Epilogue

EPILOGUE

MARRY YOU, brUNO MARS

April

Livie

“The monster’s coming,” I growl, lifting my hands up, holding them like claws and chasing the kids into the lounge. This was a hard week for all of us as we lost one of our nurses. More often than not, it’s the children who either leave or sometimes unavoidably pass away. The latter is the saddest part of this career but we know that it will happen. Losing one of our nurses in a freak accident is not. I’ve tried my hardest to be present for the kids. Not only present, but happily present. Playing and reading to them every chance I get to try to alleviate some of the sad feelings floating around.

“Where are the children? I’m going to eat the children!” I call in a Scooby Doo villain’s voice, but when I turn the corner and into the lounge, all the children are sitting or standing in a line. They’re all looking at me with big smiles on their faces and holding pieces of paper.

“Mmm, what are you guys doing?” I question as I stand there confused. I look around and see some of the nurses, Cassie, Mateo and Hailey looking my way, all smiling too. “Okay, is someone going to explain to me what’s going on?”

All the children start saying nonsense sounds but together it sounds like a funny melody. Almost as if they’re trying to sing acapella for me. I clap on the beats of their voices, smiling at them because I will always be their greatest cheerleader. But this rhythm, this melody, is awfully familiar.

Zack, one of the boys, steps forward singing the first line of ‘Marry Me’ by Train. As he finishes it, he looks to the side and then Laurie, our resident grump, steps forward and sings the following line.

“What’s going on?” I ask as Lilly sings the next line, followed by her index finger going up to her mouth signaling me to be quiet. They keep going all the way to the end of the line. Riley, the last kiddo standing in the formation, turns his face to Zack at the same the song is about to go to the chorus. I would know, because this is one of my favorite songs in the world.

As the chorus starts, all the children, one by one, start flipping the papers.

“Will…” I whisper.

“You? Will you?” They start smiling bigger and Cassie’s now crying. What on earth?

“Mare? Will you mar—” Oh my God. As soon as I try to read the last bit of the message, the last kids flip their papers, completing the question Will you marry me? They move to the side of the room, continuing their singing. There, in the middle of the hospital lounge, wearing the emerald green suit I love, is Alex on one knee.

I let out a sob, covering my mouth as I walk to him. He’s flashing me his million-dollar smile, warming everyone in this cold room with it. He’s singing the rest of the song, with his completely out of pitch tone that I love so much. He holds my hand with his left as his right hand is holding the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. It’s a princess cut solitaire diamond in a delicate gold band. Classy and simple is all I want, I told him in passing the other day when we were talking about celebrity rings. The sneaky, sneaky boy was probably asking for this purpose because this is exactly what I pictured when I said that.

“Alex, what are you doing?” I ask in between sobs .

“Asking the most beautiful girl, my best friend, my best comfort, and my best goodnight to make me the happiest man in the world and spend the rest of her life with me,” he replies.

“And who’s that?” I laugh, trying to sound nonchalant and not break down into ugly tears in front of him.

“You, Liv. I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Alex, we’ve only been together for a few months. This is crazy,” I whisper, not dropping his hand.

“And? I don’t need one more day to know I don’t ever want to wake up without you by my side. I don’t need one more week to know I never want to kiss anyone else—I never want to see anyone else. I don’t need one more month to know that you’re the best friend a man could ever ask for. I want to spend the rest of my life sharing my secrets, my goals, my days with you. I don’t need one more year to know you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Liv. Do you? Do you need more time?”

“No, you sweet summer child, I don’t need more time,” I whisper, throwing myself around him and hugging him tight.”

“So, is that a yes? I need you to use words, Shortie.”

“Yes, Alex! A million times yes! In this life and the next, my little closeted hippie-dork,” I shout next to his ear and he chuckles. My favorite sound in the world.

Alex grabs my hand and slides the most perfect ring I’ve ever seen onto my ring finger. The whole room breaks into a joyous laughter. In this moment, I realize that this —my people, all together in a room, with the man I love looking at me like I’m the greatest invention since chocolate—is the greatest gift. The gift rarely given that I get to have for the rest of my life.