The day Jackson returns is today, and I'm ready to go. I have a bag packed with everything I've prepared for our weekend and clothes for him and me. I have my pen and extra refills. I have everything but the most important surprise. The only thing I haven't gotten is at the bakery, and I'll pick it up on my way to the hotel. I lift the duffle bag and gently push it onto my shoulder. I grab my keys and my phone and start to make my way into the bathroom. I grab the med kit and put some things in a Ziploc bag to patch him up. I put that bag in the other and put the first-aid kit back. I head downstairs to see my parents on the couch together. They have a hard time spending quality time together now that Dad has picked up more shifts, but he got the raise he needed because of all his hard work. He has off the entire weekend, which he'll spend with my mom. He and I talked, and he'll be taking her out for a night on the town, which is precisely what they need for each other.

My mom spots me first and waves me over, so I do. She stands and pulls me into a hug while kissing my cheek. My dad stands and joins the hug. Both are gentle, but I've been doing better and gaining the strength to handle more pressure. My mom ensures I have everything I need, while my father gives me a knowing look. I smile sheepishly, and my mom hugs me again as the doorbell rings.

"That's Gene and Tim, I have to go now, mom."

She finally released me from the hug and made me promise to stay safe.

"With Jackson there, you won't have to worry about anything. I think he proved that," I say, pointing to my healed ribs.

They let me go, so I headed to the door.

"Use protection," My father shouts, causing my eyes to bulge.

"Okay, bye," I yelled and stepped out. 

Tim awaits me, and we walk to Gene's car together. I put my bag in the trunk, and then they drove me to the bakery to get the cake. I'm in the back, and Tim is in the passenger seat, holding Gene's arm lazily as if regular. I smile at the two and remind myself that Jackson is on his way home.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Gene asks me, looking in the mirror to see me from the front seat.

"Absolutely; I feel so relieved to know I will be seeing him. I miss him so much. I've dreamt about seeing him again, and it's happening. Nothing is going to get in my way of seeing him again."

Gene smiled and nodded; then he looked at Tim, who nodded, too.

"What are you planning?" I ask. Tim looks back at me with a cocked eyebrow. "Dont give me that shit; I know you by now."

Tim scoffed, "Ignore it, just let us have this one moment you dont know about."

Now it's my turn to give a cocked eyebrow. I know Tim; he's easy to read. So, this has something to do with Jack coming back today, and I dont like being out of the loop with things, so I catch on quickly.

"I know it has something to do with Jack coming today, so spill already."

"It's not about Jack, actually," Gene speaks up. "We kept it a surprise, but Tim and I will take a vay-cay too. We also booked a room at the hotel, but we'll be staying there to visit the lake near it. We planned on inviting you and Jack to visit the lake with us. Fun fact about me: I have a boating license, and I have my boat and a boat house down at the lake. You two definitely can't miss it. You'll have an entire 2 days to spend together, then go on a boat ride with us. What do you say?"

I grin, "I'll have to ask Jack, but that sounds nice. The weather will be in the 70s, so why not?"

"We already asked Jack when he got his phone back this morning," Tim admits. "He said it was up for you to decide. That's good; we'll tell him it's a go."

I close my eyes and lean back, thinking about us at a lake together, on a boat, cuddling up under the sun. It may be October, but the weather doesn't seem to know it's October, so we might as well abuse that fact. I keep imagining us together until we get to the bakery. I jump out and rush inside.

"I need to pick up for Malcolm," I smile at the lady behind the counter.

She turns around, walks to a fridge, and pulls out a medium red box. She placed it on the counter, and I opened it to check if it looked right. "Welcome back, mi esposo!" written in the middle of a chocolate heart on top of a white frosted cake. Jack's going to love it. I nod, take out my $30 in cash, and hand it to her. I grab the cake and carefully step back outside and see Tim outside the car, holding the door open for me. I slide the cake in first, then myself. Tim shuts the door after me. I buckle, then have the cake in my lap as we drive to the hotel.

--

Tim and Gene drop me off at the front when we get to the hotel. Gene gets out and helps me get the bag while I stabilize the cake between my elbow bend and my wrist. I slide the duffle bag on my other arm and grab the cake with both hands. I bid them goodbye and walk into the spinning doors of the hotel. I gawk at the interior, the chandeliers, the fancy fixtures, and the sculptures, and then my eyes see him. He's already down on one knee with a jewelry box in hand. I nearly dropped the cake. I slowly walk forward, then set down the cake and bag 5 feet before him.

"Malcolm, I missed you."

He was in uniform, just like I asked. His hair is still short, and the cut on his forehead is healing so well it's scarring. He has a stupid grin on his face. His bags are behind him, and he opens the jewelry box to reveal a silver ring band with a small squared diamond in the middle.

"Malcolm, being away for so long made me realize I need you; without you, I feel unwhole. You've helped shape me into the man I am, and I'm happy to say I got rid of the old Jackson. I didn't know what I was getting into when I asked you for your help that day, but I can't say I'm upset about the results. I love you, Malcolm. And I promise to continue loving you. If you accept this ring, that is. ¿Por favor conviértete en mi futuro esposo?"

"¡Sí!" I yell, and he slips the ring onto my finger.

There's cheering from strangers and even from Gene and Tim behind me, but I dont care. I reach up to cup Jack's face and pull him into a hard kiss.