"Michelle,"
Mitchie gasped, throwing her arms around Antonio's neck. "What are you doing here?"
"I felt lonely back home with you girls gone," Antonio replied, kissing her cheek. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine. And before you ask, so has Cait. Nate is really helping her."
Antonio grabbed her hands. "Is there really something wrong with her? She seems different. I am concerned for her."
Mitchie didn't want to spill her best friend's secret. They hadn't even told Mara or Jason and Shane yet. "I'm sure she's fine. She hasn't given me any cause for concern lately. Nate's been helping with that." She repeated the fact that Nate was helping her best friend because she honestly felt that Antonio's acceptance of her good friend was valid. Then he could see that his older brother wasn't a threat anymore either.
"And is this Nate good for her? Generally?"
She nodded, smiling brightly. "I see good things in their future. Cait's actually seeing marriage and kids; something she never saw with Nat Larkin."
"She has always loved the boy, huh?" Antonio sighed.
"Always. They're meant to be - childhood sweethearts."
"But-"
"He's changed. I'm sure Cait's told you that already?" She cut him off.
He sighed, nodding. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, girls. You mean everything to me."
"I know. And if they do, they should remember that Mazz is a black belt in almost every martial arts there is." Mitchie said half-jokingly.
Antonio let out a soft chuckle before grabbing the box from his bag. "I have to do this."
"Do what?"
She gasped as she saw him bend down on one knee and reveal a ring to her.
"Will you marry me? As crazy as it sounds, I can't stop thinking about you, about us." Antonio said. "I know we haven't dated but I can make up for it for the rest of our lives, Mitchie-Moo. You're my everything and I love you."
She loved him. She honestly did. But weren't she and Shane fixing things? But it did seem as if Shane was hell bent on not getting back together with her but he did say he loved her and will never stop loving her. She believed that she was the thing stopping him from ultimate happiness and recovery from his demons.
"I..."
"Take your time,"
Mitchie continued to think. She and Shane together were all she could think of after seeing him after all these years apart. The newfound knowledge that he was to make her his wife on that fateful day in Paris had her heart yearning for him but also despising him for not claiming her. But he broke her heart and acted rude to her. Then again, he changed his ways and blatantly professed his undying love for her.
Antonio on the other hand. She had known him ever since a couple of months after her break up with Shane and they had gotten along straight away. He was from her culture, he spoke Spanish. His family were close to hers, their grandparents being acquainted many years ago.
He was loving, caring and protective. He knew and cared for her best friends dearly too, after being the one to console them in their personal issues at times. He had helped beat up Mitchie's stalker and Caitlyn's too. He was there through their downtimes, especially when Mitchie was sectioned and sent to rehab. He waited for her to come out and when she did, he threw her a small intimate party and baked her a cake of a microphone. He told her to never lose herself and remember the music. To face it and not cower away.
"Yes."
Antonio's mouth grew into a smile as he placed the ring on her finger, got up and kissed her.
"I'll make you the happiest woman on Earth, carina."
Mitchie gave him a sheepish smile, kissing his cheek. "I know you will."
...
Dee waited patiently and when she spotted the big family SUV pull up in front of her, she let out a big grin. She had arrived back at camp after Brown had forced her to check up on his 'no good nephews' and she found herself not concerned at all as the boys were doing a great job at keeping the camp ship shape. Brown had also reminded that they had a new security detail in place. A man who had served time in the Navy SEALS and his four children, two of which were obsessed with music and were hoping to perform as a brother and sister duo, although one being adopted when he was a child and the other being biological along with the younger siblings.
Dee was excited because he knew that a certain girlfriend of one of her step-nephews would be very pleased.
"Dee Cesario?" The man asked, hopping out of the car to shake her hand as his children piled out.
Dee nodded. "That's me! You must be Steven?"
"Just Steve. And these are my troublemakers, Nahele, Mia, Charlotte and Charles." Steve grinned, ruffling his youngest son's hair, making the child glare at him.
"Perfect! How old are they?" Dee smiled. She had wanted children with Brown but their ages didn't allow them to. They had thought of fostering and adopting but they seemed contempt with what they had already: two children and four nephews with a beautiful niece.
Nahele smiled, shaking her hand. "I'm 16. Mia's 16 too and the twins are 13."
"You look like you're eighteen!" Dee gasped, surprised.
"Get that a lot." His thick Hawaiian accent rang through.
"And your accent is wow! Differs from your father's and aunt's thick Cali."
Nahele nodded. "I was born in Hawaii. We've lived there all our lives, my siblings and I."
"Do you go anywhere else?" Dee asked as Steve carried their bags with the help of the other three children. They walked to their cabins.
"Yes. Germany to visit our grandfather. Our late mother's father. And Ohio, Toledo, to visit our late mother's mother and her family."
Dee smiled sadly. "What about your father's parents? Don't you visit them?"
Nahele shook his head. "Our grandmother goes on cruises a lot but she comes at Christmas. Our grandfather... he died before we were born."
"Oh, sorry to hear that. At least you see your mother's side and keep in touch, hmm? Have you seen your aunt?"
Nahele nodded. "She came to visit two months ago. When I had my accident." He gestured to his legs which Dee found that were prosthetics. "I worked hard to be where I am today and she helped.
"Glad to hear and I'm sorry to hear about your accident."
Now she understood Caitlyn's behaviour. So much had happened to her family that she couldn't even find time to control and take it all in but at least they were okay.
"Hey, Dee?"
"Yes, Steve?"
Steven blushed. "Is Caitlyn around?"
Dee smiled brightly, gesturing to Caitlyn and her friends by the lake. "I'll show you to your cabins first then you can surprise her."
...
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Caitlyn gushed, looking at Mitchie's engagement ring.
Shane sat silently, heartbroken. He couldn't help but think that he was too late. Why didn't he claim her before it was too late? Forget that crap about being friends first. She literally skipped the gun to the marriage.
Peggy nudged Barron, eager to share their own news. "We're making things happen too."
"Good for you!" Mitchie grinned, hugging her tightly. "You really deserve all the happiness in the world."
"So do you, Mitch," Barron told her.
They all looked up to see Lola and Sander with bright smiles on their faces.
"You are going to make a beautiful, bride!" Lola told her.
Mitchie blushed. "What about you, Lola?"
Lola blushed herself, keeping quiet as Sander made his own congratulations line.
Jason, Nat and Mara soon joined the group, the former informing them that the kids were asleep with Dana and Lana.
"What's going on?" Mara asked, spotting Antonio. "Antonio! You silly jackass!" She laughed, hugging him. "Why on Earth are you here?"
Antonio gestured to Mitchie who held up her left hand, grinning.
"No! You kept that secret!" Mara gasped, hugging him again before tackling her best friend in a hug.
"Congratulations!" Jason chuckled, hugging Mitchie.
Nat only gave her a cheeky thumbs up and a wink, making the future bride blush even more.
"Oh, Caitlyn, I saw a group of people that you might want to see..." Mara said, sitting beside her boyfriend.
"Who?"
Mitchie and Mara shared a glance and a grin before turning back to face their friend.
"Turn around."
"Aunt Caitlyn!"
And Caitlyn gasped in surprise.