gently kissing up my neck. I turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him into a long kiss until I felt his lips curl into a smile.

"Yeah." I said, holding my stare on him. He stared back with those eyes I loved so much, reaching up and gently brushing his fingers though my hair, pulling me back into another deep, long kiss.

I slowly moved my hands up his chest, grabbing onto his shirt, pulling him in closer, kissing him back harder. I could feel his heart beating faster, his breath getting heavier as his grip on me got tighter, his lips eventually moving down to my neck as he lifted me up, placing me on the counter. I moved my hands down to his waist, grabbing the belt loops of his pants, pulling him in between my legs, wrapping them around him.

"Jaime.." He sighed, leaning his forehead against mine, stopping my hands.

"W-what's wrong?" I asked. He held his stare on me, biting down on his lip.

"Nothing, I.. I just.. I'm not-" I shook my head, giving him a gentle smile.

"I'm.. I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, I.. you.. have no idea how much.. well, I mean-" I cut him off, pulling him into a gentle kiss.

"It's okay. We.. we should go. She's gonna get suspicious if I don't come home with a dress." I giggled to myself, gently running my fingers down his cheek. He nodded, holding his stare on me.

I carefully hopped down from the counter, taking his hand.

"Jaime, I'm sorry that I-"

"Don't be sorry." I sighed. "I'm sorry, you said.." He nodded, avoiding my eyes.

"I've never.. been nervous like this before, I.. I don't-"

"I promise it's okay. I.. I think it's really sweet. Like I'm not just some-"

"You will never be just some girl, Jaime." He sighed. "I love you.. so much, and I.. I want this to work. And I just.. I don't want to screw this up. I've.. screwed everything up in the past, and.. it hasn't really mattered because.. they haven't been you. But I told myself.. if I was ever lucky enough to get to be with you, then I would be.. the best man I could ever be.. for you."

I could feel tears coming to my eyes again, unable to contain my smile.

"Well.. you're doing a really good job at it." I said softly, wrapping my arms around him. "I don't want to rush things, I just.. you make me feel-" He cut me off, pulling me into another long kiss.

"Me too." He giggled. "But.. we have the rest of our lives for that."

My heart jumped.

The rest of our lives.

So.. he was already thinking about forever too.