CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The process of getting here wasn't quite like being here. I had travelled to America all the way from Australia, I had been a crying mess in an airport, I had been picked up from my arriving airport by a grumpy man who later turned out to be the sweetest daddy dom ever. I had been forced to leave where I was living after some bad shit went down but had landed on my feet with my man's family. Then he had come to join me.
Now we were going to a place that had represented it all for me.
As the ferry crossed the water I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I had made it, I had done this. I had shown the world how independent and strong I am. I had met someone amazing in the meantime, I was in love. We were both very much in love.
He gave me a little kiss and I looked out at the statue as it grew closer.
When it was time for us to disembark we both did so onto the island.
There were tourists everywhere, but this didn't feel like it was an island full of tourists, it felt like it was our own personal adventure.
Even as we waited in line and were surrounded by people, it never felt like any of it mattered.
I had seen so many tourists who looked like your tired and your hungry. They wouldn't look after themselves in the pursuit of seeing everything they could on a holiday and would wind up hungry, tired and grumpy. They would snap at one another and at locals. They would ask dumb questions and run in the pursuit of every photograph they could, ignoring the fact they'd never look at those photos again.
Billy and I weren't like that, we were so loved up that we didn't mind any inconveniences and we were so busy looking after one another that neither of us had a chance to get grumpy from fatigue or hunger.
We held hands as we waited, we chatted, we laughed with people around us.
When it was our turn to climb we did so. And damn, was that statue hard to climb.
The statue of liberty has a whole lot of stairs and is incredibly narrow, also, after climbing a while you get pretty hot in there.
Before we had even reached the top I was puffed. When we reached the top, I was relieved at the opportunity to stop but also excited for the view.
There was nothing like that view. I stared out the windows, excited, then when I turned to Billy, he was no longer standing next to me.
He was kneeling beside me.
The cabin at the top of the statue was filled with people but in that moment I saw only him. I heard only him.
"Baby, I was going to wait longer than this, but I can't wait anymore." He began as my breath caught in my throat.
"I love you so much, and I couldn't stand loosing you when your visa runs out." He told me, "I am not asking just for that, but because I can't see a life without you after having you here. You are here and you remind me of what I always wanted but never thought I would have."
I felt tears welling up inside my eyes, even as this didn't feel real. I nodded, because I felt the same way. I had never imagined a relationship as good as this in all my life. Everything felt so perfect, like we were made for one another. I know that's totally cliché, but it's true. It's how I feel about my Billy. It's how I feel about my Daddy.
"You are so amazing, and I am so lucky to have you, and I am going to do everything I can to keep you here with me. This marriage is only the beginning. I will work for you, I will fight for you. I love you so much!" He told me.
I am sure he had more to say, but the other tourists were watching us and I just wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to say I do.
I cried, "Yes!" Before I could help myself and stuck my hand out like a small child to accept Daddy's ring.
He placed it on my finger and moved up to kiss me. His kisses were so sweet and soft that we both sighed into one another.
All around us, people were clapping and cheering.
"Congratulations!" Strangers cried in our ears as this space was so small that they sort of had to.
We looked out at the view a little, but I felt like I wasn't really seeing anything anymore. I just couldn't keep my eyes off him.
When it was our turn to exit we made our way back down the statue and spent the afternoon looking at the museum at Cony Island. I still wasn't completely taking everything in. I was so shocked by that had happened.
We were getting married.
I had come here to the other side of the world to explore something different, for a break after university, and now I was getting married.
How would I tell everyone?
When it was time to dial a couple numbers and tell everyone that we were getting married, I just couldn't do it fast enough. Everyone had to know, I had to cry it from the rooftops!
I called my parents at home in Australia, but they already knew he was asking. They knew it was coming because he had made a point of asking my parents if we could marry.
I guessed that no parents ever said no to that request: if they knew someone made their kid happy, they would have to say yes to marriage, right!?
I moved on to calling some of my friends back home while Billy was still on the phone to his own family. After about an hour of us calling what felt like everybody we knew, we heard someone downstairs and finishing my phone call, I went out to greet whoever it was, "Hello?" I called down the stairs.
"Hello!" Called up William. I giggled and told him I'd be down in a moment, I had news.
When I turned back to the bedroom to grab Billy's hand to drag him downstairs he was already beside me.
We exchanged a look and a smile and walked downstairs together.
Billy's parents were pottering around in the kitchen having just returned from the grocery store. Billy started chatting to them and they asked about the statue of liberty and how we'd gone. At that, Billy's eyes met mine and we shared a smile.
"Really well." He said without taking his eyes off mine, "She said yes."
His mother, who had been holding some eggs, dropped them before turning to the both of us, "She what?"
Billy chuckled as he tore his eyes from mine and looked over at his mother, "She said yes mom. We're getting married!"
Billy's mother and father stared at the two of us for a long moment before everything came out at once. They were both talking loudly about a million different things at once: they were so happy for us, so excited, they had no idea, oh! Had he asked my parents? Where would we live? Were we staying here with them in New York? Where would we get married? How long did I have left on my visa anyway?
We tried our best to answer every question as it came, but before we both knew it we were being drowned in hugs.
I was so happy that I was laughing with happiness, rather than laughing because anything was funny. We hugged his parents then recounted the proposal story.
After a time, William told us that he must take us to dinner that night. To celebrate our engagement.
Billy and I exchanged a glance, we had already had our own plans and I didn't want to be the one to say no to his father. Billy stepped up so I didn't have to, "That's fine." He said, "You don't have to do that, we are already going out on a date to celebrate." Billy took my hand in his as he mentioned the date.
Billy held my gaze for a moment then before turning back to his father who was okay with what he had just said. Billy's mother seemed excited for us.
We accepted more congratulations before escaping upstairs to get ready for our date.
When we were alone, Billy gave me a soft, sweet kiss on the lips before telling me, "I love you so much. I don't want anything to change."
I chuckled, "Too bad if you don't want anything to change now, because it will."
Billy nodded, "Some of it will change, but not what's important."