Naomi Black

"We should do our baby showers together!" Natalie spoke through excitement. I shrugged, "I don't know if I want all that jazz." I spoke quietly as Sloane snorted.

"Well, have you met your baby daddy? You're getting one." Finn tipped her water towards Sloane's statement. I giggle, we had been at Starbucks for an hour. I was on my second water and between Natalie and me, we probably went to the bathroom a million times.

Nobody ever talks about how much you pee when you're pregnant, and it truly is a lot.

"I hope it's a boy and boy. I'm team girl but there isn't any way that Matti's sperm isn't full of male hormones." I snort at that.

"I'll put a grand down on a girl," Finn throws around her bet as Nat narrows her eyes. "I'll do five—" I cut in. "No betting, don't do that. I don't want any expectations of him or her. Boy or girl, who cares? You all get to dress them up anyways!" Sloane smiles.

"She's right! And she has no say over if the outfit costs as much as college tuition!" Finn and Sloane gave each other high fives as I shook my head.

"Have you guys thought of names?" Natalie whispers to me as Finn and Sloane engage in a conversation. I bit my lip, "We haven't had the actual talk because knowing him and I, he will end up in tears," She lets out a chuckle.

"Do you like any names?" She asks me as I give a small smile.

"Some. Do you?" I ask as she nods. "Yeah. We already have two picked out. If I tell you, you have to promise not to steal them?" She asks, no pleading. I smiled, nodding.

"So if we have a boy, Cooper." I awed at that name as she smiled. "But if we have a girl her name will be Chandler." My eyebrows raised at that.

"Chandler is badass for a girl." I praise her as she winks at me.

"See thank you, Griffin told me it would sound weird, but I love it." I burst into giggles as Finn and Sloane end their conversation, Sloane quickly picks up her phone. She types something before setting it down, locked.

And then my phone started to ring.

Matti.

The girl's eyes shot to my phone, almost in an instant. I gave them a tiny smile before answering. "Hello, baby daddy." I giggled through his words.

"Babe," His voice sounds rushed—the hair on my arms immediately standing up.

"Don't freak out," I bit my lip— his rushed voice scaring me. "Well, when you tell me to not freak out I'm going to freak out," I spoke through the phone speaker.

The girls looked at me, I looked at them. I was wide awake— on high alert.

I heard his breathing hitch.

"Matti! Spit it out!" I yelled into the phone.

"Mimi isn't here." I nearly dropped the phone. "What the hell do you mean she isn't there?" I asked, nodding towards the exit of Starbucks. The girls looked at me in alarm as I rushed to grab my stuff.

"If this is a sick joke, I'll never talk to you again." I threatened. I watched as Sloane bit the side of her cheek, looking back down at her drink.

"She's gone! I forgot my bag when I left and I came back and your window was open, Naomi! We forgot to close it!" He freaks out as the tears start to fog my vision.

Holy shit, this was happening.

I covered the speaker, looking at the girls. "We need to go back home, now." I cried as they all looked at me in worry. My heart was through my stomach.

All happy thoughts were gone- I was consumed by the fact that the only memory of mom I had left was gone.

"Okay, okay. I'm on my way." I sobbed out to Matti, hanging up. I collected my stuff quickly before removing myself from the table. Speed walking, I threw open the Starbucks door, I needed to get home fast. "What happened?" Sloane ran after me. I wiped my nose with my long sleeve. "Mimi ran away." Sloane frowned.

"She ran away!" Finn exclaimed as I burst into another round of tears.

"Okay, let's calm down. Let's go home. Mimi wouldn't go that far." Natalie unlocked the SUV.

I immediately jumped into the passenger seat. Natalie however, took her good old time getting us back home.

"Natalie, my dead grandparents drove faster than you. This thing has horsepower— let's go!" I urged her to step on the gas. She nodded, giving me a thumbs up.

But instead of her speeding up, she stayed the same speed down College Avenue.

I groaned, "Please, floor this damn SUV! This cat is my lord and savior!" I felt another round of tears coming on, you could hear it in my voice. Sloane's arms wrapped around me in the front seat from behind.

"Let's all take a deep breath. Naomi, she couldn't have gotten that far." Sloane tried to reason as I felt the tears pooling more. "I can't lose this cat!" I exclaimed as I locked eyes with Finn.

Finn didn't look worried though.

Finn was covering her mouth trying not to laugh.

"Why are you laughing at a time like this!" I yell as Natalie swerves the car. "Finnegan!" Sloane scolded her as she still had her arms wrapped around my weeping body.

"Let's take a deep breath– this stress isn't good for the baby." Natalie chimed in as I groaned.

"The wilderness isn't good for Mimi!" I argued. Natalie pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and I was out of the door the second she pulled in, not even parked. "Wait, wait! I have the keys!" Natalie yelled to me through the barely opened car door.

Why weren't they going faster? They needed to be going faster.

I had to get to my sweet old, cat.

I groaned. "Hurry the hell up!" I responded as the girls took their sweet old time climbing out of the expensive car.

I don't even know why you would buy that car if you didn't want to speed.

Finally,, after a moment, they approached me. Faces not full of worry but of smiles, "Quit fucking smiling you bitches," I warned them as Sloane's smile dropped but instead she hunched over, letting out loud laughter.

Some fucking friends they were.

My brain was still stuck on the idea of her not being there, but I know when I enter this apartment and don't see her, it's not going to be an idea anymore.

"Jesus Christ, you're done having kids after this one. I can't put up with your mommy attitude!" Natalie groaned as she grabbed my arm pulling me into the unlocked apartment building.

"You guys are laughing because my cat of a decade is missing? Some friends you guys are. If we don't find her, I'm never talking to you guys again!" I yell as I run up the stairs past the lobby.

My loud footsteps echo off the stairway walls. Natalie was hot on my trail, Sloane and Finn were following. My quads were getting the workout of a lifetime. Suddenly, I regretted not eating a protein bar and drinking more water.

Finally, I reached the door. I took a quick scan around the hallway making sure there weren't any sights of Mimi.

I threw open our apartment door and hurried down the hallway, keys jingling in my hand. "Matti?" I called out his name but there was no answer. I looked around the living room for a moment, covering every inch to make sure that Mimi wasn't hiding.

I whimpered before walking down my bedroom hallway, opening it. I walked around my room for a moment before walking over to her cat tower. I burst into a fit of tears as soon as I saw her treats and toys next to her bed.

I turned around and sat on my bed for a moment with my head in my hands.

Everything was going so fucking good, so good.

Nobody knows the amount of attachment you create with an animal when it's the only thing keeping you alive.

"Naomi!" I heard Matti's voice call out from outside of my room. I shoot off of my bed, "Matti!" I call out to him as I run out of my room. I go as fast as I can down the hallway before nearly falling over.

"You found her!" I spoke in shock and relief. I watch as Matti gives me a small smile, the cat in his hands. I quickly went up to him and grabbed her from him. I squeezed her a few times before relaxing.

"Girls!" I called out for my three best friends to come out only to realize that they never entered the apartment after me.

I look up at Matti's face and he smiled at me. "What?" I ask as he chuckles.

He takes a step back from me before walking down the hallway. "Matti?" I ask as he disappears into my bedroom. "Matti! Where did you find her at?" I called out after him.

But I still received no answer.

"Mattison!" I called for him one last time before placing a kiss on Mimi's head. I carried her down the hallway with me towards my room. Rolling my eyes, I push open my bedroom door that he closed. "Hey, where did you find her?" I asked the boy who was ignoring me.

He was standing near her cat towers, he spun on his feet giving me a small nod. I scoff, "I'm sorry but you just told me my cat was missing and now you're ignoring me? What the hell is wrong with you right now?" I hiss out at him as he cracks a smile.

He immediately looks at the ground avoiding my eye contact.

Which makes me even angrier.

"Matti!" I call out his name. He ignores.

"Is it because I didn't thank you enough? Thank you Mattison Joey Williams for saving my cat from wherever the fuck she escaped to!" I moved Mimi to one arm so I could give him a thumbs up and a sarcastic smile.

He looked up from the ground, nodding before spinning on his feet. He walked towards my large windows. I huffed out air, "Matti, quit being difficult!" I warn as I heard him chuckle under his breath.

I groan. "Fine, ignore me then. Ignore me all you want, ignore us all you want. That's fine, we'll be fine." I spit at him as I spin on my feet to storm across my room and out the door.

As soon as I reached the door handle, his voice stopped me.

"She was with me," I froze, furrowing my eyeballs in confusion, turning around. "Huh?" I ask as he has his hands in his shorts pockets. He gave me a small smile.

"She was with me." He stated clear as day.

I gave him a dumb look, "So you lied to me, telling me that one of the most important things in my life went missing for the fun of it?" I try to make sense of the situation before freaking out.

To be honest, I feel like fucking freaking out.

He took a step towards me as I clenched my empty hand.

"Naomi," His voice teased as I narrowed my eyes at him. "Nope, I'll never talk to you again if she truly wasn't missing," I warn as he chuckled. "Stop fucking laughing, Matti! You know how much she means to me!" I stress as he bites his lip trying to hold back his laughs.

"Check her collar." It was the only three worded explanation I got.

I huffed, my eyes connected with the back of the cat's neck, nothing. I looked back at Matti who ushered with his fingers for me to turn the designer collar around.

I bite my lip and struggle to turn the tight collar, but I freeze when my eyes make contact with the shiny sapphire. I bite my lip, freezing. I don't move, but Mimi is squirming at the position I have her in.

I let out an exhale, closing my eyes.

He could easily be fucking with me.

This could be a joke.

Maybe I was thinking too much about this?

But I know that is his mother's engagement ring.

Instead of me talking, he opened his mouth first. I was so out of the moment I didn't realize that he was now standing in front of me, removing the ring from the collar.

Okay, maybe this was happening.

"Naomi," I blinked very slowly before looking up at him. He held the bold sapphire in between his fingers. My eyes however weren't moving from his eyes.

His bright blue eyes looked even bluer in this current moment because god damnit, he was standing in front of me with his mother's engagement ring.

And more importantly— I think he was about to propose to me.

"NJ," His voice spoke more softly, trying to regain my attention. I cleared my throat, gently setting Mimi down on the ground. I wiped my hands on my comfy pants. My sweat glands were overproducing at this very moment.

His right hand was held out in front of me and I let out a whimper.

This was fucking happening right now.

He let out a slight chuckle as my shaking left hand was connected to his right awaiting one. "Naomi Jade," He blew out air. My eyes shot up to his, a smile on his face.

He nodded, "There are those pretty eyes," My heart fluttered. "Naomi Jade Black, I have known you for less than a year. If there is one thing that you have taught me the most in our relationship is that time doesn't mean anything." I felt my eyes trying to hold back the tears.

But I knew that they were about to erupt.

"Time doesn't mean anything because the time you have with the people you love is never guaranteed." The first tear fell from my right eye after that statement.

He chuckled.

"But time doesn't mean anything because if anything it's just a stamp as to when something is over. I don't want anything to ever be over with you, I don't want us to ever be over." My right hand came up over my mouth and wiped the tears that were falling at a rapid pace.

But they fell even fast when thee Mattison Williams, the millionaire ex-college quarterback- the number two draft pick, got down on one of his multi-million-dollar knees.

I let out a laugh.

"This is the only time you'll be taller than me," He teased as I nodded with a chuckle.

His fingers gripped my hand. "Naomi Jade Black, would you make me the happiest fucking man in the world and let me put this ring on your finger so I can make you my wife? So we can prove that time doesn't mean anything because I don't want us to ever be over." I watched as his eyes started to fog over with his words.

My hand still covering my mouth in shock, I let out a laugh before nodding my head like a mad man. His eyes lit up as he slid the blue gem on my finger.

My eyes fell on the jewelry.

Something that my mom never had but she had always wanted.

This is what she would've wanted for me, my happy ending. With my very own prince charming, even if he was somewhat like my father.

With the ring on my finger, he got off his knee. He stood up on his two legs before wrapping me in his arms and spinning me around till no tomorrow. We couldn't control our laughter, our smiles, and our tears of joy.

"We're fucking engaged!" I exclaimed as he laughed.

"I would've done it when I hit you with the door!" He teased as I wrapped my arms around him tighter. He set me on the ground, not letting go of my hands. He slowly started pulling me out of my room.

Before we left my room he paused, bending down and pressing me against the wall and giving me a huge kiss on the lips. "We're engaged and pregnant." I tease as he nods, pressing his forehead against me.

"We are?" He teased back before his hand came down to press against my lower stomach. A smile appeared on his face, "You hear that Beanie? Mommy and daddy are getting married!" He whispered excitedly before coming back up to my face and planting kisses all over it.

He pulls away, "I have a surprise for you." He smiled at me as I raised my eyebrows. "Why?" I whine as he scoffs, a smile on his face.

"Seriously—still not into surprises? Get used to it, Princess." His hands grip mine and pull me out of my bedroom. He pulls me in front of him before his large hand covers my eyes, I chuckled. "Matti! Making a pregnant woman blind is not a good idea." He lets out a loud laugh before I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"Trust me, I won't let you fall." I huff. "Good because if you do then I'll kick your ass." I tease as he starts to walk us down the hallway.

"Don't worry, it's a completely even playing field. I wouldn't want anyone else kicking my ass." We came to a stop after a couple more steps.

I felt him nod before his hands were released from my eyes. My eyes winced at first from the light. My eyes connected to all of the people that were inside my apartment. I gasped as I felt Matti laugh.

Stood in the living room was Uncle Coach, Helen, the girls, Blake, Reese, and Griffin.

The people that made Happy Valley feel like home.

"Well?" I heard Blake ask.

I looked up at Matti who was staring at me, looking down. I smile at him as he winks at me. I turn my head back to the group of people before holding up my hand with the jewelry on it. I watch the reactions on everyone's faces, bright smiles.

Helen was the first person to squeal, running towards me and my jeweled finger. Matti shoved me forward to the wolves as he stepped aside to the boys. "Oh my god! Honey, that ring is beautiful!" Helen gushed. My left hand was then yanked in a million directions as the girls got a good look.

"Let me look at it!" Nat squealed. As soon as she reached for my hand, hers was slapped away. "Look at your own!" Sloane argued, grabbing my hand and staring at it looking at it like no tomorrow.

"Finn! Look at that shit, it's blue!" Sloane gushed. Before biting her lips, "Girl you need to stop biting your nails." She scolded me as I rolled my eyes.

Helen chuckled, pulling me in for a side hug, face close to my ears. "She would be over the moon for you."

I looked down at the ground, nodding a smile on my face. I look back up and thank her.

Of course, she would be over the moon for me, she was the moon.

"Shots! Let's do shots!" Griffin yelled over the madness, before landing a hard slap on coaches back. To which coach thought was Reese.

So Reese got a slap to the face.

I covered my mouth with my hand as giggles flew out. Everyone walked away from me and towards Matti's group, I couldn't do celebratory shots. Natalie just walked over to be with Griffin.

However, there was one person that was making his way over to me.

"I'll go get glasses!" I called out as Griffin locked eyes with me and nodded. I walked into the kitchen as I knew the person was following me.

I would miss this kitchen, I would miss my apartment. I would miss the girls— I would miss my Penn State family. This was the best couple years of my life, a life that I felt like I could fucking live.

I didn't have a life to live before Penn State.

I didn't have a life to live before Mattison Williams.

I found my target of shot glasses, but I couldn't reach them. I groaned standing on my tiptoes, but with no luck. I would have to go get Matti.

"Since you didn't let any of us get you the tea from the top shelf in the cafe, can I get you down the shot glasses?" Reese's voice interrupts my train of thought. I bit my lip, turning around and nodding.

He gives me a