Chapter 20
THE FINALE
The dance floor was slowly clearing out and Rosie was still holding onto me. Harvey and Lola met us in the center.
"Hey after this, my mom said we could go out and eat...get some real food, then go to the arcade place."
Rosie and I didn't answer we only smiled.
"Why the big grins?"
Rosie then showed Harvey the ring I gave her. Lola gasped and grabbed her hand to look at it closer.
"Did you wear that here as part of your costume?" Harvey asked.
"No you idiot! Look at it! It's real and their engaged!" Lola cried out.
"What?!" Harvey shouted over her and took Rosie's hand.
"Aw Rosie baby! Baby! You're gonna marry my best friend in the whole world!" Harvey exclaimed and hugged her. He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed excitedly. Lola hugged me.
"Congratulations!" Lola said as she hugged me gleefully.
"We got to tell the others!" Harvey pulled us over to my sisters, Stan, Colton, and Garrett.
"Go ahead Bry, go ahead." Harvey insisted.
"Everybody..."
I paused and glanced at Rosie. I then picked her up bridal style.
"This girl wants to marry me." I told them. She showed them the ring and they all shouted and screamed at once. Although it was like Rosie and I couldn't hear them. All we had in that moment was each other. I kissed her, and she kissed me. She was the future Mrs. Bryan LeMay. Rosie LeMay. I loved the sound of that. Sharing my last name with her meant everything.
"Awww another sister!" Anna cried and hugged Rosie as I put her down.
"My turn!" Mira brushed past Anna to embrace her.
"Now me, careful lady with a baby coming through." Isa hugged Rosie around the neck.
"Of course I'll be looking out for you, just like I do Harvey and Bryan, Rosie." Stan told her.
"Thank you."
Stan pulled her to his side and hugged her that way. I then took out my phone and called my mom.
"Mom...I'm okay, but I have some big news...great news! Rosie and I are finally engaged!"
Mom screamed so loud into the phone I had to lower it from my ear. I then heard her talking to Dad.
"Charlie! Charlie! Bryan proposed to Rosie!"
"I know I was there when he bought the ring."
"And you didn't tell me?!"
"We wanted to suprise you...Suprise!"
I heard Mom laugh and some static. We were getting cut off in the middle of the excitement.
"I'm so happy for you son." I heard her voice say.
"Thanks mom."
"We love you little man." This time it was my Dad. I teared up. Dad hadn't called me that since I was a kid.
"I love you guys too..." I mumbled.
"Have fun tonight, and if you go out and eat or stay with Rosie, or come on home that's fine, just call us when you decide what you're doing, and be safe." Mom instructed.
"We will Mom, I think we are going to eat...I don't know about after but I'll call and let you know."
"Okay love you."
"Love you too. Bye-bye."
After I put my phone away we decided as a group to eat out at Ski Jays Restaurant and Bar. The same place Whitley works. Before that though everyone brought a change of clothes with them in our cars. We changed in the gym locker rooms, got rid of our fancy clothes and masks and headed out. We had to carpool because only me, Harvey, Stan, Lola, and Rosie could drive; and we only had three vehicles. Of course Rosie, Anna, and Garrett rode with me. Isa rode with Stan, and Mira and Colton rode with Lola and Harvey.
The place was a Southern-style American eatery supplying steaks, burgers & sandwiches in a rustic setting. They had a bar and a stage. The tables were plain, with red metal chairs around each one. It was an open floor plan with wood pillars and a high pitch black ceiling. The walls were brick and modern. Over the bar was tons of neon signs. A few wall mounted TV's here and there, and live music from the stage.
I looked over and saw a woman with brown hair and blue eyes just like Avery's. Her hair was in a short curly bob with bangs. She had a crown of flowers on her head, and an orange dress. She was barefoot, with her sandles near her stool where she sat. She was playing the ukulele, and singing. It was Whitley. I made my way over to her with the rest of my friends and family. We waited until she finished. A few people clapped, a few were too busy talking or eating to pay attention.
"Whitley?"
"Yes?" her voice was a soothing southern alto.
"I'm Bryan LeMay, Jesse's nephew."
"Oh hi!"
"These are his nieces and my sisters, Annabelle, Mirabelle, and Isabelle."
"Hi!"
"Hey Whitley."
"Avery is so cute!"
"And their boyfriends Colton and Garrett."
"Hey."
"Hi mam."
This is Stan, he's Isa's boyfriend and also the father of her baby."
"Hi miss Whitley."
"And this is Lola, she's this man's girl."
"Charmed."
"And that man is my best friend in the whole wide world Harvey."
"It's nice to finally meet you Whit."
"And this is my fiance Rosie."
"Whitley, you are such a kind woman, and Avery is doing so well with Jess and Pat."
"And Whitley, I guess we're all family now." I concluded.
"Well hello! I'm so glad to hear Avery is doing so good. That's rad. I'm gonna go see her Sunday. And I'm so honored to meet every single one of you, truly. Why don't you have a seat in front of me, I'll join you after my set."
"Okay."
"I'll tell Hank to give you a discount."
"Thanks Whitley."
"No worries."
We ate our meal, and just listened to Whitley play, when she finished and someone else took the stage she did just as she said, and joined us at our table. We got to learn more about her. She loves theatre, and cooking. Her favorite color was yellow. She likes vintage things and was very old school for her young age. She enjoyed farming, fishing, and horseback riding as a girl. She also loves animals to pieces. She told us that her boyfriend left her when she was pregnant with Avery for another woman. Avery has no memory of her biological father, and Whitley hopes to keep it that way. He was a horrible man according to Whitley. She has no idea where he is now, but she's fine with that.
"Why'd you pick two gay men?" Lola asked and sipped her soda.
"Why not? When I first met Jesse and Patrick a few months back Avery had just turned two. I had the adoption agency set up a date for the men to watch Avery. Meanwhile I'd watch them from afar. Avery for the first time, didn't cry when she saw them. She didn't lash out. She willing went right to Jesse. Seeing them all together, I could tell how happy they were. It just felt right. I couldn't tear them apart."
"You've made my Uncle Jesse really happy Whit." I spoke out.
"They've made me really happy too Bryan, and I love your family...very much."
She reached over and hugged me. She smelled of oranges and sweet honey. Her hair was soft, and she was very gentle.
"We love you too Whitley."
Later in the evening after the arcade, I took my sisters all home, as well as their boyfriends. When everyone was home safe I took Rosie home. I told my parents I'd probably end up staying with her. I slowly parked the car in front of her house.
"Rosie..."
"Bry..."
"Let's get married right now."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah...I mean no ceremony, no big celebration, just you and me, and court documentation, right here...right now."
"Bry...we just got engaged and-"
"Do you love me?"
"Of course I do...but don't you think we're rushing it?"
"Two years together, saved three worlds, what's to rush...you love me, I love you...let's do it!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah!"
"Okay!"
We then kissed in my car.
"First thing in the morning?!" She said breathlessly.
"Yeah!" I said back and kissed her again.
I pulled away and looked at her.
"I...I guess we should call it a nigh first though..."
"Mmhm...unless-"
"Unless?"
"I just don't want this night to end."
She looked at her ring.
"It won't. Just think Rosie...we have the rest of our lives with each other now. I'll you have to do is wake up in the morning, and I'll always be there."
She blushed and smiled brightly. She gently grabbed my hand and placed it on the gear shift. As she made out with me, she moved my hand up and down the gear shift. It turned me on as it reminded me of my own groin. I moaned into our kiss. She put her forehead on mine.
"Make you think of anything?"
My breathing grew heavy as she continued to move my hand up and down. I gently pulled away and grabbed my crotch.
"Not here okay. Not in the car."
"Bry...At least let me finish what I started."
"I'll take care of it."
"Bryan, today, and for the rest of our lives, anyone who sees... the strangers...will become un-strange...as they share a windshield view into our world. My love for you isn't a secret. It never has been, and it never will be.
"I've spent the last few years looking over my shoulder. We've been through things no one will ever know, and I hope they never do. We've been through things no one ever has, and I hope they never do. If...the entire world wants to look into the love life of Bryan Jay LeMay... then can go ahead because I have nothing to hide."
I leaned toward her and kissed her, then we both leaned back toward the back seats of the car. Rosie took off her jacket. I continued to kiss her as I took off my own jacket. She kissed my neck and I let out a grunt.
"Ow!"
"What?"
"My foot." I replied.
My foot was caught between the driver's seat and the steering wheel. I pulled my foot up and got in the back seat. Rosie began to crawl on top of me. She grunted loudly.
"Ow! Ow!"
"What!"
"Cupholder." She stammered as she sat in my lap pressing her mouth to mine.
"Ah-ow! Rosie!"
"What is it?!" She screamed.
"My insulin pump, watch my pump."
"Sorry..."
We resumed kissing, she only pulled down her panties and unbuckled my belt and my pants. We made love this way. I held her and eased myself up and down as she sat in my lap facing me.
"You're so... gentle with me..." She breathed.
"Always..." I breathed back.
When the moment was over, she just put her panties back on and pulled my boxers back up. She sat in my lap with her head on my chest.
"Time's gone by so fast..." She began.
"It doesn't matter how fast time has gone by Rosie... it matters who you spend that time with. I'll love you until the day I die."
"Don't say that."
"What?"
"I... don't want you to die..."
"We will one day...but hey, when we do...it doesn't matter who goes first...I know where you are if I have to look, I know where my heart is, by seeing where my mind goes when it wanders. I'll always wander toward you."
She smiled and kissed my cheek.
The car from outside was foggy in the back-glass window. We fell asleep. When we woke up it was early Saturday morning. The sun was barely out, but the birds were chirping, and the dew on the grass was fresh.
"Bry?" She was awake but had her eyes closed.
"Hm?"
"Last night...when you were talking about dying...what does your Heaven look like?"
I sighed heavily and put my arms around her. I kissed the top of her head.
"It looks like this, babygirl...it looks like this...and this is they way its gonna be from now on."
