Outside the Lines

I shake my head. “Not to me.”

“You don’t let anything stop you from doing what you love, from being who you are. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. There’s so much to you, and it’s complex and complicated in the best way possible. And isn’t that what life is about? Coloring outside the lines. Pushing boundaries and testing limits. Not letting anything hold you back. That’s exactly what you are, what you’ve made me do. You are my outside the lines. And I love you.”

Tears prick the corners of my eyes. “I love you too.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you back,” he begins. “I listened to your message, and was going to, then Tuesday my dad fell.”

“Fell?”

“He forgets he needs helps walking and gets up out of his wheelchair. He fell and hit his head on the corner of his nightstand. He was rushed to the hospital, and had to stay at the hospital until Wednesday night. I was there until he got let out, and the cell service in the hospital is horrible. I should have taken a minute to call you, I know. But then too much time passed and I thought I blew my chance.”

“Your dad’s okay?”

“He will be. He’s bruised and sore, and has a few stitches. My mom was—well, still is—a mess though. The whole time I just wanted you there, even though I was pissed. Seeing my parents together, seeing my mom take care of my dad after all these years…it made me think. A lot. I know it’s not easy taking care of him. I know my mom’s life has been reduced to days and nights spend sitting in a chair in a nursing home next to a man who doesn’t always remember her name. She doesn’t have to do it, but she wants to.”

I look into Ben’s dark eyes, and he takes my hands. “That’s what I want,” he confesses. “Ultimately, that’s what life is about, right? Finding someone who will take care you of, who will still love you, no matter how bad it gets. And I know we haven’t been together that long, but I want that person to be you.”

He brushes my wet hair out of my face. “I went to your house Thursday evening because I was scared if I called, you wouldn’t answer. Because I didn’t answer, like an asshole, and I’m sorry. I convinced myself it was over, but when I woke up today, I knew I couldn’t let things end.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I don’t want them to end either.”

“I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know I don’t want to think about it if you’re not by my side.”

He holds me against him, and I listen to his heart beating. Lightning flashes above us and we stay tangled together on the bench.

The wind and rain intensify and Ben holds me closer, then leans over to kiss me, not stopping until we both need air.

“Can we pretend this didn’t happen?” I ask as I play with a button on Ben’s shirt.

“That’s fine with me,” he says with a smile. “And to be clear, do you want to officially be my girlfriend?”

I’m smiling back. “Of course.”

He brushes my hair back. “Good.” He kisses me once more. “So is your sister-in-law going to freak out that you’re dripping wet?”

“Nah, we already took the pictures. As far as I know, my job here is done.”

“That’s good to hear.” He slides his hand down and grabs my ass. “Because I want to dance with you.”

“That means I have to go back in looking like this.”

“No it doesn’t.” He takes a step back, putting one hand on my waist. “You can hear the music.”

“All I hear is rain.”

He twirls me around. “That is the music. Dance with me, Felicity?”

My wet hair sticks to my face as I turn my head up. “Of course.”

*

“I could get used to this view,” Ben says, lazily pushing off the large porch swing on the back deck of one of my parent’s cabins.

I sip my coffee, watching the sun come up over Lake Michigan. “It’s easy to get used to. And even easier to miss.”

We stayed at the wedding for a while after Ben showed up, then left so I could go home and change. It was cold being soaked with rain and in the air-conditioning. Plus, Ben and I had some passionate make-up sex to follow through with.

“Did you plan to come back here?”

I take another drink of coffee. After the sex, we stayed up talking, smoothing things out until we both felt better. What happened was the first fight, and we both agreed it wouldn’t be our last. I don’t want it to be our last. Because people fight, people get mad over stupid things, and people even say stupid things they don’t mean.

But they make up.

Because that’s what you do when you love someone.

“I don’t really know,” I confess. “I like Grand Rapids, and it’s not so far I can’t come back here. And I like to travel around. I guess when I imagine myself settling down to pop out a few babies, this town would be nice to call home. Maybe. I don’t know. It’s so far away.”

I rest my head against Ben’s muscular shoulder. The swing slows and Ben pushes his foot on the deck again, keeping us in motion.

“But then again, this is all I know as far as childhood,” I say. “If that makes sense.”

“It does,” he says. “And I moved around so much it’s hard imagining what it would be like to have stayed in one place.”

I nod, thinking how difficult that would have been for me. “We got a few years before either of us need to worry,” I say, then feel embarrassed. “And a few years before we decide if that worry is together or not,” I backpedal.

“Right,” he says. “Not worried yet.” We swing in silence, and I finish my coffee. I set the cup down and twist so I can wrap my arms around Ben. “Tired?” he asks.

“Yes. Want to go inside and lay down?”

“I do, but I don’t want to move.”

I softly laugh. “Same here.”

A few minutes later, we get up and move inside and in bed. Ben’s wearing boxers and nothing else, and I have on his T-shirt and undies. We snuggle close together, hearts beating in sync. I close my eyes, listening to his heart beating.

Everything is right in my world again.

I have what matters. Love. Someone who sees me for exactly who I am and accepts me fully. It hits me then, that this is what life is all about. Not letting anyone confine you, not limiting yourself to fit in. Being you, and being happy.

Living outside the lines.

EPILOGUE

Ben

A year later

Sunlight streams through the large windows in the kitchen, the ones that give a magnificent view of the water behind the house. There’s hardly a cloud in the sky, and the day is already hot. It’s going to be perfect for boating, perfect for going out to that little alcove, the spot that’s become ours. I take my eyes away from the water and pick up my fork, stomach grumbling with hunger but nerves making it hard to eat.

“If you don’t want the rest of your bacon, I’ll eat it,” Felicity says, eyeballing my plate.

I can’t help but smile at her, moving my gaze to her face. We’ve been staying in Cabin 18 again, oversleeping and arriving late for breakfast at her parents again, like usual. Her hair is in a messy braid, her cheeks are slightly sunburned, and her sundress shows off her large tits that are hardly covered in a red and blue bikini top.

She’s beautiful. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and today, I’m going to propose and make her mine for the rest of our lives.

If she says yes, that is.

I don’t know why she wouldn’t. We’ve talked about weddings and getting married and having kids. We’ve even walked through jewelry stores, looking at rings so I would know what she likes. I combined a few of her favorites and came up with the design myself.

I hope she likes it.

“When have I ever not finished bacon?” I ask, raising and eyebrow.

“Hey, there’s a first for everything,” she says and cuts into her pancakes. “Still tired?” she asks, lowering her voice. “I mean, I know I wore you out and all last night…”