by Amy DeMeritt
“You ready to get some lunch, honey?”
“After one more flight, together.”
Janae smiles really big as she hops towards the tube entrance with my hand in hers. Another flight instructor comes to join us, and after I have replaced my helmet and goggles, we’re led inside.
We clasp hands facing each other and drift up the tube on our stomachs with the instructors balancing us. Janae looks so happy that I nearly get lost in watching her.
It took a few days to arrange this, but the flight center was more than happy to help me with my plan. I can see the employees quickly moving around outside of the tube, getting everything ready, but Janae seems completely oblivious to them while we circle the tube in a slow alternating spike and dip.
Janae’s face suddenly shows confusion and she starts looking past me and around herself, which causes her to lose balance and her instructor has to compensate to get her back on track with me. I touch her cheek and then point to myself, trying to ask her to focus on me, since we’re not really able to hear well in here.
She smiles in a curious way, but she keeps her eyes on me. I caress her cheek and tug her in closer. We carefully press our lips together, and as we’re pulling apart, the lights go out and they’re replaced with many twinkle lights outside of the tube in the waiting area, making it look like we’re soaring in the starlit night sky or outer space.
Janae laughs and tries to look around again and the instructor patiently keeps her balanced. Soft white dome lights come on around the base of the tube, illuminating a wide ring of crimson red roses. Janae grabs my face and pulls me into a kiss that is made kind of painful from the goggles banging together. While we’re kissing, someone slips a wrist wrap around my wrist, and then helps me get my hand on the clear case. As I release her mouth, I slowly pull my hand out to hover in front of her. Even though it’s hard to hear, her shriek is undeniable. She tries to dive forward to get her arms around me, which causes us to spin out of control.
Our instructors expertly guide us back to the tube entrance and as our feet land on solid ground, Janae and I pull our helmets and goggles off.
“Jack, is this…”
I kneel down in front of her, release the lock on the glowing plastic case, and pull the white gold ring from the clear clip holding it in place.
“Janae Marie Callaghan, will you do me the honors of marrying me and spending the rest of our lives soaring together in the love that we share?”
Janae drops to her knees, and while kissing my lips and sobbing, she says, “Yes, yes, and yes a million times, I will marry you, Jack. I love you. Oh, honey, I love you so much.”
“I love you more than anything.”
She gives me a slow soft kiss, before pulling back to look at the ring.
“Oh, honey, this is so beautiful. I feel like a celebrity with this on my hand. This diamond is huge.”
I laugh a little as I kiss her forehead.
“You’re more than worth it.”
“I feel like I’m flying.”
“I always feel like that when I’m with you.”
Janae gives me a passionate kiss, and with our mouths still pressed together, she coos, “Let’s get out of here.”
As we stand up, the staff starts clapping for us, which causes Janae to laugh. She waves to them and thanks them for helping with the surprise. The lights come back on, and Janae looks around at all of the roses and loops her arm through mine.
“Honey, what are we going to do with all of these? There has to be at least…”
“Seventy dozen. A dozen for every year that I expect to be married to you.”
She scrunches her brow in thought for a moment and then giggles. “So, we’re going to live to be over a hundred years old?”
“Hey, we promised to still be together when we’re old and decrepit, remember? I don’t plan on becoming decrepit till I’m at least ninety.”
“That sounds like a perfect plan. What are we going to do with seventy dozen roses?”
“We can have a van bring them to the house, or I can have the van bring them to a nursing home to hand out to all of the lovely old ladies and brighten their day.”
“Oh, honey, that is so sweet. Let’s send them to the nursing home. Who do we have to call?”
“I knew you would like the plan. The van is already waiting outside.”
She tugs me in close and engages me in a wonderful kiss. She inhales deeply as she tangles her hand in my short hair and presses her body in tightly against mine.
“I love you, Jack. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to spending every second of the next seventy years with you. Come on, let’s go change.”
We thank the staff again and I give them the go-ahead to let the nursing home guys come in to load the roses in their van. Then we go strip out of the jumpsuits and get our stuff from the locker. As soon as we’re in the car, Janae pulls me back into another wonderful kiss.
“So, you really think we could leave for paradise tonight?”
I smile really big and nibble her earlobe. “If you want to, I’ll make it happen.”
She releases a purring sound as she bends into my neck and starts sucking it. Against my ear, she breathes, “It’s so damn tempting, but I guess we should wait. Ok, drive away before I just have to…” She cups me between my thighs and releases a hard breath against my neck. “Ok, really, you have to get this car started, honey.”
“I don’t want to. You are… Oh, shit.”
My head falls back against the headrest as her hand starts rubbing me in firm circles and up and down motions on the outside of my pants. She suddenly rips my button apart and zipper down and thrusts her hand inside.
“Get over here.”
She smiles and shakes her head. She sucks my earlobe, and whispers, “Start the engine, baby. I’m going to fuck you while you drive.”
“God, I fucking love you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Vera grabs the sides of my face with her aged and arthritis bent hands, and with tears in her eyes, she presses her lips to my forehead. She wraps her arms around me and holds the back of my head as I lay on her shoulder.
“I feel like the Lord has finally answered our prayers. I’m so happy you are finally going to marry my baby girl.”
“Thank you for always being patient with me and for all of the love you gave me over the years.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. Oh, I have something for you. Sit down.”
Vera pats my arm, encouraging me to sit down on the couch with Janae. As I sit, Janae wipes my eyes dry with a loving smile and takes my hand in both of hers. As she’s pressing her lips against mine, Marvin walks back into the room with four champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne.
Janae laughs and moves a decorative bowl aside on the coffee table so he can set the glasses down.
“Why do you just happen to have a bottle of champagne on hand, Dad?”
“Remember that wedding your mother and I went to a couple of weeks ago? They had several bottles left over after the reception and gave us one to take with us. It’s not the best sparkly, but it will do for now.”
Vera sits down next to me with a cream colored square letter envelope in her hand and places a hand on my knee as she turns to face me.
“When Mom became ill, she wrote this letter and asked me to give it to you both when you finally decided to be together. She believed you’re meant to be together and one day you would figure it out and get married. It has never been opened, so I don’t know what it says.”
Vera holds the letter out to us, and Janae and I just stare at it with tears in our eyes and clinching each other’s hands. Vera’s eyes fill with tears, and she places a hand over our clasped hands, giving them a squeeze.
“Do you want me to read it to you?”
“Yes, please.”
I nod in agreement with Janae, so Vera grabs a letter opener out of the drawer in the coffee table. She carefully slides it under the envel
ope flap and cuts through the top. She pulls out two pieces of cream colored stationary with a handwritten letter in careful black cursive.
Vera clears her throat, and Marvin sits on her other side to wrap his arm around his wife.
My dearest sweet angels – Janae and Jack,
Many people come and go from our lives before it’s finally our time to pass through the veil and meet our creator. Many will leave an imprint on our hearts and souls, but few will fuse to our hearts and souls. The ones who fuse with us, become our truest family – no matter the color of our skin, our religious beliefs, or any of those other unnecessary classifications humans are addicted to giving each other.
There are even fewer who not only fuse to our hearts and souls, but also help our hearts and souls to grow and prosper. Those people tend to become our lovers and life partners. I have watched you together and I know without a doubt you have reached this high level of connection with each other.
If you’re reading this, it means you have finally figured that out and have dedicated your hearts to each other. And it also means I’m in heaven throwing a big party in celebration of my final and greatest wish being granted.
I love you both dearly and it breaks my heart that the Good Lord is taking me before I’m ready and that I won’t be there in the flesh to hug you and see you meet each other at the altar. But I will be there with you in spirit.
Congratulations on this exciting and wonderful journey you’re going to embark on together. There is just nothing else in life that matches the love, happiness, and comfort you share with your soulmate.
From my heart and soul to yours, my dearest sweet angels, I love you both.
Smiling down at you from heaven,
Joan Marie Callaghan
With a shaking hand and sniffling, Janae takes the letter from Vera and traces the handwritten text with her finger. I wrap an arm around her shoulder and give her a kiss on her cheek. She looks up at me with a smile and wipes my eyes dry.
“I miss her like crazy.”
“Me too, honey. Do you remember how every Christmas she would trick us into walking under the mistletoe together?”
I laugh a little and nod. “Yeah, I remember. You would never give me a real kiss, even when she tried to make up new rules about what has to happen if you get caught under the mistletoe.”
“I loved that year. I got spoiled with lots of nice kisses.”
Vera laughs and squeezes Marvin’s knee. “You were naughty that year.”
“Hey, I was just following the rules. So, have you discussed when and where you’re getting married?”
I smile really big and look to Janae to answer. She releases a cute giggle and wiggles my nose before taking my hand again and entwining her fingers with mine.
“We talked about having a beach wedding next year in the late spring. We have to start sampling caterers soon so we can get them booked in time.”
“Please tell me you’re not going to bake your own wedding cake.”
Janae smiles at Vera and shakes her head. “No, we’re going to find someone to do that.”
“I know this is still very fresh and you have a lot of wedding planning to do, but has there been any talk about making us some grandbabies?”
My eyes get huge and I grip Janae’s hand tightly. She releases a hissing laugh and slaps my hand.
“Babe, too tight. Shit, Jack.” She laughs again and rubs my head as Vera and Marvin laugh at my panicked reaction. “No, we haven’t talked about that, yet.”
“Yet?”
“Yes, yet.”
I swallow hard as my heart starts racing. I needlessly tug on the collar of my shirt, as if it’s choking me. Marvin releases a hearty laugh and stands up to fill the champagne flutes.
As he offers me one, he says, “You’ve conquered the business world. You’ve conquered yourself and got yourself to settle down. Next, you’ll conquer raising a child or two. Don’t worry, they’re not all that bad.”
“Hey!”
Janae laughs as she swats at her dad’s arm and accepts the glass of champagne from him.
“You really want to have children with me? I mean, I might raise some real weirdos.”
All of them laugh hard, and while still laughing, Janae firmly kisses my cheek.
“Yes, I want to have children with you. I think you’ll be a great parent. You’re a super sweet person and very respectful of people.”
“Will you be ok with it if I put our baby girl in a bowtie and a vest?”
“That sounds adorable.”
“Can I put rub-on tattoos on our kids?”
“Yes.”
“Can I give them mohawks?”
She laughs and nods. “Yes, but I think I’ll be giving the haircuts.”
“Yeah, probably. You are better at it than me.” I pucker my lips in thought and narrow my eyes in a challenging way. “Can I teach them how to be computer geniuses so they can grow up to be master hackers and take over the world?”
They laugh hard again and Janae ruffles my hair with a loving smile. “Sure, go for it.”
“Awesome. Ok, we can talk about this making-babies thing more at a later date. But I want to marry you before we put any buns in the oven.”
Thank you for reading!
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~ Amy DeMeritt
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Other works by Amy DeMeritt
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In this second installment of The Dancing Wolf, Kayla and her girls get a heavy dose of the trials of the real world, homophobia, and love.
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