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‘Thank, God, it’s Friday,’ Tim thinks. It’s been a long, hard, and exhausting week and he just wants to go home, rest, and cage Lucy in his arms for the whole next few days they have off.
They’ve been on opposite and alternating schedules the past week with no opportunities arising for them to see each other, not even to just bump into each other for a few minutes. They had barely seen each other and really only talked through messages, afraid to disrupt one’s shift or slumber with calls, so he’s reeling to go home and be with his girl, who decided to wait for him at his house, which he is very thankful for, because he has plans to rekindle their fire now that they will finally be able to be in each other’s presence.
With excitement, he continues to drive through the dimly illuminated streets, harking back on the week that just passed and realizes how immensely he has missed Lucy—her chatter, her laugh, her kisses, her touch, her mere presence around him—he aches in need for her to be close, not just physically close, but the idea of knowing ‘he gets to go home to her at the end of the day no matter what’ kind of close.
He loved seeing her things mix with his whenever she stays over: her dirty clothes in his hamper, her kindle and spare phone charger on the other bedside table, her toothbrush next to his on the sink… He reveled at the fact that their lives have been more intertwined than ever.
Many months ago, he thought he couldn’t have this again, that he lost the opportunity to be with the woman who greatly influences his happiness, who inspires him to be the best possible human he can be, the love of his life. He feels forever grateful that Lucy was kind and forgiving enough to take him back and try for another chance at forever, but for Tim, this wasn’t just another trial, this is it. He’s claiming this serendipitous fate and never letting go again. Never. Come hell or high water.
His heart clenched as he felt so much emotion in him, a great result of going into therapy for months now. He lets himself feel all the emotions going through him as he giddily whistles a happy tune and presses harder on the gas pedal as his need for Lucy grows.
He was ten minutes away from home when an idea popped into his brain. He glanced at the time, realizing he still had plenty to work through. He immediately took a detour and went to Target to grab groceries and all the paraphernalia he’ll need.
——————
He walks into Target texting Tamara:
If I tell you a top secret that will make Lucy happy, will you keep it?
Tamara: Depends. What is it?
Tim can’t help but roll his eyes. He second-guesses his decision reaching out to the teen, but he knows there’s no one else he’d trust to get this special task done.
Tim: I’m serious. I’m taking Lucy on an impromptu date tonight and I need someone to document it.
Tamara: By ‘taking Lucy on a date’ do you mean you are planning to ask THE question tonight???????
Tim: Yes.
Tamara: Finally 😒😮💨 I was ready to propose to Lucy since you’ve been taking your time, but I knew you had it in you! Send me the deets, I’ll be there🏃🏻♀️
Tim hits ‘send’ after typing all the details Tamara needed to know. He then grabbed a cart as he opened his thread with Lucy.
Tim: Hey, baby. I know we planned on staying in tonight, but I really want to take you to a place I know you’ll love. Dress warmly.
Lucy but all quickly replies: What are you planning Bradford? 🤨🤔
Tim laughs at his girlfriend’s curious nature and replies with winky emojis: Trust your boyfriend 😉😉😉
A minute later, Tim’s heart warms as he reads Lucy’s reply: Okay boyfriend 🤭 See you SOON (get here faster I miss you 🥺 but drive safely). I love you ♥️
Tim: See you in 30. I love you ♥️
——————
Tim went to the furniture aisle first and grabbed a little mattress, a blanket to go over it and a thicker one for when it gets colder into the night. He took 2 pillows and 4 cushions for their comfort. Next up, he went to the party supplies to grab a medium-sized picnic basket, cups, utensils, napkins, and plates.
When he passed through the decorative aisle, he thought it wouldn’t be bad if he included 4 fairy lights and a handful of candles into the mix, it would help set a romantic ambiance later.
Proudly smiling, he continued to get all he needed—chips, fruits, ingredients to make a charcuterie board, red and white wine, a cooler and a small bag of ice, and a big bouquet of sunflowers to give to Lucy.
When he got to the parking lot, he immediately laid the mattress down on the bed of his truck and set the blankets, tossing the pillows and cushions over. He placed the ice and wines inside the cooler and, deciding to continue the set up later when they arrived at their destination, he closed the truck bed’s cover to conceal the surprise.
——————
He hops down his truck and immediately opens his arms as he sees Lucy open the door and runs to him, Kojo behind her.
Once close, she jumps and tightens her arms around his neck, caging him for a very tight embrace, a big smile on their faces as Kojo jumps up and down, barking at them.
They both let out an exhale, Tim putting Lucy down back on her feet, but not letting go. They let their eyes flutter close as they bask in the comfort each other gives, “I missed you so much, baby.”
Lucy pulls her body closer to Tim and kisses his neck, “I missed you so much, too. I’m ready to just lay in bed and cuddle for the next few days.” She pulls back, Tim groaning, not ready to let go, “Fair warning, you’re gonna have a difficult time detaching me from you, Bradford.”
He grins as he plants his hands on her waist and kisses her forehead, “Who says I’ll be wanting to stay away from you?”
They continue to stare and smile at each other until Kojo makes his presence known by squeezing in between them.
Tim laughs and pats his head, grabbing Lucy’s hand and pulling her into the house. “As great as cuddling and staying in bed sounds, I really want to take you out tonight. Can you put Kojo's leash on him and get his things? I’ll just go grab something from the kitchen and then we can go.”
Lucy nods happily and grabs Kojo as Tim kisses Lucy on the lips before walking further into the house and towards the kitchen.
He hears Lucy beckoning Kojo, “Come on, boy. Daddy has a surprise for us.”
He shakes his head endearingly imagining other scenarios where Lucy gets to call him that, but right now, all he’s thinking about is her talking to their children. His smile grows as he grabs 2 wine glasses from the cabinet and four bottles of water from the counter then secured the house.
He sees Lucy, already in the passenger seat, eyeing the contents of his hand with questioning eyes as he walks towards the truck’s bed, organizing everything.
“Seriously, what are you up to?” Lucy asks once Tim settled in the driver’s seat.
“I’m taking you out on a date,” Tim smiles at her then starts to drive off heading to a very special place.
Lucy glances towards Kojo at the backseat then to Tim and lifts an eyebrow, “A date… Outdoor?”
Tim glances at her with an offended expression, “Yes. Is that so hard to believe?”
“Not at all,” Lucy laughs and reaches out to caress his arm. “It’s just we’ve been away from each other for a week and knowing you’re such a homebody, I figured you’d want to just stay inside.”
Tim takes his right hand off the steering wheel and holds Lucy’s hand tightly, “Well, the weather’s been nice outside and it’d be a pity to just stay inside. Besides…” Tim wags his eyebrows at her which only makes Lucy giggle, “We have the rest of our days off next week to do that.”
Lucy rolls her eyes, but squeezes his hand in earnest, feeling an overwhelming gratitude for them making it this far in their lives, “Days off we will be spending in hunger by literally staying in bed all day satiating another kind of hunger.”
Tim just smirks at her, making Lucy shake her head. A few seconds later Tim hears her sigh loudly, which Tim knows is a foretell of her falling asleep. He turns his head towards her, and sure enough, Lucy’s head is leaning on the window, eyes closed, a sense of comfort overcoming her, as it always has been when Tim is in her vicinity.
——————
Less than an hour later, they arrive at their destination, Tim parking atop of a cliff, his truck bed facing the sea, a safe distance from the edge, enough space for Kojo to run around safely. He chuckles when he sees the dog in question excitedly wagging his tail and loudly barking as he catches sight of the huge amount of water in front of him.
Lucy wakes to the sound of her boys’ excitement and immediately sobers up as she takes in her surroundings, “Tim, where are we?”
He only gives her a big smile before jumping out of the truck and walks around the front to open her door.
Lucy turns to him, opening her legs to let him in. Tim grabs her waist with both of his hands and slides her down against his body, “We’re at a beach.”
“Huh,” Lucy sarcastically hums as she glances to the side, seeing the vast blue scenery. “Didn’t think of that… Why are we at the beach?”
“To watch the sunset.” Tim kisses her forehead and lets her go, trudging towards the truck’s bed. “I remembered you mentioned how you’d love the idea of having a date on the beach… So here we are.” He takes off the cover and reveals their setup.
Lucy’s eyes water, whether for Tim remembering a little detail she’s shared way back in their early years or Tim’s effort to surprise her with such a romantic date, she doesn’t know. She closes the distance between them once more and grabs his face, sealing their lips for a very passionate kiss leaving them breathless as they part.
“If taking you out on a date will make you kiss me like that again, I’d take you out here whenever you like.”
Lucy laughs, throwing her head back as Tim just admires the stunning view, that is, Lucy Chen.
“I love you,” says Lucy as she leaves a softer kiss on his lips. “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to.”
“I know, but I wanted to.” Tim just smiles softly at her. His hand reaches to caress her cheek, wanting their lips to meet once more, when a resounding bark makes them turn their heads back at their forgotten dog.
Tim shakes his head and kisses Lucy’s temple, “Let him down while I get the finishing touches of our date?”
Lucy nods then grins, feeling giddy as she walks towards the back seat and lets Kojo down, “Be a good boy and don’t go near the edge.”
She returns to the back of the truck after placing Kojo’s water bowl down beside the truck. She smiles once more as Tim finishes hanging fairy lights around the truck’s bed’s edges, “When exactly did you plan all this?”
Tim reaches his hand towards her to help her climb up. “On the way home,” he admits shyly.
“Never thought you’d have spontaneity in your veins, Bradford. You never cease to surprise me,” Lucy chuckles.
“Glad I can still amuse you, Chen.” Tim pulls the blanket back and lets Lucy under it. He grabs the bouquet of sunflowers and gives it to her, “Flowers for my lady.”
Lucy gushes at the beautiful sunflowers, “Why thank you, kind sire.”
They laugh at their own little skit, amused merely because they’ve just finished watching Bridgerton last week.
Tim pours them a little bit of wine and pulls their picnic basket closer, “We’ve got approximately 30 minutes before the sun starts setting. Do you want to start off with these?” He asks, referring to the charcuterie board. “Or do you want the bread? Chips?”
Lucy grabs two crackers from the board and assembles some cheese and meat on it. “Say ‘ah’. I think you deserve the first bite for organizing this date.”
Tim happily obeys and munches on the food she offered. Lucy smiles and stares out in the distance while happily munching on some grapes. “This is really pretty, Tim. Thank you for bringing me here… And Kojo, who appears to be having fun just running around.”
“You’re welcome,” he responds as he puts his arm over her shoulders and pulls her closer, letting her lean on him.
They spend the minutes in silence, quietly munching on their food and drinking their wine, just appreciating the view and letting the sound of the waves lull them into relaxation until Tim breaks their tranquility.
“You know… If we get a chance to redo our lives, I’d still choose to go through it all with you.”
Seemingly less interested to watch the setting sun, Lucy gets up to straddle Tim’s thighs.
“Now this is a better view,” Tim states as he places a hand on her thigh, the other brushing some of her hair behind her ear, “More magnificent than the burning sun in the horizon.”
Lucy endearingly rolls her eyes at him as her cheeks turn a tinge of red. They’ve been together for more than a year, closing in to 2, yet they both still feel like they’re in the “honeymoon stage” of their relationship. They spend a minute just admiring each other, giving each other loving caresses.
“I’d do it all over again, too. As long as it’s with you. I’ll choose you in every do-over, in every universe.”
He breathes and smiles. He grabs her hand as he pushes her off him and prompts her to get up. He helped her down from the truck’s bed, the sun continuing to slowly set on the horizon. Lucy’s eyes begin to water as she realizes what’s about to happen.
They stand face-to-face, the remnants of their evening picnic forgotten. Tim smiles at her, holding back his own tears, and retrieves the ring box he decided to buy after their make up date and finally bought a week before their first Valentine’s day alongside the necklace he gave her.
“Lucy… Baby…” he mutters as he releases a breath and lightly chuckles. “We’ve been through so much… When I look back through our story, I can’t help but be in awe of the journey we’ve taken thus far. I can still remember the day we first laid eyes on each other thinking, “man this rookie is either going to make or break my life.” I didn’t realize I was already starting to fall for you. You’ve had me since day one, Lucy. I’ve been drunk on your intoxicating smiles and high on every laugh you’ve shared with me since then.
I’ve always been so drawn to you, a pull that I could never resist. There was that urge to just say fuck it and finally ask you out, and finally after years…” he chuckles. “We both finally caved and gave ourselves a chance. I thank God for you Lucy. I thank God that you are who you are—a perfectly imperfect unique being who, despite being an intelligent human, was kind enough to accept me, not just once, but twice.”
They simultaneously reach up towards her cheek to wipe the tears that have fallen and they laugh heartily.
Tim grips her hand tighter, meets her gaze once more and continues his speech, “I will forever regret the day I decided to walk away from you, but I am also thankful where life had led us during that season of our lives, because we grew. I learned to be a better person. A better person who thinks that as imperfect as I may be, I still deserve to be happy. Happy with the woman life blessed me with two years ago and to be with for the rest of my life.
Reminiscing our lives, I realize that most of the times, especially in our job, we have had more downs than ups. Then, again, when I think of those days, I realize they are not at all bad, because in those days, I had you. I had you beside me through it all. I still got to go home to you and with you…”
Tim finally kneels, Lucy’s hands still gripped in his. Looking up at her with a heavy gaze, eyes shining with tears, he restarts, “I promise that when you finally, fully give me your heart, I won’t ever, ever break it. I promise to let my arms always be the haven you can run to whenever you need safety and peace. I promise you that I’ll continue to do my best, every single day, to be the man that you deserve. I won’t ever give you the opportunity to question my love for you, because I do Lucy. In a world of uncertainty , I will be your definitely , Lucy. Know that there’s one thing you can be certain about, and that is the fact that I love you.”
Tim releases her hand softly and opens the ring box, revealing an infinity-looking 14 Karat white gold ring laced with diamonds on top and another larger round diamond as its center stone.
Lucy gasps, her right hand flying to cover her mouth. More tears fall from her eyes, blurring her sight. She reaches for Tim’s free hand and squeezes. “Babe,” she whispers, not trusting her voice not to crack from too many emotions.
Tim also wipes a tear that’s run down on his face with the back of his hand. He exhales deeply and presents her the ring. “Babe. Baby. Boot. My love. Lucy,” they both chuckle as he lists all the endearments he uses for her. “You are my best friend, my partner in crime—well, law—the love of my life and I say this with confidence: There is no one else in this universe that I would rather spend the rest of my life with, so if you decide to, I’ll ride this new chapter of our life with you… Lucille Elizabeth Chen, will you marry me?”
Lucy just silently nods, too caught up with her emotions, and offers her hand to him.
“Is that a ‘yes’?” Tim asks, making sure he’s not just assuming her acceptance.
Lucy pulls him up to stand and cups his cheeks, “Of course, it’s a ‘yes’ Timothy Alexander Bradford. I will marry you in this life, the next, and in every universe you’ll ask me.”
She plants a passionate kiss on his lips, “I love you, Tim.”
“I love you, Lucy.” Tim grins and puts the ring on her finger, “And oh, one more thing… Move in with me?”
Lucy legitimately barks a laugh, wiping her happy tears, “Yes.”
And they lived happily ever after.