Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 148

After 2 years...

Kent

"Today has to be perfect."

I've been super busy preparing for this day for the last few weeks. It has to happen tonight, or she'll suspect something's up. Juls is getting her master's degree today, and I've never been prouder. She's incredibly smart, always reading or researching. That pile of library books in our office never seems to shrink.

She's applied to Ph.D. programs all over, but I think she'll stay at Brown. I'm okay with that because I don't want anything to change about our lives. Well, except for one thing that I hope to change today.

I finished my MBA a few months ago and started working full-time downtown. I'm in marketing for now but aiming for investment banking and trust. I know my path, and with time and connections, I hope to take care of us.

Juls keeps saying she'll stay in school because she doesn't know what else to do, but I think it's the other way around. School and academia bring out her best. Her eyes light up when she learns something new, and despite being exhausted, she's doing what she loves, which makes me happy.

It's wild to think that one day she might be called "Doctor." But it's a comforting thought. Life is good. I work 9 to 5, buy groceries, and Juls takes care of the house and her studies. We make it work, even with different schedules. It makes our time together more special.

Every day, I come home to the most incredible woman, watching her dance with loud music and tinkering with things. Our taste in TV shows and movies differs, but when she watches reality TV, I can't help but join in.

Before I met Juls, I had no idea how lasting love worked. I thought it was impossible to come home to the same person every day and still love her the same way.

Believe it or not, I'm growing to love her more. In the past two years, Juls has changed. She's confident and speaks her mind. She doesn't dwell on trivial matters; instead, she talks to me, and it makes me proud.

This morning, her parents visited. Her mom helped her get ready, while Jesse, me, and her dad watched football. They're like family to me; they came to my graduation.

A few weeks ago, I called her dad for advice about Juls. I thought it was crucial to get his input.

I hear her mom say, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," as she walks down the hall. "Let me introduce Juliana Macey, MD!" She yells, and I look down the hallway and see the most beautiful girl in the world walking down it.

She's in her gown, and underneath it, a stunning red dress. She keeps getting more beautiful, and seeing her achieve another milestone is truly special."

"Honey, you look great," her dad says, hugging her. Both parents whisper to her, and she smiles and nods. I can't believe she's my girlfriend.

"I can't believe you find my sister attractive," Jesse laughs, and I realize I'm talking with my mouth open. Jesse started at NYU last fall and had been there for two years. It's strange to see him no longer drooling on Abby's shoulder.

"It's been over two years, and you're just realizing that now?" I laugh, tap his shoulder, and stand up. She meets me halfway, and I hug her. I wish it could last longer, and I want to kiss her, but not in front of others.

"You look amazing," I whisper, and she smiles and steps back. "Thanks," she chuckles.

I don't know what she did to make her eyelashes so long, but they are. Her dress is modest, but it shows some cleavage, which is fine with me. It's probably not a good thing that I always think about it. Even when she wears one of my hoodies and those blue light glasses that I keep saying are a scam.

"Ready to make your name longer?" I tease her, and she nods, looking way too happy.

We're getting ready to leave, and because parking would be tough, we decide to walk. Her parents are leading the way, and Jesse's buried in his phone and won't look up. This gives me a chance to hold her hand and talk to her without her parents around.

"You're amazing," she smiles when I tell her.

"All these compliments might give me a heart attack," she insists. "I'm thrilled to see you."

"Where else would I be?" She shakes her head, and I laugh.

"No, I just want you to know that I'm glad we got to do this together. You've been so supportive and helpful, there for me every step of the way — late nights, books on the dining room table, and the school events you always made time for."

"You've been there for me at work, helping ensure my documents are correct. We're there for each other, and we're happy," I tell her. She smiles and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. "I don't want to brag, but I think most people wish they were us."

Seeing how happy we are and how much better she makes my life, I almost regret the time I spent without her. I always wanted more of her and never wanted to be without her.

We reach the graduation, and as she goes to find her seat, I kiss her cheek. I sit with her parents, preparing for a long ceremony. After all this waiting, Juls is only on stage for 20 seconds when she should have been there for hours.

But it's special to see her get that diploma with "Masters degree" on it. Although Juls made me feel special, I didn't feel that way when I got my MBA. People like Juls were different. She looked like a ray of sunshine from the outside.

Even though it's selfish, I wish nobody else was here today. I wish I could have her all to myself, with no one else around. But I know I have her more than anyone else. I always wanted more, though. It would be great if I could find a job we could do together while lying in bed.

When the ceremony ends, I navigate the crowds and find her talking with some faculty members. I know most of them from walking Juls home from campus or at mixers.

I tell everyone about Juls all day. University staff, her friends, and her family, as well as anyone else who wants to congratulate her. It shouldn't be this difficult, but it is because I'm carrying a heavy velvet box.

Juls doesn't know this, but we're having a party at our house after dinner, which her parents planned. Abby has our spare key and was in charge of planning the party. She'll be delighted. Mark, Kyle, Carlo, and Cali are all flying in. Cali adores Juls, and she's very close to her. They are the two most important people in my life, and it makes me happy that they are so close.

I didn't want anyone else around because asking Juls a big question is a private moment I didn't want others to be part of. I considered a grand proposal with friends and family, but I didn't like the idea of an audience. I knew we'd both cry, and I thought that should be just between us.

I know it's crazy to propose at this stage. We're young and haven't fully started our lives. But I want to marry her, to call her my wife. I used to see marriage as a chain and never wanted it, thinking I'd end up alone. Then I met her, we fell in love, and lived together for almost two years. I've mentioned it casually a few times, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

I knew Juls had been dreaming of getting married since she was a child and wants her own family. I used to be on the "never have kids" team, fearing I wasn't good enough or too messed up. But she made me believe anything was possible. I want to put a ring on her finger, give her the life she desires, and hear her whisper she loves me while sleeping on my chest. I want a home and a family. Realizing our kids would look like her made me want it. I worried they'd be half of me, but also half of her – kind, friendly, and thoughtful.

Her dad wasn't thrilled and thought we were too young to marry. However, we were both 24, independent, and determined. I really liked her and wanted to show it. After explaining why, he gave his blessing.

Dinner was great, honoring her and her achievements. Juls doesn't always realize when she's doing something great, but moments like this make her see it.

She says goodbye to her family, and as they drive away, I pick her up and hug her. Her laughter in my ear nearly knocks me over.

"I'm so proud of you," I say softly. When I whisper, she pulls back and kisses me.

"I'm proud of you too," she responds quickly. "You're doing great at work."

We're not kids slamming doors and fighting anymore. Now, as adults, we're content with each other. Those turbulent nights from the past seem like a distant memory.

"Masters degree," I mutter, shaking my head. "And you're pursuing a PhD. You're so smart."

"I'm trying," she shrugs. "My brain feels like it's melting, and I'm ready for a break."

"I understand," I shrug. I no longer have summer breaks because I'm a working adult. Not as fun.

"Lately, I've been thinking about becoming a professor. What do you think, good or bad idea?" She asks in a hushed tone, and I laugh.

"I think you'd be great, intimidating, but also incredibly organized and excellent at your job," I tease her, and she chuckles a bit. "Just the right amount."

"I want to complete my research because I like the idea of becoming a teacher," she affirms, and I agree.

"We have time, so go for it. Be the best Middle Ages professor ever," I whisper, and she squeals, wrapping her arms around me. "I love you." She hugs me tightly in response.

"I love you more," she says softly, melting my heart. Juls doesn't like being called cute, but she is. She's incredibly cute!

"Can I take you inside?" I ask her quietly, and she nods, stepping back with a smile. She leans in for a kiss, and I can sense what's on her mind.

Yes, it is. But she doesn't know what's happening in our apartment upstairs. After I earned my MBA, Juls threw a party for me, inviting all our friends and organizing the entire event. I didn't want anything different for her.

As we reach the top of the stairs, I open the door to our dark apartment. She walks in, and as soon as she does, the lights come on, revealing our decorated living room and bringing our friends out from their hiding spots.

"Surprise!" everyone shouts, and Juls gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. "Congrats!" Abby squeals and rushes over to Juls, who embraces her. Our apartment isn't large, so there aren't many people, but they are the ones I knew she wanted to see.

Then I lose sight of her as people pull her away to catch up with her and ask her questions. But I don't mind because the music is playing, the food is ready, and I can finally take off this silly tie.

"What's up, little brother?" Cali begins to sing and approaches me. She hugs me, saying, "You've got a smart girlfriend there."

"I get it, right?" I laugh, and she smiles and moves around on the floor. She seems like she can't hold back a question, but she's really trying. "What?"

"Did you propose to her yet?" I shake my head, and she hisses, "So what? She'll say yes."

"I know, I just don't want any help," I shrug. "Do you think she'll say yes?" I ask her, and she nods. "She told me it doesn't matter to her if we get married or not."

"Trust me, that's what she wants. She says that because she doesn't mind if you don't want to do it, but she does. Look at her, of course she does," she smiles, and from across the room, I watch Juls. She's right.

"You're right," I admit. I laugh and nod. "Me too, I really want to."

"Oh my god, that's so adorable," she whispers to me and touches my arm. "You know how happy Mom is, right? She hasn't stopped talking about it."

"I figured," I laugh. "She likes Juls."

"Everyone likes Juls," Cali reminds me. "Make sure I'm a bridesmaid," she quickly adds before getting a glass of wine from the fridge.

Juls is only in her dress now. She's taken off her shoes and gown, walking around her apartment barefoot. Her cheeks are rosy from the drinks. She's much better at making friends now, even with people she already knows.

"Juls now has another degree," Mark sighs, placing his hand on my shoulder and passing me a beer. I nod, cracking it open, and he laughs. "And she wants another one?"

"She does," I laugh and nod. "What else would you expect from the most ambitious woman in the world?"

"Never anything less," he smiles and shrugs. "How have you been?" he asks.

When Mark's dad fell ill last year, he had to move back home. It was the first time in six years he had been home for more than three days. He stayed close to home to support his family but went out of his way to visit us.

"Great," I smile. "Lately, things have been going really well. I love her so much, and I get to live with her. Things are good for us."

"I'll say," he nods. "I'm glad you're happy."

Just then, Juls walks over to us, and it brings a smile to my face. She looks fantastic today, and that dress is amazing.

"Hi," she smiles, and I open my arm to let her come up beside me. "Hey, Mark."

"Hey, Jules," he responds. "What's it feel like to be the smartest person in the room?"

"I'm not the only one with a Master's degree," she laughs, her hand gently caressing my back as she does so.

"No, I don't think so," he chuckles. "Two intelligent people."

"Two arrogant jerks," she looks up at me, and I bend down to kiss her. When she's had a few drinks, she's always so funny. Her wit remains as sharp as ever, but she's less afraid to be herself.

"You two are so happy it makes me feel sick," Mark grumbles, taking a sip of his beer. "But congrats, Juls. I'm going to grab another drink."

At nearly 3 a.m., everyone decides it's time to call it a night. We've been up since 8 in the morning, and I can barely keep my eyes open. Our friends had hotels and other places to stay, but we offered them our place, which they declined. As they leave, we wave goodbye, and I can tell Juls is getting tired as she clings to my waist.

Cali is the last to leave, and as she heads out the door, she shoots me an excited look. I just laugh and tell her to text me when she gets home safely.

Then it's just the two of us. Finally.

"Take a look at this mess," she sighs, and I laugh as I survey the aftermath.

"Let's deal with it tomorrow. For now, we can finish packing up the food," I suggest.

"Think we should finish off the rest of the spinach dip before calling it a night?" She raises her eyebrows, and I chuckle.

"Sure thing," I laugh, and she grabs the bowl, reheating it in the microwave.

She pours two more glasses of wine and retrieves the bag of chips, placing them on the empty coffee table corner. Then she takes the warm bowl from the microwave.

Before I know it, we're snuggled up on the couch, enjoying spinach dip and wine. She always has a way of making something simple feel like so much more. She's excellent at it.

She dips a chip into the dip and, before I can react, she offers it to me with a generous scoop of the warm dip.

"I love you," she whispers, and I laugh as I take a chip and do the same to her.

"Do you?" I tease her, and she smiles and nods as she munches. "I love you too, honey," I reply.

I'm not sure how to extricate myself from this close situation because it would be awkward to get off the couch and kneel down. Do other guys feel this way before proposing to the girl they love?

"Can we have a dish of this at every table at our wedding?" she asks as she takes another chip, and I raise an eyebrow. She's never said anything like that before. I know she wants to get married, but she rarely talks about it. I think she might be afraid of scaring me.

I study her face for a moment, searching for any hint that she might be joking. She's a bit tipsy for sure, but I thought it was just making her relax. Her cheeks are still rosy, and her eyes seem a bit tired.

"How much have you had to drink?" I gently place my hand on her cheek, whispering, concerned that I may have missed something. I can't ask her now if she's too drunk.

"I'm not drunk," she whispers and places her hand on mine.

After a brief silence, I move the dip and chips out of the way onto the table, then take her hand. She looks a bit puzzled and maybe uncertain about where this is heading, but she was waiting for me to say something.

"I'm sorry if that scared you. I shouldn't have done that."

"No, I'm not upset," I whisper, my thumb gently caressing her hand as I shake my head. She presses her lips together, and I stand up, lifting her with me. Her confusion makes me laugh.

I motion for her to stand up and clear my throat, trying to recall a speech I've rehearsed countless times.

"I wanted to ask you something today," I say. When I shrug, she halts, her eyes widening a bit. "Everything we've done together, Juls, is something I never thought I could do. When I first met you, I didn't think I could date you, move in with you, or fall in love with you. I was wrong each time because you made me feel like I could do those things."

My voice is trembling, and I can see her eyes growing teary.

"I enjoy my days more when I know I'll see you when I get home. Every day feels brand new when you're around. You're funny, smart, and beautiful, and there's one more thing I never thought I could do that I want to add to the list." I reach into my pocket and retrieve the ring box. I slowly lower myself to the ground, and she moves her hand to cover her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. If they weren't tears of happiness, it would break my heart.

"Julianna Macey." When I open the box and smile, she bursts into tears. "I know we already spend every day of our lives together, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you, have kids with you, and buy a damn minivan or a golden retriever or a rundown house just for the damn crown moldings with you." I confess, my voice thick with emotion.

"Get married," I add, my voice barely audible. I feel like I'm pleading with her, not because I think she'll say no, but because I need her to say yes.

"Yes," she cries, nodding. "Yes, yes, yes." She repeats it, grabbing my shoulders and urging me to stand up.

I swiftly remove the ring from the box and slide it onto her finger because I don't want her to take it off. I bought it with Cali's help a few weeks ago. It was a vintage ring with an oval diamond set in a thicker band. When I saw it, I knew she'd love it because it perfectly matched her style.

She cups my face and kisses my lips. I wrap my arms around her, lift her off the ground, and bury my face in her hair.

"You want children?" She whispers, sounding both excited and overwhelmed. I nod.

"Yeah," I whisper, taking a shaky breath. "Not anytime soon, but eventually, sure. I'd love to." I mumble, and she hugs me tighter.

"When did you change your mind?" She asks, and I laugh.

"When I met you," I tell her, stepping back so I can see her face. She smiles, looking genuinely happy.

"How many?" She laughs and inquires. I laugh and shrug.

"However many you want," I whisper, and she smiles, running her hand through my hair. "With someone as intelligent and beautiful as you, I don't want that to go to waste." She laughs at that, which makes me smile. "Can I start by asking you to marry me, and then we can discuss the details later?" I ask, and she laughs and nods.

"All I want is to marry you," she says softly. "I'm so excited to tell my mom, but my dad might not be ready yet."

"He's aware," I whisper, giving her a kiss on the lips. "I already talked to him."

"You wanted to hold my hand?" She raises an eyebrow and asks, and I laugh, nodding. "You're being quite formal."

"I wanted them to be okay with it," I shrug. I didn't want to feel like we were doing this alone. I know we won't be buying a house or doing any of the other things that come with marriage for a while. I just want to make it official when I call her mine.

"Oh, baby," I smile when she does. "Let's get hitched," she whispers, and my stomach warms. I want to do it this summer before she goes back to school and life gets complicated again. "My name will be different on my third degree," she shrugs, and my eyebrows raise.

"You'd change your name?" I'm puzzled and ask for clarification.

"Don't you do that after you get married?" She laughs, and I give her a shrug.

"Yes, but I know you value your independence. I didn't think it was your thing, given your whole thesis is about breaking down the patriarchy," I tell her, and she shrugs.

"I'd like to belong to you."

"I don't own you, so you don't have to do that," I whisper. I'm not sure if this is a test or if she's just agreeing to it because she thinks I want her to. "You don't have to give it up. I just want you."

She smiles and shakes her head. "I don't see it as giving something up; I see it as gaining something. Like it's a part of you," she shrugs. "And despite my disdain for patriarchy, I love you. Call me old-fashioned, but I'd love to take your name." She says it with a straight face and places her hands on my shoulders. "You have to admit, Juls Chavez sounds pretty good."

"Don't actually say that," I almost grumble, and her eyebrows shoot up. "So, kids, you'll change your name one day. Anything else?"

"You alone at the end of a row," she whispers happily as she wraps her arms around me tightly, and I hug her tightly. "I love you, Kent, I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby," I reply, not wanting to let her go.

I'd never felt like I belonged anywhere before I met her, like no one really noticed or saw me for who I was. I felt at home when I was with her. She felt like home wherever she was. Feeling like I belonged with her was a once-in-a-lifetime sensation.

"Should we sleep?" I whisper to her and kiss the side of her neck. She pulls back and raises her eyebrows.

"It's getting late... I didn't sleep much last night," she shrugs, not catching my drift.

"You won't get much sleep for a while either," I whisper, her eyes widening. I press my lips back to hers, and she laughs as I carry her down the hall to our bedroom.

Feeling her ring between our fingers was even better than I had imagined as I pressed her hands into the mattress. When we were done, she put her hand on my chest, and I traced her ring in silence. I loved that we got engaged in just one day. When she wore that ring, it was like she was telling everyone she loved me.

I couldn't wait for the rest of our lives, for the future. Even though real life could be hard at times, she made it better. I loved her even when we were young and messed up. There was nothing better than lying next to her in our bed while she fell asleep and her eyelids fluttered.

"You're so romantic," she speaks softly. "How did you know?" She looks at her ring and asks.

"I looked a few times, but I knew I'd find the right ring when I saw it."

"No, I didn't want to marry you?" She clarifies, and I laugh.

"I didn't either, not really anyway," I shrug. "But I kinda figured you did, so I asked when I realized how badly I wanted it too. I was kinda nervous because we hadn't talked about it much."

"I guess not," she sighs. "But I want to share everything with you. I'm so excited to do this, wear a pretty dress, have our friends come celebrate it, give you a ring that you can wear too," she mumbles. I can tell she's getting sleepy, becoming adorable as she curls into my side for warmth. "I'll be your wife," she whispers, kissing my chest, and I feel an electrical current run through me.

"Damn right," I whisper, pulling the blankets over us and kissing her forehead. "You're my whole world, Juls."

"You're mine," she agrees.

"Goodnight, beautiful. Do me a favor and wake up with that ring still on your finger," I tease, and she chuckles.

"I'll superglue it to me," she assures me, and I bury my face in her hair, savoring its scent as I fall asleep that night.

Almost three months after we're married, she goes a step further. Both of us make appointments at a tattoo shop after our honeymoon and get a band tattooed around our left ring fingers.

It's permanent, just like the depth of love I have for her and always will.