I stirred awake as Elara's hand nudged my shoulder gently, the kind of touch that didn't demand anything but still pulled me from sleep.
Blinking against the sunlight streaming in, I expected to see an airport or maybe a coastline—but nope. All I saw were endless fields, stretching out in every direction. We were in the middle of nowhere, it seemed.
"Where the fuck are we..." I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My watch read eight a.m. Two hours of driving, and now we were somewhere that felt almost alien.
"Mayville," Elara murmured, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Of course—that was one of the quiet little places I'd scouted out before. Peaceful, lots of wildlife, perfect for disappearing from the chaos of the city.
"Man... I wish I could live here," I said, staring at a house flanked by a massive field of flowers in bloom. It looked like it belonged in a painting.
Glancing in the rearview, I spotted Bella's Charger trailing behind us, its dark body glinting in the morning sun. The engine growled low and powerful—hellcat, no wonder.
I yawned, reaching for a snack within arm's reach—a Slim Jim Elara had thoughtfully grabbed for me along with the rest of our road-trip stash.
"Can I get a bite of that?" she asked, leaning over.
I flicked the meat stick toward her, and she caught it effortlessly, savoring the smoky taste with a small hum of approval.
"Pretty good," she said, and I nodded, my attention drifting back to the passing houses and fields. I wondered where exactly we were headed—Elara had woken me for a reason, and if I had to guess, it meant we were close.
"Woah! Look at that huge house, Elara!" I exclaimed, pointing to the left side of the freeway. A sprawling mansion with towering white pillars and a warm brown roof rose majestically from the surrounding land.
The acreage stretched endlessly around it, dotted with trees and open fields—it was breathtaking.
"Wow..." Elara murmured, smoothly turning on the blinker and gliding toward the entrance. I furrowed my brows. Wait... what?
A gate blocked the driveway, but Elara, like she owned the place, punched in a code I didn't even know existed. The gates slid open silently, and we drove in, Bella trailing behind in her Charger.
"What's going on?" I asked, staring in awe at the expansive landscape and the mansion that grew bigger the closer we got. Even in the distance, a red barn peeked out from the greenery, adding a rustic charm.
Then it hit me—this wasn't just a stop on the way. This was our little taste of a life we could have someday. A vacation, yes, but also a glimpse of everything we might build together.
"Woah... this place is insane," I muttered, my voice barely catching the enormity of it all.
We pulled into the side garage, the long driveway curving into a grand roundabout with a fountain at its center, water sparkling in the morning sun like a jewel. The garage itself was massive—easily big enough for ten cars, maybe more.
Bella parked beside us, her Charger growling softly as she cut the engine. I stepped out of the Bentley, stretching my arms over my head, feeling my bones crack after the long drive. Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever been on a road trip this long, and the payoff—this view, this house—made every second worth it.
Elara and I walked up to the grand entrance of the house. The porch stretched far to either side, wide and inviting, and the long facade of the mansion loomed above us, its white pillars giving it an air reminiscent of the White House.
The morning sun caught the edges of the architecture, highlighting every curve and shadow, making the whole place gleam.
"It's a beauty, isn't it?" Bella murmured, stepping up beside us. I could feel her excitement radiating, her eyes scanning every detail of the house.
"I wish I could live here," I said, unable to take my eyes off the sprawling property.
Then, almost simultaneously, Bella and Elara stepped forward and sank to one knee in perfect unison.
My heart jumped into my throat as they pulled out two small, elegant boxes from behind them. Slowly, they opened them, revealing the glimmer of pink diamond rings nestled inside.
"Will you marry us?" they asked together, their voices ringing perfectly in harmony. My breath caught, my chest tightening with emotion.
Everything—the drive, the house, the life we were building—culminated in this single, breathtaking moment.
Time seemed to stop. The wind rustled through the trees, the fountain in the driveway sparkled in the distance, and all I could see were the two people I loved more than anything in the world, looking at me with unwavering devotion.
I could barely find my voice, my mind spinning with joy, disbelief, and an overwhelming certainty that this—this was it.
I couldn't stop the tears as they poured down my face, hot and unrelenting, tears of pure, unfiltered happiness. "Yes... yes, of fucking course yes!" I choked out, my voice breaking as I ran to them, wrapping my arms around both Bella and Elara at the same time.
My face buried into their shoulders as I sobbed, the weight of everything—the love, the future, the life we were building—crashing over me all at once.
Elara sniffled into my shoulder, Bella's chest heaving with quiet sobs as well. I held them both tighter, breathing in their warmth, their scent, feeling their hearts pounding against mine.
I was getting married. I was marrying them. The thought alone was enough to make my knees weak, but the reality—right here, right now—was almost too much.
After a few moments, I pulled back slightly, still clinging to them, and they slid the rings onto my fingers. Elara placed the delicate pink diamond onto my right hand, her fingers lingering a little longer than necessary, and Bella slid the matching ring onto my left, their eyes locking with mine, both shining with tears and love.
I couldn't speak, couldn't form words that could match what I was feeling. I just held them again, tighter this time, and whispered through my tears, "I love you both... I love you, Elara... I love you, Bella..."
Elara pressed her lips to mine, a trembling, passionate kiss that seemed to pour every ounce of her love into me. "I love you too, Noah..." she whispered, her voice shaking.
Then Bella lifted my face toward hers, her eyes glistening, and kissed me just as fiercely, whispering, "I love you too, Noah... my baby..."
I melted into them, overwhelmed, completely lost in the love surrounding me, my heart so full I thought it might burst. And in that moment, as the morning sun lit up the sprawling mansion before us, I knew—this was home. This was everything I had ever wanted.
"Young love is so beautiful..." Liz murmured softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. I let out a shaky chuckle, still sniffling as I fanned my eyes, trying to stop the tears from spilling over again.
The weight of everything—the proposal, the rings, the life ahead—still pressed against my chest, but it was a good kind of weight.
Liz held Lucy tightly, the little tabby mewing softly, her green eyes flicking curiously between us as if she could feel the love radiating from the three of us.
I smiled through my tears and reached out. "Come here... you two," I said gently, and Liz stepped closer.
We pulled her into the hug, all of us wrapped around each other, hearts pounding in unison. Lucy nuzzled against my shoulder, meowing again, as if celebrating the moment with us.
The sun caught the rings on my fingers, sending tiny sparks of light across the porch, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause—just us, our love, and the quiet joy of being together.
It wasn't just a hug—it was a promise, a memory, a snapshot of happiness that would last forever.
"I guess this would be an appropriate time to say... this land and property is ours," Elara announced, her voice brimming with pride and mischief.
I froze for a moment, my brain trying to process what she just said. Then it hit me all at once. "NO FUCKING WAY!" I screamed, leaping into the air, tears instantly brimming in my eyes once more.
I couldn't contain it—I spun in circles, throwing my arms out like I could hug the entire world.
"I LOVE YOU! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!" I yelled, my voice cracking as the reality of it sank in. The house, the fields, the barn in the distance—it was all ours, all of it. Forever.
And our future kids... oh, the life we were going to build here. My chest felt so full I thought I might burst from joy.
It finally clicked—the U-Haul truck, the early morning chaos, their mysterious whispers—I felt a little stupid for not putting it together sooner, but the relief and excitement washed over me like a tidal wave.
"Wow... this is really ours," I muttered, my eyes sweeping over the sprawling fields, the fountain in the roundabout, the long, stately house with its pillars.
The sunlight glinted off the windows, and I could practically see our future etched into every corner.
"Come on, let's go inside—I want to give you the full tour!" Elara said, sliding her hand into mine, her ring warm against my skin. I glanced at Bella, who gripped my other hand, her ring sparkling in the morning sun.
"I love you guys so much," I whispered again, my voice shaky, overwhelmed by the perfect weight of it all.