Page 67 of Last First Love
I even secured an invitation for Squiggles, our runty little rescue dog. He's extremely friendly and his little tiny size has made him a big favorite with basically every single person he ever meets, starting with me way back when.
Aunt Opal likes to pretend that she was responsible for me and Lily adopting Squiggles and ending up together, but I'm confident that I was the person who originally planned the great Squiggles rescue caper at the photo shoot where I was first reacquainted with Elliott's little sister, the first and last love of my life.
Except for Squiggles of course. As if sensing my surge of affection for someone other than him, he rolls around on the ground showing me his belly and wagging so hard that he ends up hitting himself in the face with his tail. He's a little bit stupid, but love does that to guys. I get it.
Lily loves him almost as much as she loves me. But I'm pretty sure I'm still her number one guy, despite Squiggles' obviously superior cuteness factor. I'm much more of a hot type than a cute type, but hey. I can work with that. I have complete confidence in myself.
Lily looks over her shoulder at us and flashes me and Squiggles a million dollar smile. Good God, but I'm so freaking good at life. How else do you explain the fact that I get to be here right now with the most beautiful woman I know and the very best dog ever? It's because I'm amazing and I'm winning at everything.
When there's finally a little break in the shooting schedule, I manage to slide up next to Lily and plant a very noisy set of kisses all over her neck. Squiggles clearly approves because he flops over and starts squirming around, working overtime to show us his cute, fat little belly.
"Who's my best good boy? Who is it?" she coos extravagantly at our dog, and for one terrible moment, I'm a man who is jealous of my own dog. Ridiculous, right?
But who wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Lily's love and affection? It's like stepping out into the sunlight after a terrible storm has passed each and every time, leaving me feeling warm and safe and happy in her love.
The models are all fiddling around with wardrobe and makeup, but I don't have eyes for anyone here but Lily. In the last eighteen months, she's made a real name for herself as the It Girl for plus size fashion photography. And because of her work, women and girls shaped like her get to see themselves looking beyond fucking hot in magazines all over the world.
I've been beyond happy watching all of her dreams come true thanks to her hard work and dedication. She really is a talented, gifted photographer and I know for a fact that the world is better because of what she does.
Everything is better because of her. Long shifts end and I get to come home to her, eat my favorite taco takeout, and enjoy some quality snuggle time with my girl and her best dog. She's my safe space, and I do my very best to be hers too.
There's only one thing missing from this photo shoot to make it the best possible moment of my entire life so far. Once we're done kissing, I don't waste any more time. I kneel before her and take the little ring box from my pocket, opening it for her inspection.
Her eyes go as wide as saucers and she flushes a lovely color as I fumble through the most important question of my life, until she finally nods a couple of times and lets me slide the ring onto her finger.
The group of models and backstage people all cheer and applaud as I rise and kiss the living hell out of the woman I'm going to marry.
"I tried to get Squiggles to help, but he's really only good at being cute and getting loved on."
Her mouth quirks up. "A lot like you then. Good at being cute and getting loved on."
My lips twitch into a full blown smile of my own. "That's one more thing the three of us have in common then." I wink at Lily, my fiancée, and she bursts into a little round of giggles that sets off a burst of happiness deep inside.
"Thank you, Lily. I love you so much." I press a kiss to her forehead. I haven't let a single day pass without telling her that I love her, and she does the exact same for me.
"I love you too, Ken Daniels. We're going to have the absolute best life together."
I lean back from her for long enough to stare at her and marvel again at how I managed to find someone who suits me in every single possible way.
"We already do have the absolute best life together. But let's keep doing it forever."
She squeezes me tight one more time before she has to get back to work. "I think this is the best idea you’ve ever had. I really like the forever part."
Me too. I tell her so, and I promise to myself right then and there that I'm going to keep telling her how much I like the forever part, in the exact same way that I tell her I love her every day.
Because life is too short for us not to tell the people we love how much we care about them, and I'll be damned if I let Lily spend a single day of her life not hearing how amazing she is, directly from me and as often as possible. Probably with our clothes off, let's keep it real. But I'd be willing to tell her that same good stuff even if we're both fully dressed.
Love, to me, is this way. It's always being able to give the other person the space and freedom to become the best version of themselves that they can be. Because nothing makes me quite as happy as when I see Lily shining her brightest, and I know she loves me for exactly who I am, all the good parts and the ridiculous ones too.
Because I'm winning at this. This is the life I never even dared to wish for, but I'll do everything I can to keep it all safe. Starting and ending with my last first love.
THE END