Melanie’s handwas in mine and Amelia’s in hers as I lead them both to the roof of The Ink Well. Today was Amelia’s birthday and the guys helped me set up a little surprise birthday for her. At least, it was a surprise up until a few hours ago when she refused to get out of her pajamas until I told her she had a party to go to and had to wear her best dress.
Now she was in a sparkly silver and pink dress, skipping up the steps beside her mom.
“I’m gonna eat cake and have ice cream!”
“You’re going to need to eat dinner, too, baby girl.”
“But it’s my birthday. I can have whatever I want.”
I would have killed to look back at Melanie at that point in time. Amelia had her attitude and I knew Melanie was doing everything in her power not to snap. We’d been learning over the past few months that Amelia’s tempter was getting more along the lines of Melanie’s.
Silent but deadly.
“How did you all get this put together so fast?” Melanie whispered to me.
To Amelia, it seemed like both me and her mom had made this birthday surprise happen but it was a surprise to Melanie, too. I’d wanted tonight to be perfect and that included a little surprise for Melanie as well. Max had made sure that none of the girls knew what was going on so that to make sure the surprise held tight.
“It’s an important birthday for Amelia. I wanted to make sure it was perfect.”
‘She’s turning six, Jack.” I looked back at Melanie when I got to the door at the top of the stairs. She had an eyebrow raised in question, still trying to figure out why Amelia’s birthday was so special. It might have just been another birthday for her but for me, it was the first and I was going to make it the most memorable birthday she’d ever had.
“It’s going to be the best sixth birthday anyone has ever had.” I pushed the door open, revealing to the girls just what we were able to get accomplished in a few short days.
The roof was lined with twinkling fairy lights that also dangled above our heads. It felt like you were walking into a wonderland and Amelia thought the exact same thing.
“It’s like a fairy tale!” She ran past her mom over to where a few of her friends were sitting at a table.
“Jack, this is amazing.” Melanie looked around to the decorations of lights, flowers, balloons, and even the giant cake sitting in the middle of the roof. I watched Melanie as she looked around the roof, waving to Alexa, Lilly, and Erica, then looking over to where the guys were huddled together. Then she came to a stop, seeing her parents at the end of the roof, talking to my parents.
“Suzanne?”
Melanie recognized the neighbor she had from California and then turned to me, confusion written all across her face. She wasn’t fully getting what was about to happen but that didn’t worry me because right now was the perfect timing that I had been waiting for.
We were ready.
I grabbed one of Melanie’s hands and bent down, resting on my right knee. The music on the roof top lowered and all eyes were on us. I looked up to Melanie who had a hand covering her mouth and eyes as wide as saucers.
She was getting it now.
“Melanie,” I started, “I know this might seem like it’s too soon but trust me. It’s not.” I squeezed the hand I had in mine and she squeezed back.
“I’ve known that I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, love. Even when I knew I shouldn’t have loved you, I did. Yet, I’m glad. I knew you when you were happy, then sad, then I made you happy again and that’s more than I could have ever asked for in life.” I placed a kiss on her hand, trying to collect my thoughts. I was starting to get nervous, thinking that my speech to her might be too long but I needed her to hear this. I needed her to know that everything I’ve ever said had been true and that I wanted to make this last forever. “To think, if I hadn’t walked into my mom’s office that day, we might not be here.”
“I never want to think about that,” Melanie spoke up, finally taking her hand away from her mouth, letting the tears coming from her eyes stream freely. She looked gorgeous, even with her makeup running.
“I know you don’t and neither do I.”
“Mommy.” Amelia came to Melanie’s side, taking her hand. Amelia held a hand out to me and I took it. Our hands made a circle around us. Our own little circle of love.
“Love, I’ve had this ring in my pocket since a week after you came back to Atlanta. I knew then as I do now, that it belongs to you.” I took my hands away from the girls, taking the small black velvet box out of my pocket and popping it open.
“I honestly should have gotten it six years ago, rather than six months ago, because I knew back then that you were it. No one ever stood a chance against you, love. Somehow, some way, fate let us be together. I know you and Amelia have been through a lot in your lives but I promise to be there for everything.”
“Everything?” Amelia ask, taking a step toward me. Melanie placed a hand on Amelia's shoulder as she stared down at the ring. It was rose gold with a white pearl in the middle on the band. It was simple but yet a statement, just like Melanie.
“Everything,” I turned toward Amelia now, answering her question. Melanie knew how I felt about her but tonight, I needed Amelia to know too. “Amelia, I need you to know how much you mean to me.”
“You mean everything to me, Jack.”
