The appointment goes great and Ember’s gynecologist, Dr. Brown, tells us everything looks great and he estimates a due date in August for us.

My phone buzzes in my pocket as we pull up at the house and I tell Ember I’ll be in, in just a second. As soon as the door closes I answer, “Hey B. I’m sure she will be calling you in two seconds to tell you, so I’ll let her. But just makes sure you’re there by six. I want to have her there around six thirty. I appreciate all your help.”

“No problem. That’s her beeping in. I’ll have it done.”

I press end and head inside where I hear Ember screaming into the phone with Blayr. I can’t wait to show her what I have in store.

Ember

After all the excitement of the day I laid down for a nap and finally feel rested. Hale just woke me up and told me to get dressed he is taking me somewhere. A surprise. I hate surprises and he knows this, but he looks so excited I immediately get up and throw a pair of jeans and a sweater on. He leads me to the car and doesn’t give not one hint as to where we’re going. We pull up to an abandoned field in the middle of nowhere.

“Hale, what’s going on?” I ask him.

He gets out and comes around to open my door, reaching in and helping me out. We walk a short ways through the field until I see a small bonfire glowing in the distance. As we get closer I see that in the large oak trees behind it there are tons of lights strung throughout. There is a small path of white rose petals leading toward the tree and it suddenly hits me. This is the tree Hale and I carved our initials in when we were kids. It’s been so long since I’ve been here and it being dark I didn’t even realize it. I hear Hale trailing behind me as we approach the tree. I run my fingers over the carving that is still visible on the huge looming tree. I turn back to look at Hale and see him drop to his knee in front of me. My hand flies to my mouth as he grins, pulling the blue ring box from his pocket and opening it, presenting the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life.

Hale

“Ember...” My voice shakes with emotion, nerves, overwhelming fucking love for this beautiful angel standing in front of me.

“I’ve lived my entire life looking for a place that I felt at home. Looking for somewhere that I felt safe, wanted, and loved. From the moment I laid eyes on you, you have been the center of my world. You have offered me unconditional love. You’re my best friend, Em. You make me laugh with all your bad jokes and clumsiness. Every morning when I wake up and feel you curled against me, I feel like I’ve got the world in my arms. There’s nothing else I could ask for. Our life has not gone at all as we once planned, not even close, but I wouldn’t change anything. Regardless of everything that we have been through, we have survived and we have come out stronger. Our love isn’t a love story, but our love is real. Our love is the type of love some people never get to experience. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life devoted unconditionally to you. I want to give you everything in life that you deserve and I promise to always put you first. I promise to always trust you, believe in you and support you. I want to be the best daddy I can be to our princess and the best husband I can be to you. There will never be anyone who loves you more than I do. It’s not possible, you’re a part of my soul. The other half that God has made just for me. Please marry me. Please tell me you’ll wake up every day in my arms. Give me forever Sweet girl.” As I finish, she drops to her knees in front of me sobbing, and pulls me to her. I almost drop the damn ring as she clings to me, blubbering. She presses kisses all over my face saying yes over and over again.

I pull us apart momentarily to slide the two carat tear drop shaped diamond onto her finger. I knew the second I saw it that it was for her. If she only knew how happy she makes me every day of my life. I plan to spend the rest of my days being the best person I can for her.

There are a lot of words that can be used to describe Ember and I’s love. Beautiful, heartbreaking, redeeming, and consuming. In life sometimes you only get one chance. You only get that one chance to get it right, but Ember and I were lucky enough to get a second. We were lucky enough to find each other again. Every day I thank the man above for bringing me back from hell. I thank Ember every day for redeeming me. I once thought my heart was black and cold, but that’s not true. There’s no way my heart could ever be cold and black with something as beautiful and pure as Ember inside it. They say that your soulmate can find you anywhere you are, no matter what part of the world you’re in, no matter how far apart. That they seek each other out as a part of life. That’s the type of love that Ember and I have. An all-consuming, once in a lifetime type of love. I know we aren’t perfect. We treat each day as if it’s the last we will spend together and don’t bother fighting and arguing over things that won’t really matter in the end. When you have the one thing that your soul seeks ripped away from you, you never take that for granted again. Some may not understand the love that we share, or even try to, but the important thing is, is that you understand that nothing in life is guaranteed. Just take the ugly, broken, bruised things, and make something beautiful from the wreckage.

THE END

Epilogue

Lennox Renery Jarreau was born on August seventeenth at seven pm after twenty four hours of long, hard labor that my sweet girl took like a champ. The second I heard her cry I knew my life was changed forever. Those first moments we spent together as a family is something I will never forget, not as long as I live. Gazing down into those pretty blue eyes that she got from her mama, she had me wrapped around her tiny finger. I knew in that moment there wasn’t a thing in the world I wouldn’t do for my girls. I’d cherished each day with them as if it was my last because I know just how quickly it can be ripped away. I’m still seeing the PTSD therapist once a week and I’m slowly learning to cope with the shit floating around in my brain. It’s still hard to know my brothers lost their lives and there wasn’t more that I could do. It still haunts me, but every day that I see Lennox smile and laugh, gives me even more to move forward for. Ember is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, she brings me to my fucking knees. When I walk into the nursery and see her fast asleep with our daughter curled into her chest, I lose my breath.

Today, I get this beautiful, breathtaking woman as my wife. Looking back I never thought I’d have the chance to stand where I am today. I still feel like she deserves more than me, but fuck if I won’t spend my entire life devoted to her and my daughter. There was a time in my life I didn’t even think of what tomorrow would bring, let alone a future. Ember brings peace to my life. She shows me every single day that I am worth fighting for. I didn’t ask for the shitty things to happen, but I can show everyone that I’m a fighter. I won’t give up. Our love is a testament. It’s full of sacrifice and redemption. Our love shows that no matter what; never let the fight leave you. Fight for love. Fight for happiness. Fight for the person that breathes the air into your wounded soul. Fight for them even when they don’t believe they have the fight left inside of themselves. Every love has a story, this one was ours.