It wasn't how she'd imagined it at all.
Although she'd been a tomboy of sorts all her life, with limited female role models or any form of maternal love, Andy McNally had spent a good chunk of her childhood fantasizing about her wedding. Her prince charming would sweep her off her feet like in the Disney movies her dad had gotten her when she was younger. All her life, she'd let her mind get carried away once in a while, picturing that she'd find the perfect guy, have the perfect wedding, a perfect family and a perfect life.
And now that the moment was here, it was far from anything she'd ever pictured. No white dress, no tux, no flowers, even. Just a ring. A promise of forever, and Sam Swarek down on one knee in front of a courthouse.
She swallowed back the tears, inhaled. Ran her hands down the black dress she was wearing.
"Marry me, Andy. Today. Marry me today." he asked, laconic as always. He was letting his eyes do all the talking, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle anything else anyway.
"Sam" she whispered, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She wanted this, hell she'd wanted it for longer than she'd ever admit but the timing-
"I know" Sam replied, swallowing. "I know the timing isn't ideal. We just came from your ex-boyfriend's funeral. And I know how much he meant to you, Andy."
Andy opened her mouth to speak, but Sam interrupted. "Sssh. I know. I know you didn't love him the same way. But he was your friend, and he loved you. And I know you feel bad for the way you left things. But he would want you to be happy. He was upset, but it was only because he cared. Because he knew he lost something great when he lost you. I would feel the same way. I DID feel the same way when I let you go. But now...I'm never letting you go again. And I want YOU to know that I'm in. Forever. "
"You can't promise you'll never leave" Andy whispered, sniffling.
"Not willingly, no. If I can help it, if there's any ounce of life left in me, I won't. I'll stay, and I'll fight. Every gunshot, every bullet. Anything. I'm here to stay. For real this time. Because you and me-this is it. This is all I want" Sam replied, emphatic. He raised himself up, pulled her in close. "And after what happened with Ford-and now Collins-I've learned life is too short. And if I die-I want to do this before that happens. I'm done waiting. I know what I want. And it's you. Kids or no kids. Sundays at the park...or Saturday, if you'd prefer. A life. A home. A family. With you."
Andy looked back at him, wiping her tears. The sincerity in his eyes was enough to send a few more tears spilling down hers. She'd been loved by mant men in her life. And this wasn't the first time she was proposed to. But as she'd told Sam, when she thought she was going to lose him to a bullet wound in an ambulance almost a year ago, she meant it with every word-she'd never felt the way she felt about him, with anyone else. She'd never feel so loved or known with anyone else. And here he was-Sam Swarek-her past, present and future. Asking her for forever.
The answer was simple.
She placed her hands on his chest, smiling through her tears as she leaned her forehead against his, nudging his nose with hers. "Let's get married."
And that's how Andy found herself standing in front of the courthouse a few hours later, with Oliver Shaw and Traci Nash as witnesses- a ring on her finger and the confirmation papers in her hand. She was now Andrea McNally-Swarek.
After all the avoiding, the hookups, breakups and makeups-they'd finally made it.
It was a bittersweet day. Burying a man that had loved her but whom she could never love back, who'd left her for UC when she'd needed him, and marrying the one she'd wanted all along. Because even if she didn't want to admit it sometimes, Sam Swarek was the one for her. HE was the one she'd always needed.
She'd been waiting for this her whole life, and now that it was here-she knew she was exactly where she needed it to be.
This was her perfect. Their perfect. Sam was there when it mattered, again. When it felt like the universe was plotting against her, he was her rock. Knowing exactly how to reassure her that he was there to stay. In sickness and in health. Til death do them apart. Forever.