Collette Archer
Wow, wow, ok wow. So he always had a thing for me? How did I not realise? Wow, I have no words, except I have too many, actually it's just the same word being repeated a million times, wow. I thought I couldn't be happier when he said he loved me, but apparently I can. Apparently his love is much deeper than I thought. And I thought I fell for him first, but if what I heard in the morning is true, he fell much earlier. Much earlier, emphasis on much. Ahhh, what is happening to me?
I reached home after breakfast with the Pierces and I still couldn't process everything I had heard from James and Lia in the morning. I was supposed to meet James for lunch, so I put my inside the head noise machine on pause to go take a shower. I get dressed and James said he's almost ready and will pick me up in a bit, so I have some time to put my thoughts together.
He's liked me since we were kids? So every time I thought he was being mean, or bullying me, it was just to protect me from something? I really thought I knew him, how could I be so clueless? Does this, sort of override my stages theory? Cuz if he has liked me for that long, its really not that early for us to be saying 'I love you', and living together and all. And if he really has had a thing for me for so long, it would have killed him to hate me, and it killed me too but I genuinely did not have any feelings for him before moving in together. And I'm not even his first girlfriend so that checks out too. Wow, all my theories have been tick marked. I know I'm supposed to evolve and understand that love should not need any rules, but all of my rules and stages just fell into place so, to hell with evolving.
"This Christmas is just becoming the best Christmas ever and I am so happy. I think we should get married next year, it would be perfect timing according to my current assessment, of my studies, his career and the stage of our relationship. Which means, next Christmas is going to be the best Christmas and then, every Christmas after.
I think I found my optimism again. This is great, James and I are going to be together forever. Yay!"
I heard someone laughing outside my door, which was half open and realised that somewhere between my thoughts I slipped into real voice from my inside the head voice and someone heard me. I walk toward my door to see James and Thalia covering their mouths trying not to laugh. They see me, and straighten up, dropping their hands and acting like nothing happened.
"Hi babe" James says with a straight face. But Thalia couldn't hold it longer and bursts into laughter.
"How much did you guys hear?" I ask, turning red with embarrassment.
"If you think we missed the marriage part? We didn't and it just became so funny when you said you were going to be together forever" Thalia says and starts laughing again.
"You know, this is your second time getting on my nerves this holiday, I think you should really reconsider anything that comes out of that mouth for the rest of Christmas."
"Lia, how bout you go and call your boyfriend for a bit", James says.
"Thats a great idea ill update him on all this" she says and runs off before I can stop her.
"She is SUCH a tattletale!" I exclaim
"Yeah, its congenital", James says
I forgot about him for a second there, shit he heard everything, oh my god, I am so embarrassed.
"Uh, James, about… what I said… or what you heard… or misheard, cuz I was clearly talking about…. a … umm…Tv show" I try to form an excuse, but he cuts me off.
"You know how I told you I love you a while ago?"
"Mm hmm"
"And you know how you didn't say it back?"
"I did" I mumble
"No you didn't, I barely heard it" he comes close wraps his hands around my waist, "Im going to consider this as you saying it back"
"He comes closer to kiss me but then I nudge him back, "you can't"
"Why not?"
"Because this is it" I lean in and kiss him, "I'm so badly in love with you, Mr. Pierce that I have been fantasying our future like a twelve year old. At this rate, I'm gonna have baby names ready by next week."
"Well you would be a step behind me even then, cuz I have thought of them, already" he says
"No way, what are they?" I ask
"Ok so if it's a girl, we'll name her Caterpillar, and call her Cat, so if anyone asks her, ' oh does your name stand for Catherine?' She'll have to say, 'no, its short for Caterpillar"
"Im speechless" I say
Literally, I am, I have no words. My boyfriend and future husband wants to name my baby girl after an insect. And not even the beautiful metamorphasized version of it, the ugly version of it. Before I can say anything he starts telling me the name for if we have a boy.
"And if its a boy, we'll name him tomato and call him tom"
"Naturally" I say
He sounds like such a boy, it's kinda cute, but also really stupid if he's being serious, at least now we know who's not getting a vote on deciding baby names.
"You are joking? Aren't you sweetheart?" I ask
He bursts out laughing, "you should have seen the look on your face, you looked so confused"
"Thank god, it was joke" I sigh
"I do have actual names though, Athena, if it's a girl and Peter, if it's a boy"
"Aww, I like them, they are officially potential baby names" I declare
"Yes!"
"James?"
"Yes babe?"
"Will you marry me?" I ask
"Definitely, but under one condition.." he says
"What's that?"
"You'll let me propose to you again" he says
I laugh, "Sure thing, betrothed"
AND THEN THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!