Page 65 of Crash and Burn
“What the fuck is going on? Oh my god.” She said and hugged each of them. They shrugged and Victoria said, “Ask the man of the hour. He called and we came.”
She looked back at me with a shocked, tearful expression. “I don’t understand.”
They kept hugging and then Amelia saw the final guest. She looked past her friends and saw her mother. She told the girls to hold on and ran to the front of the bus. That was it.
When Amelia hugged her mother, I got down on one knee behind her. I was just listening to them talk when finally, her mother said, “Amelia, I think Hudson needs to talk to you.”
I was so nervous but had never been more excited to do something. Amelia turned around and stutter stepped when she realized I was down on my knee. Her hands immediately went to cover her mouth. She looked at me and then at everyone on the bus.
Jimmy, Harvey, Sheila, her mother, Nina, Victoria, Amanda, Cole and Darla, Lex and Carter, Vinny, and Bianca, and all the kids. This is our family, and they are all here for this. These are the people who make up our world, the good times and bad, they accept each of us for who we are. It took some serious planning, but I was able to get them all there in this one spot, for this one moment in time.
“Amelia…” I cleared my throat and felt myself starting to choke up. “Amelia, I couldn’t think of a better way to express my love for you than to get everyoneyoulove in the same place at the same time for this one moment. You saved my life, Amelia Davis. I spilled my coffee on you and subjected you to intense questioning,” I cleared my throat and peeked at Lex. Everyone laughed and Lex rolled her eyes. “I spilled my coffee on you, and you took me on a bus ride for my birthday one year ago. I knew on that day that you were someone I never wanted to be without in this life. I didn’t know what it meant, or how I would keep you, but I knew I needed you. I knew I needed us, and this amazing thing we have.” I cleared my throat again. “We’ve been through some things in our first year together… But I can’t imagine anyone else I would rather go through hell with. We found each other there and pulled each other out. There’s a quote from one of my favorite movies. ‘Is that a kind of occupational hazard of soul mates? One’s not much without the other?’ Well, I’m not much without you, Amelia. I want you every moment of every day for the rest of our lives.”
I squeezed my eyes with my hands to hold back the tears and then opened the box.
“Amelia Isabel Davis, would you please do me the honors of being my wife and making me the luckiest and happiest man on this earth?” I looked up at her, hopeful. Tears were streaming down her face.
She looked around at all of our friends and family and back at me and said, “Yes, Hudson Eugene!” She laughed hysterically because she just told everyone my middle name. “Yes, I will marry you. You are stuck with me!” I hopped up, placing the ring on her finger, it was a perfect fit. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her like I had never kissed her before. This woman is everything to me.
“I love you, Amelia. Forever,” I whispered to her as I leaned my forehead against hers.
“Hudson, I love you, too, but forever doesn’t even scratch the surface.” We kissed again and everyone around us came in to hug us.
This was just the beginning of my life with Amelia. If you would’ve asked me a year ago, well, you couldn’t have asked me, because I was in a bad place. It only took a smile, a bit of kindness, and some coffee from a stranger to keep just enough light shining for me to find my way. And now that stranger is my best friend and soon to be my wife. I will forever be grateful for this second chance at life and love.
