Unexpected Chance

by Annalisa Nicole

  “Yeah, sweetheart,” I say, turning around, looking into her beautiful eyes.

  “Thank you for today,” she whispers. She scoots over, pulls back the covers and smiles.

  I climb into bed with her and wrap my arms around her. “You rest,” I say, wrapping my arms around her and giving her a squeeze, then I place my lips on her shoulder.

  “I have the rest of my life to sleep. Right now, I just want to live in the moment and never forget this feeling,” she says, getting choked up.

  “This feeling you’re feeling right now. Get used to it. I’ll live the rest of my life making sure you feel this every day for the rest of your life until the day I die,” I say, kissing her shoulder.

  She turns her head so she can look at my face. Her lips slightly part as she inhales a breath. I think it’s time to lighten things up just a little. I take my finger and softly trail it down her arm, down her hip, then down her thigh as far as I can reach. She pants in short, ragged breaths in anticipation. Coming back up, I stop at her waist. Her eyes are glued to my finger. I wet my lips, then trail them on the top of her shoulder down her upper arm stopping to kiss every inch. I lift her shirt and kiss down her side to the arch in her waist. My hand comes up to my lips and I tickle her. She moans in frustration, then curls into a ball in a fit of giggles. Her left arm lifts off the pillow and comes straight at my head. Before I can move out of the way, it connects with my forehead, right between the eyes. Note to self, wear a helmet next time I tickle Savvy.

  “Oh my God, are you alright?” we both ask at the same time.

  “Forget about me, are you alright? Is your wrist alright?” I ask concerned.

  “I’m totally fine. Did I hurt your head? Oh my God, you already have a huge goose egg on your forehead. You look like a Cyclops,” she says, then giggles again.

  God, I could never get tired of her giggles. “Alright. No more horsing around. You’re supposed to be resting. How about we watch a movie?” I ask, rubbing my forehead.

  “That sounds fantastic. I’ll go get a glass of water, then we can sit on the couch and chill for the rest of the night,” she says.

  “You stay put. I’ll get you some water and I’ll pick out a movie and bring it back in here. We can have a movie night in bed,” I say getting up.

  I get us each a bottle of water, pick a movie we’ll both enjoy, then snuggle in bed with Savvy for the rest of the night.

  Savvy

  “Come on sleepy head, it’s time to get up,” Aiden whispers, gently kissing up my arm.

  “Mmm, just five more minutes,” I say, sinking my face into my pillow.

  “I thought maybe we’d go to the zoo today. Or, maybe that’s not such a good idea. You’re supposed to be resting,” he whispers.

  “The zoo! I’m totally rested out. I feel amazing, I promise!” I reply shooting up on my knees. “It’s Sunday, though. What about family dinner?” I ask.

  “I thought we’d go and spend the day at the zoo, then afterwards we’d drive straight to my mom’s for dinner,” he says.

  “What are you still doing in bed then? Get up, get ready. Let’s go!” I say, getting out of bed.

  Aiden chuckles and says, “I thought you’d see it my way.”

  It takes no time at all for the both of us to get ready. I walk out into the kitchen just as Aiden puts his cellphone in the front pocket of his jeans. We slip into Jade and we back out into the street. He slams on the breaks scaring the bejeezes out of me. “What? What’s wrong?” I ask, looking at his face.

  “I forgot something,” he says, and pulls back into the driveway. “I’ll be right back. You . . . ah, you just wait right here.” He fumbles with his keys at the front door, dropping them at his feet. He turns to look at me then offers a smile.

  I see his frame take in a huge breath of air, then he picks up his keys and calmly enters the house. He comes right back out two minutes later. He locks the front door, then gets back in the car.

  “What did you forget?” I ask, intrigued.

  He looks me straight in the eyes and does a fish out of water mouth thing that only I thought I did. “I left my cell phone on the table. I’ve got it now. Asher may need to get a hold of me today,” he says, looking away from me as he says it.

  He just lied straight to my face. I saw him put his cell phone in his pocket in the kitchen. Why would Aiden lie to me?

  “It’s Sunday. Why would Asher need to get a hold of you on a Sunday?” I challenge.

  “Oh, you know. The Stran Corp. merger,” he says, continuing to go with his lie.

  He backs out of the driveway and soon we’re on the freeway headed toward the zoo. It’s such a beautiful day to go to the zoo, too. The sun is shining bright in the sky, and ever since the first time Aiden took me to the zoo, I couldn’t wait to go back. Now, I’m just not sure what to think. I look out the window the entire drive, wracking my brain wondering just why he’d lie to me over something so minor.

  The parking lot is already crowded. On such a beautiful day I wouldn’t expect anything less. Aiden takes my hand and we head toward the entrance.

  “Where would you like to go first?” he asks.

  “I don’t have anywhere particular in mind. Where would you like to go first?” I return.

  “How about if we hit the aviary first, then head toward the meerkats? I know how much you love the meerkats. Then I thought we could grab a bite to eat, then wander around wherever your heart desires. How does that sound?” he asks with a smile.

  “That sounds fine,” I reply.

  He looks at me with a concerned look, but quickly dismisses it taking my right hand in his. “Are you feeling alright? You’re wrist isn’t hurting is it?” he asks as we walk toward the bird exhibit.

  “I’m fine,” I reply, quipped.

  “I thought we could look at the aviary exhibit, then follow the path to the meerkats. I know how much you love the meerkats. Then I thought we could grab a bite to eat then wander around wherever your heart desires,” he says, again.

  This is dumb. I love the zoo, I love being with Aiden. Why am I letting one little lie ruin my day? We walk from exhibit to exhibit, a little faster than I’d like to, but then again I don’t have a choice. Aiden keeps looking at his watch, then pulling me toward the next exhibit. Does he have somewhere he’d rather be? This was his idea to come here in the first place. I just don’t get it.

  He looks at his watch one more time, then takes my hand and leads me toward the meerkats. I can’t help it. Even as weird as Aiden is being, those cute little meerkats light my face with a huge smile. Aiden lets go of my hand and says, “I’m just going to use the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

  I’m glad he needs to use the bathroom, because he’s moving way too fast through everything. I could stand in front of the meerkat exhibit alone all day and just watch them run around.

  About a minute later, I feel a little tug on my jeans and a sweet, little voice say, “Excuse me, ma’am.”

  I turn around and see Abbey standing right behind me. What’s Abbey doing here? And more importantly, why is she by herself? I quickly look through the crowd and I don’t see Asher or Willow anywhere. “Abbey, honey, where’s your mommy and daddy?” I ask her, bending down to her level.

  “This is for you,” she says in the sweetest happy little voice. Her hands come out from behind her back and she produces an orange tiger lily. Her face is lit with a huge smile, she leans forward, kisses me on the cheek, hands me the flower, then runs off toward the crowd.

  “Abbey, wait! Where are your mom and dad?” I quickly ask. But before I can take one step to follow her, there’s another tug on my jeans. I turn around and see Micah. “What’s going on?” I ask confused, looking around again.

  “This is for you,” he says, handing me another tiger lily. He crooks his little finger at me in a come hither motion, so I bend down to his level. He, too, kisses me on the cheek, then runs off.

  “What on earth is going on?” I stand up, a
nd look at the two tiger lilies in my hand, utterly confused. Believe it or not, there is another tug on my jeans. I turn around and see Noah standing there wearing a black tux, looking so dang cute I want to squeeze his chubby little cheeks like weird grandma’s do. The crowd of people around me has started to take notice and have formed a wide open circle with me in the center of it. “Noah, where is your mommy?” I ask, bending down again to get to his level.

  He smiles, hands me a tiger lily, and points his cute little finger to the left. I look to the left, but I don’t see Kyle or Amelia anywhere. A small opening in the sea of people opens up. A huge lump in my throat forms as I see Aiden walk to the front. He, too, is wearing a tuxedo. Not only is he wearing a tux, but he’s also wearing the biggest smile on his face I’ve ever seen. Then one by one, people start coming forward to the front of the crowd. Asher, Amelia, Chloe, Max, Shay, all of them. The entire Wellington family is here, and each of them has a tiger lily in their hand. I don’t know how I missed them all before. Tears fill my eyes and I suddenly feel like I could walk on water. In Aiden’s hand is a huge bouquet of tiger lilies. He takes a step forward away from the sea of people, and by instinct, I take a step back as my hand goes to my stomach. He smiles that killer smile at me. My brain races and those words swirl around in my head, I can dream, can’t I. It’s not a question. It’s a statement. With each tear that spills down my cheek, Aiden takes another step closer to me.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ava’s hand wipe a tear from her cheek. Chloe reaches for her hand, and it’s as if it’s her hand in mine. I can feel their happiness for me. I never dreamed that happiness of this level would ever fill my heart.

  I look back to Aiden, and he’s only a few inches from me now. His eyes are dancing with fire behind his thick, black rimmed glasses, and his hair, oh my God, his hair looks so amazing in the warm, cool breeze. Forget George Clooney and David Beckham. He has hair like . . . Who has better hair than them? Shit, I can’t even think right now. Aiden’s head cocks to the side as he searches my eyes.

  “Do you have your phone? I left mine at the house,” he teases, breaking the tension, putting a smile on my face. My right hand comes to my mouth to stop the ugly cry mouth look that I’m sure is going on right now. “You saw that this morning, didn’t you?” he questions.

  I nod my head with a smile as his thumb comes to my left cheek and wipes away the tears.

  “Come on, already. My kids want to go see the dolphins,” Asher calls from the crowd.

  Aiden chuckles, and then shakes his head back and forth. I stand on my tip toes and look around Aiden at his family. Chloe gives me a wink and a smile, then nods her head at Aiden.

  I look back at Aiden again and it hits me. In the blink of an eye, this man came into my life outside of a bar, that I was literally being thrown out of. He caught not only me, but my heart, and he’s standing in front of me, smiling, with sexy ass hair, wearing a tux and his heart on his sleeve, with love in his eyes and he’s about to propose. Let me say that again so it registers. Aiden Wellington is about to propose to me. To me! Either that or they’re all doing some weird flash mob thing. And really, that’d be kind of cruel, because this really feels more like a proposal kind of thing than a flash mob kind of thing.

  “Savvy, I didn’t understand why I never had anyone in my life. I honestly thought there was something wrong with me. But when those words, she’s with me, came out of my mouth, I just knew. I knew right then and there why there was never anyone in my life. There was no one in my life because I was waiting for that exact moment in time, for you. I was waiting for my soulmate to fall into my arms. That day I knew that what I had was something so special, so perfect, and that I was never going to let it go. I was never going to let you go. Then I thought I lost you. My God, I’ve never been so scared in my life. Savvy, I love you with all of my heart and soul. In front of my family, these strangers, and these meerkats, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  I giggle and think just how perfect this day is. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget a second of this day, for as long as I live. I thought last night was the best moment, the best feeling in my life. Aiden keeps proving me wrong by making the next day even better. I close my eyes and tip my head to the sky and smile. The bright sun warms my face, the gentle breeze tickles my cheeks, the hush whispers of the crowd, Aiden’s warm hands in mine, I take it all in. I open my eyes and look to the meerkats. Even they’re standing at attention with all eyes on me.

  “Savvy,” Aiden whispers squeezing my hand.

  My eyes come back to Aiden. He lets go of my right hand, he gently takes my casted left hand in his, and gets down on one knee. I think I just stopped breathing. He reaches inside his tux jacket and pulls out an orange velvet box and cracks it open. The crack of that box felt like thunder in my soul. I don’t care if it’s a ring made out of weeds, I don’t even look at it. All I can do is look into the eyes of the man that I love, the man that loves me, too.

  “Savannah Russell, will you do me the greatest honor? Will you marry me?” he asks.

  My life, and the shit that I’ve lived through, flicker through my memory like a vile odor at lightning speed. But at the last memory, I see my mother standing there with a proud smile on her face. All the bad memories clear and are replaced with all the happy new ones that Aiden and this family has placed in my life.

  “Girl, he’s an old man. You better answer him before his knee cap crushes,” Amelia shouts.

  The crowd laughs, then someone yells, “Say yes.”

  “Yes,” I say, shaking my head up and down.

  Aiden stands up, scoops me off the ground, wraps me in his arms and twirls me around. The crowd cheers, then his family rushes around us. With my head buried in Aiden’s neck, I feel someone touch my arm. I look down and see Chloe. This woman showed up in my bar out of the blue, depressed and completely dead inside. She has been a constant in life ever since, and she was the beginning to my Cinderella story. Never think that your life is such shit that you can’t show kindness to another soul. You always have something good to offer, even if it’s a club soda and a smile. I reach for her hand. She takes it with a squeeze. Tears pour down my cheeks onto Aiden’s tux. He sets me down, pulls away, and looks into my eyes. I grab his cheeks and smoosh my lips onto his.

  “Honey, you need to get a look at this ring!” Willow adamantly says with wide eyes.

  Aiden holds the box up between us. I just don’t know if I can look. It’s too much, it’s just so much good, it’s all just too perfect. He takes the ring out of the box, gently takes my left hand, and slips the cool metal band on my finger.

  “Look at it, honey,” Chloe insists.

  I don’t know why something so little is giving me such anxiety. I know I said I didn’t care if it was a weed, and I don’t. I’m the happiest woman on the planet right this second and I don’t need an engagement ring at all. It’s dumb, but I feel it calling to me, to look at it.

  Aiden’s thumb brushes over the ring, then he nods his head at me. I look down between the two of us, and just like I knew it would be, it’s absolutely perfect. It’s so perfect that I can’t control the tears spilling down my face. I’m having this inner conflict that something so perfect shouldn’t be meant for me. I’ve always told myself that I’m not even worth that lipstick they put on a pig. But that’s all in the past, this is my new life, this is my shining moment. This zoo, the people that I’m surrounded by, the meerkats, it’s my Cinderella moment, and it’s really happening, it’s meant only for me.

  The platinum band is dripping with diamonds down each side, and set in the center is a beautiful, radiant, large orange sapphire. I’ve always admired each of the girls’ engagement and wedding bands. But this ring, oh my, this ring had to have been made just for me. It’s breathtaking.

  “It’s beautiful, Aiden. I love it, and I love you,” I say, and throw myself into his arms.

  Aiden backs slightly away, smiles that sizzli
ng smile, then kisses me on the lips.

  “Mommy, can we go see the animals now?” Noah asks Amelia.

  “Yes, honey, we can go now,” Amelia says. “Congratulations you two, we’ll see you two at dinner tonight,” she continues.

  Everyone says their goodbyes and they each head in different directions. The crowd starts to thin out as Aiden and I stay wrapped in each other’s arms.

  “Are you happy?” Aiden asks, taking my hand once again.

  “Happy?” I ask. If I were any happier I think I’d self-combust and explode all over the meerkats.

  “Yeah, happy. Are you happy?” he asks, nodding his head.

  I never saw it before and now I understand what Willow was talking about at the bar that one night. The way Aiden is looking at me right now, I see it. I’ve never seen anyone look at me this way. If you could put the meaning of the word love into a look on someone’s face, that’s exactly what’s looking back at me right now.

  “Is there a word that comes after happy?” I ask seriously.

  “You mean like, ever after?” he answers, confused.

  “No. Like a word that’s a million times happier than happy, because that’s what I’m feeling right now. I don’t think there’s a word in the English dictionary for what I’m feeling.”

  “I’m good with that,” Aiden answers with a nod. He takes my right hand, threads it in his, then we start walking back toward the entrance of the zoo.

  I look at my orange casted left hand with my awesome, beautiful orange engagement ring on it, and I can’t help it. Fresh tears slide down my cheeks, which is dumb because I’m happy, not sad. I did learn in class that the human body can take only so much of a certain emotion, whether it’s happy or sad. That the response to too much happiness is to cry, that that’s the normal response. It’s normal, but incredibly dumb.

  Aiden scoops me off my feet, brings my lips to his, then carries me the rest of the way out of the zoo. He doesn’t put me down until we reach his car. He sets my ass on the hood of his car, places both hands on the sides of my face and looks into my eyes. His lips slowly come to mine, they’re warm and taste salty from my tears. He pulls away, takes my hand, walks me to the passenger side of the car and opens the door for me.