Chapter Eight: Stars
"Where are we going, baby?"
"I can't ruin the surprise, but you'll love it, San." I can't help but smile at the excitement in her voice, and even though she knows I won't tell her, she's content not knowing.
"I love anything that has to do with you," she whispers quietly, pulling herself closer to me as we make our way through the crowded city.
"You sure know how to sweet talk a lady, don't you, baby?" Her words send butterflies to my stomach, and she doesn't waste a second pointing out my blush.
"That blush could be seen a mile away, B," she giggles out. Oh, how I love that laugh.
"Yeah, yeah. It's not every day that a gorgeous woman makes me blush. Oh, wait, you do," I whisper the last part into her ear, caressing the hand I'm holding. She smiles shyly, pressing her face into my jacket covered arm.
"I'm good, huh?" Now she's cocky and cocky Santana is brilliant. I still can't catch my breath around her.
"You have no idea. Okay, we're almost there, baby." The entrance to the fair is crowded, and she tightens her grip on my hand as she hears the hustle.
I see her dimples appear as she smiles in recognition, "are we at the fair?"
"How do you do that?"
"Remember? I'm good." The amount of cockiness and excitement in her voice should be illegal.
"What's up first, baby?"
"Really unhealthy fair food?"
"That sounds delicious. Let me guess: a cheeseburger, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, french fries, but not just any french fries, extra crunchy."
"You remember my favorite fast food order?" She asks incredulously.
"I've loved you for almost five years, of course."
"You're smile is beautiful."
"You can tell when I'm smiling?"
"I hear it in your voice," she smirks as she takes her bag of food into her free hand.
"Let's find a spot and eat, goofy."
The lines and crowds are intense, and even though I can tell she's nervous, she still owns her walk. It's the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I slip my hand into my pocket, and my fingers find the little black box I've been saving since I fell in love with it at the jeweler. I take my hand out to grab my food, but I'm broken out of my thoughts by Santana's incessant apologizing, and my brow furrows.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" There's a broken soda cup on the ground and the girl standing in front of Santana is covered in coke. "I'm so sorry!"
"Yeah, well, you should be, freak." My fists clench and it takes all willpower not to resort to my old violent days.
"Hey! Don't speak to her that way. She apologized, so just walk away."
"Is it fun playing guardian angel to a cripple?"
"B, don't. It's not worth it. Can we please eat," I hear San whisper as she grabs my arm to pull me back.
"You're worth everything."
"Relax, Britt-Britt." She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head against my chest bone.
"Okay, the sooner we eat the sooner we get to go on rides."
"There's the smile I love so much."
She tried to hide her insecurities during dinner, but I could tell she was thinking about that girl's insults. It breaks my heart to know that she still feels that way about herself.
"How about cotton candy and a ride on the Ferris wheel? I wanna see those beautiful dimples." She ducks her head shyly and we start walking to the cotton candy booth.
"Which color would you pretty ladies like tonight?"
There's an old man working the booth, and he smiles in recognition as he looks at our intertwined hands. His voice is deep and elderly, but I can tell he's ahead of his discriminatory generation. People can surprise you.
San turns toward me in confusion when he asks which color she'd like. Sometimes, she asks me questions about vision, things that she doesn't quite grasp. She knows what colors are, but it's hard for her to understand that certain things have specific colors. So, really late at night, when we're curled up in our comforter, I'll explain my eye sight. I'll tell her that I use my eyes the way she uses her hearing. She loves these talks, because they make her feel loved.
"Purple, please," the old man smiles as I take the cone and pay, "here you go, baby."
She hums as she tears the first piece from the top. I smile as I see the sugar coat her lips. I can't wait to kiss it off.
The sun is going down, and the stars are coming out. There's a slight breeze swaying her hair, and a piece of it sticks to my nose as I help her board the Ferris wheel. My heart speeds up as I realize how soon my life with San is about to change. Once we're seated comfortably, I brush my thumb against her jaw and gently direct her face toward mine. My kiss takes her off guard, but it doesn't take her long to kiss me back. My palms get sweaty the closer our seat gets to the top. When the Ferris wheel halts, she jumps and moves closer to my side.
"What's going on, B. Why did we stop?" I glance to the bottom, and the engineer gives me a thumbs up. It's now or never.
"I never knew I was capable of loving someone as much as I love you. I love everything about you. I love the way you walk, and the way your fingers trace your surroundings. I love the way your ears perk up to certain noises, and how you know exactly where they're coming from. You sing in the shower when you think I'm not listening. I walked in on you organizing the pencil drawer next to the fridge the other morning, and I pretended not to hear you curse about things not being in the proper place. You sway your hips when you fold my laundry, and you sneak in sniffs because you love the way it smells. The amount of words you can type in a minute turns me on to no end," I stop my speech when I hear her sniffle and laugh, "I could go on and on, but there aren't enough words to explain my love for you. I get to wake up to the love of my life, and if you'll put up with me forever, I'd really like to be able to wake up to you as my wife," her tears are overflowing, and locks of hair are moving with each nod of her head. "Will you marry me, San?"
"Y-yes," she barely chokes out as her hands find my face. I break down as I take out the box and guide it into her left hand. We open it together, and I glide it onto her ring finger. She lets out a happy sob as she feels me lift her hand to my lips. The Ferris wheel starts as her left hand cradles the back of my head. Her lips find my cheek, and our faces are close enough so that our tears mix.
In this moment, I thank the stars for cotton candy and Ferris wheels and San; I can already picture the rest of our lives.