The Concept |r. blaney|

twenty-three: prince & princess

Cadence Alana LeRoy adjusted the flowy white dress she wore as Ryan listened intently to Julia's boyfriend's story. Ryan's hand was on her leg, chin in palm as his girlfriend of nearly two years watched the karaoke singers on the small stage sing. He wondered if she were recalling their first meeting here as well. He smiled sweetly at her as he adoringly soaked up every feature of her face. 

She reached up, pushing her chocolate waves over a shoulder as she craned her neck to look at where she and Julia had sat the night she met Ryan. She recalled how she'd gotten ready to leave her house for the first official time post-Gus' accident. She chewed on her bottom lip, eyes drifting to the empty bar stool she was once sure nobody would ever fill after Gus. 

She recalled all the sweet things her late fiance would say and do, and sighed softly as she lowered her gaze to her lap. Her smile twisted slowly as she remembered Ryan scurrying to stand before her in a tipsy daze.

The introduction was fuzzy in memory, but she recalled pushing her sad thoughts away and mustering the courage to take a "risk." As if dancing and having fun was a risk.

 Ryan leaned over to her, kissing her cheek with a sweet smile to match hers. "Come dance with me, Cadence."

"I can't really dance." She hummed gently, wondering if he too recalled their conversation.

"I gotta lead. I know, baby." He quickly kissed her lips before intertwining their hands. 

He had.

He lead them to the same spot they'd danced so long ago. What once had consisted of a lot of accidental toe-bumping and an excessive amount of laughter was now smooth, fluid motions as they moved together perfectly. 

She spun as he twirled her, her grin wide as he tugged her back in close. Meanwhile, her father entered the bar with her mother in tow, Chase and his girlfriend following close behind. Julia and her boyfriend anxiously moved to get a better angle as they lifted their video camera up onto the table. 

Ryan's sisters and their family shuffled out from the shadows of the bar, several of which holding their cellphones up to record.

The smitten couple were so enticed with each other to notice, however. And Ryan wasn't the slightest bit nervous as he leaned in, kissing her cheek numerous times as she giggled. 

"You dizzy yet?" Julia hollered, covering her mouth with a tissue in hand in preparation. Cadence rolled her eyes, preparing to tease her best friend. But before she could, Ryan stopped dancing with her and took half a step back. He licked his lips, light eyes reflecting the fairy lights in the bar like the moon glossing the ocean's surface on the calmest night imaginable.

"She's great. She's always been great." Ryan chewed on his bottom lip, his voice soft and hoarse. She parted her lips, brow furrowing slightly as she nearly asked what was happening. Her words got lost as she gazed into Ryan's eyes. Nothing else mattered in the world. "Cadence... my Lanalee." He smiled as her heart skipped a beat. She widened her eyes and covered her mouth as Ryan reached into his jacket pocket. "I bought this the day you gave me hope you'd let a guy like me love you. I tweeted about it and everything." 

He removed a small ring box from his jean pocket. It was covered in a deep purple velvet, matching the polish on her nails. Cadence's bright eyes cascaded with tears over her now rosy cheeks as she recalled stumbling across the tweet. Her laugh was soft and genuine as she attempted to conceal her emotions beneath her hands. "Here's a concept:" Ryan inhaled sharply, flipping the lid to showcase the ring to her. Her eyes never wavered from his as she watched his own eyes cloud up with tears. "Out of 8 billion people in the world, you were able to find a man who loved you and who you loved before you'd even really lived. Today, as we stand, we've lived and still are yet to live to the fullest. But out of eight billion people, I found you. It would make me..." Ryan chuckled, getting choked up as Cadence watched him lower himself down on one knee. "It would make me the happiest man in the world to love you everyday for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, Lanalee?"

Her tears and nods were enough of a yes to elicit an uproar of their family and friends as Ryan got to his full height and enveloped his fiance in his arms. They swayed for a moment as he embraced her, kissing her head and whispering how much he loved her.

Cadence had met the love of her lifetime and she'd lost him. Somehow, by some miracle, the universe knew she'd never properly heal without the help of a patient, loving, kind, determined, weird man to help guide her back to happiness. 

As the band slid onto her hand, she looked down at the radiating diamonds and bit down on her bottom lip as her opposite hand nonchalantly went to her chest, where Gus' ring was still looped through a chain. Her eyes drifted up to Ryan's, her smile trembling slightly as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

His hand were caressing the curve of her back while the opposite cupped her cheek and brushed tears off her cheeks. He began to laugh softly, almost hysterically as he squeezed his eyes shut. "I told ya I'd see you again."

Cadence snickered, accepting the sweet kiss on her forehead from her fiance before intertwining their hands. She faced the people watching them, biting down on her lip as she realized just how large her family had grown.

Erin squealed, breaking the silence from the family as she ran over. She hugged Cadence, screaming about having another sister while everyone else moved closer to them to proclaim their congratulations to the newly engaged couple.

THE END