𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓ᵃʳⁱᵃⁿᵃ ᵍʳᵃⁿᵈᵉ

eighteen

6 months later

"okay, just stay by my side tonight, alright? just because i'm really nervous, especially around kids and i don't want to screw this up." y/n sighed. she had one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh.

   i couldn't take my eyes off of her. we were on our way to a charity event for struggling schools y/n had started going to these past few years, and she decided to invite me as her plus one. it was a more formal event so we were both all dolled up—and damn my girlfriend was hot.

   as of a few months ago, i was finally able to actually call y/n my girlfriend again. she asked me while she was literally half asleep on the couch. i had to ask her multiple times what she was even asking me before i could say yes.

   i nodded, grabbing her hand that was resting on my thigh and lacing our fingers together. "yes ma'am." i replied, twisting around the rings
on her fingers. i looked at my own hands and examined the ring on my right hand, a small smile spreading across my face.

   i dropped her hand and pulled the ring off my hand, sliding it onto my left ring finger. i held it up to her as she glanced at me, wiggling my fingers. "now no one will mess with me."

   y/n hummed, looking back at the road. "now we just need the real thing."

   i rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand again, silently listening to the radio for the rest of the drive.

   y/n sighed as she pulled up the the valet, shutting off the car. she glanced over at me with a small smile before she exited the car, handing the keys to the valet worker. she turned around and popped open the door, holding out her hand for me.

   i happily took it and she helped me out of the car as valet took the car and parked it. i looped my arm around y/n's as we walked up the long stone stairs to the entrance of the building. i looked up at the banner that hung above the door, smiling at the painted letters that were so clearly done by the children.

   i pointed it out to y/n which made her smile a little, a familiar twinkle in her eyes. y/n had been having serious baby fever for about a month. now i had always had baby fever, but y/n's was a thousand times stronger than mine.

she gripped my hand tightly as we walked into the venue. my eyes danced across the room, my heart filling with warmth at the sight of the preschool and elementary aged kids running around the room in cute dresses and dress shirts.

the were a lot of adults roaming around, some with drinks in their hands and other with drawings that were probably given to them by one of the kids.

   y/n sighed deeply as she led us to the table next to the door. she sent the woman at the table a kind smile as picked up her pen and signed in for the both of us. she pulled out her checkbook out of her pocket and ripped out the check she had made before we left her house, handing it to the woman.

   "you two have a good night," the woman smiled politely and waved to us as we walked away from the table.

   y/n's arm found its way around my waist as we entered another connected room where the bar was. she kissed my cheek before she ordered us both a glass of champagne, knowing that we should both take things very lightly tonight.

   we sat down at the bar as we sipped at our drinks. y/n looked at me with soft eyes as one of her hands held my own. "are you nervous?" i asked her quietly, rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb.

   y/n chuckled. "of course i'm nervous. a lot of these kids have been through really tough shit and are hard to get through to. we can't change their home lives in some of these situations but they at least deserve to go to a school where they can feel safe."