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Chapter Nine

Ryan set down squealing Lilly deep on top of her covers and kissed her on her forehead. The Evans parents had long returned home, and the Neilson's home had been easily repaired from the gas oven fire.

"Surrender?"

"Never!" she giggled.

"Alright, you asked for it!" Ryan continued the tickle fight until both of them were once again breathless and fell back onto the bed.

"Tuck up, Captain," Ryan commanded lovingly, stroking his daughter's head. "It's bedtime for Bonzo"

"My name's Lilly, Daddy; not Bonzo!" Lilly insisted.

"Are you sure? I could have sworn it was Bonzo," Ryan said, putting on an air of deep confusion. "You look much more like a Bonzo"

"No, I look like a Lillian!" she yelled, beaming up at him. "You're so silly, Daddy!"

"I'm silly?" he gasped with mock horror. "What does that make you?"

"A cute goofball!" she giggled again, kissing him on the nose.

"You got me there." More giggles, and Lilly wiggled inside her sheets. After a bedtime song, Ryan became very serious.

"Lilly, I have a big question to ask you"

"Shoot away," she said, quoting Tabitha.

"What would you think…of having a mother?"

"You mean, leave you to go live with Mommy? No way!"

"No sweetie, I mean having a new mom. A mom to live with us here"

"You're getting married?" she gasped excitedly.

"It depends on what you think, Captain. If you don't want me to, I won't." Lilly crawled out of her covers and sat down in her father's lap, facing outwards. Ryan gladly welcomed her, wrapping his arms protectively around her. Lilly leaned back against his chest, and took on a look of deep concentration.

"I've always wanted a mommy of my own…but there's only one mommy I want living here"

"I see," Ryan sighed, nodding his head in understanding.

"So go and marry Ms. Kelsi!!" Ryan's head shot up in surprise, and he gaped at his precious baby girl.

"How did you know-"

"It's a girl thing, Daddy," Lilly responded in a very knowing voice, grinning toothily up at him. "I know you love her, and she would the bestest mommy"

"That she would," Ryan croaked, his voice cracking as tears slid down his face. "The bestest mommy a five-year-old could ask for. So you're okay with it?"

"Go get married!" Lilly crowed, arms flailing as she flew out of her father's arms. "Do I get to be the flower girl at the wedding?" And then she noticed him resting the bridge of his nose in the tips of his fingers, tears coursing down his cheeks. "Daddy, what's wrong? Why are you sad?"

"I'm not sad, Princess," he laughed gently, looking her in the eyes, smiling from ear to ear. "I just can't believe this is happening. We're so blessed, Lilly"

Lilly wrapped her arms around her father tightly and kissed him full on the mouth, smiling sweetly.

"Cheer up, Daddy. You got to go make love to Ms. Kelsi!"

He chuckled and gave her an Eskimo kiss (a rubbing of the noses). "That's right; time to go make love to Kelsi"

The next day, Ryan received a slightly bulky package in the mail. The return address showed that it was from his parents. He ripped it open, and out fell two things; a small case and a note. The note read,

Just a little something from your family to make your night more magical

Best wishes and much love,

The Evans

Opening the box, Ryan gasped aloud and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Mom and Dad," he whispered, clicking the case shut. "Thank you for everything"

Kelsi was greatly satisfied with the evening. She and Ryan had gone on a romantic night out, including a fancy restaurant and moonlit boat ride. They were now relaxing back at her deserted house; her parents were out for their wedding anniversary. She snuggled against Ryan's shoulders as they watched "Pride and Prejudice". Suddenly, he muted the volume and turned to her.

"What's the matter, Ry?" she asked gently, smiling at him.

Ryan took a deep breath. "Kelsi…I love you. I love you far more then silly words can express…if I knew the whole dictionary by heart I still wouldn't be able to describe the way I feel about you. We reunited only a few months ago, and I feel like I've known for forty years. The hours I've spent with you have been the best hours of my entire life. You treat everyone with respect and are one of the sweetest human being on this earth—most likely the sweetest. You are a downright amazing person is the best way I can manage to put it, Kelsi, and you have stolen my heart. I guess there really is only one word to describe this…love"

Kelsi's heat fluttered when Ryan slowly slid off the couch and knelt down on one knee…he was beginning to fiddle with something in his pocket, and the entire scene became blurry for Kelsi because she became to sob with happiness…

Haha, man how much I love doing romance scenes! A bit of this was taken from my own parent's proposal; only my dad didn't get down onto one knee, lol, that lamo. Sorry that this chapter was so short, but there was really no need to make it long. As Ryan says, "there really is only one word to describe this…love." And really, love can be put into only so many words. I feel that dramatic scenes such as this—such big moments in their lives—are best left untold, for I tried to type the emotion of how it is to be proposed to, it would sound insanely false. If I was in fact married and had buckets of children I probably still wouldn't be able to write it down. And by the way, I wrote all this at—no exaggeration—1:30 in the morning, so sorry if there are any major mistakes I worked on Runaway at 12:40, haha. But stick around; there are more chapters to come! Don't stop the reviews, please, even if the story is drawing to a close! (I myself am surprised that both Runaway and this story are so short! I don't know what my problem is, haha. At least this one had a good run. Eastside Story still has a long way to go though; don't worry