I Choose You | ✓

Chapter 40: "It's almost time!"

S O P H I E   W I L K I N S

For the rest of that night a week ago, Andrew and I cuddled, and he ended up falling asleep with me. My heart kickstarted immediately when I woke up the next morning to find his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as if he was protecting me from danger. I was sad when he had to leave, but Bree ended up coming over soon after and took my mind off of my beautiful boy for a bit.

After I had filled Bree in with all of the eventful catastrophes and blessings, she bounced up and down like a child.

"I knew it, I knew it. I. Frickin. Knew It!" She squealed eagerly, twirling around in my bedroom. I rolled my eyes and let out a small laugh.

"What did I tell you, Soph? You can try as hard as you can to run away from him, but you'll always be drawn back to each other because you're soulmates!"

I chuckle quietly as I recall the memory, texting Bree and wishing her a Happy New Year's Eve. Then, a hand wraps around my waist, and Andrew tugs me closer to him.

"What are you laughing about?" He leans down and gives me a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Nothing." I shake my head and he drops the subject.

"So, your mom is coming over after she's done at the hospital, right?" Andrew asks, raising his eyebrows. I nod and a grin forms on his face.

Before Andrew had left my house the next morning, he invited me and my mom over to his house so that our moms could finally meet and watch the fireworks that brought in the New Year. Obviously, I accepted his offer, and shortly after Andrew left, I told my mom about Andrew's invitation and explained to her that we were dating. Surprisingly, she was happy for us, although I'm pretty sure she already knew it was bound to happen, and gladly accepted the offer of meeting his mom.

After half an hour, the buzzer for the front gate rang, and Andrew and I jumped up to answer it. He draped an arm around my shoulder as he pressed the answer button.

"Hello, is this the Dalton residence?" A female voice questions through the intercom. I chuckle at my mom's formality and answer back.

"Hey, mom, it is. You can park your car out front." Andrew presses the button to open the gate.

A few minutes later, the doorbell chimed and I jumped up from the couch and briskly let in my mom.

"Hey, Mom." I lean in and give her a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, baby. This house is huge. You really know how to pick em," she winks, reciting the second part at a quieter volume.

"Mom," I whisper, laughing at her joke but giving her not-so-loud look.

"You know I'm just kidding, Soph. I don't care about that, I only care about your happiness and I'm glad that he treats you well," she replies sweetly, rubbing my arm.

Then, Andrew and Emily enter the living room. The two moms quickly introduce themselves and slip into a smooth conversation, talking about various things like family and their hobbies.

Andrew and I are cuddled up on one of the lounge chairs in his front yard, observing the sun as it slowly dips beneath the horizon, coloring the sky a navy blue color with streaks of orange. His gray oversized hoodie rolls down to my mid-thigh, and I had to roll up the sleeves a little so my hands could poke through the arm holes.

As my arm rests across his chest, his thumb draws lazy circles on my bicep, making my heart swell. He gives me a heart-warming kiss on my head, that's resting on his shoulder, and I sigh, closing my eyes to savor the feeling bubbling within me.