Ghost didn't know how to effectively communicate what he was feeling. This wasn't like communicating on the battlefield.
“I don't want to lie to you. I'm not good at this”
“I'm not an easy person to be with. Especially from half a world away”
My phone dings and although I was waiting for his message it still makes me jump. I read over his words and I feel angry again.
“So, what? You disrupt the peace I had made”
“To simply say, oh sorry, not interested”
“You could have just left me the fuck alone”
Ghost could practically feel her anger and frustration through the phone. That isn't what he wanted to do but he couldn't seem to get his brain to cooperate.
Over the course of the next couple of hours Ghost does his best to explain the jumbled feelings bouncing around in his head. He breathes a sigh of relief when she agrees to another phone call in a couple of days so they can speak properly.
Ghost sat alone in his room, trying to get the courage to pick up the phone and call. He was scared that she wouldn't answer, or she wouldn't want to talk to him. But he knew that he had to try.
After a few deep breaths, he finally picked up the phone and dialed the number. To his surprise, it rang, and she answered.
After spending a while talking to Ghost on the phone I feel comfortable enough with where things are. I feel like I have a better understanding of how he thinks about things and that helps me approach him in a better way. We agree to meet in person in a few months when he has leave for the holidays.
I stand nervously in front of my mirror. I chose just to go with some nice jeans and a heavy sweater since it's the middle of December and cold.
My feet carry me towards the little coffee shop I picked out for the meeting as my mind wanders. Will he like me in person? Will I like him in person?
So last in thought am I that I don't see the giant wall of muscle standing in the middle of the sidewalk before crashing headlong right into him.
I reach up with my hands, “Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention,” I apologize to the man while my face flushes deep crimson.
Simon recognized her voice right away. He put his hands out to stop her from falling after she almost ran him right over. “Y/N?” he asked.
My eyes go wide when I hear his voice. “Simon?” I mutter softly before looking up into the face of the man I nearly bowled over.
The first few uneasy awkward moments turn into a couple hours spent chatting away in the Cafe like you've known each other your whole lives.
1 year later
_______________________________
My hands shake as Simon holds my hands in his and starts to speak.
"Let us pledge to honor and cherish one another through the darkest winters and the brightest summers, through our toughest battles and heaviest burdens, always and forever.
"As the snow falls and the wind howls, let our vows be strong as a fortress, as the cold and emptiness are replaced with warmth and comfort.
"Just as the moon rises and sets each day, may our love remain eternal, always coming back to each other, as the night leads to dawn.”
I take a few deep breaths in preparation to say my vows to him.
"In my heart, I will always remember the first moment I laid eyes on you. From that moment on, I knew I had found my soulmate, my true love, and the one who completes me. And now, standing here today, vowing to be each other's partner in life, I pledge to always treasure our love and to cherish each other in the years ahead. You are my partner, my friend, and the one who makes my life complete. Together, we will face life's challenges with strength and grace, and we will celebrate each day as a gift. My heart, my love, and my life are yours forever, and I vow to always be by your side.”
The dress fits snug over her swollen belly, but to Simon she's the most beautiful thing in the world. If someone would have told him 2 years ago he was going to meet and fall in love with a random stranger and start a family with her he would have laughed in their face.
Standing here now though, he thinks maybe, just maybe, he truly does deserve to be happy.
