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Chapter Thirty Seven - April 6 - Liverpool, England - Echo Arena

"This is so cool. I don't know many kids that get to celebrate their first birthday in Liverpool."

I was pushing Ally and Joe in a stroller and we were visiting sites in an iconic Beatles tour. Shelby was clinging to Molly's hand. She was dressed like she had just walked out of the 1960's. Moll had straightened her hair and she wore a wide, thick headband. She had on white gogo boots and a bright blue dress with yellow daisies all over it.

"Do you know what Penny Lane is, Shel?" I asked. She nodded and began to skip.

"Uh-huh. The Beatles sang it."

I smiled. I thouht back to the day Molly had applied for the job. Shelby had jammed out to I Am the Walrus.

"You're absolutely right."

"And you spill it B-E-A-T-L-E not B-E-E-T-L-E. I like musicians because they make up their own stuff," Shelby added. Molly and I shared a smile.

After our tour, we headed back to the hotel. We were performing at the Echo Arena that night, but not before we all had some cake. Everyone squeezed into my room.

"I can't believe they're one," Leigh said as I slipped Ally into a high chair. She grabbed the little plastic spoon excitedly. Molly slipped Joe into the high chair right beside her.

"Did you get cupcakes?" Liv asked. I shook my head. "Nope."

I lifted the lid of the trays on the roomservice cart. Two little cakes, one in pink, one in blue, sat on little plates.

"They get their own cake."

"I WANT CAKE!" James yelled. I nodded towards the big sheetcake on the second rack of the cart. That seemed to satisfy him.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Ally and Joe, Happy Birthday to you!" we sang in unison.

"AND MANY MORE! ON CHANNEL FOUR!" Shelby sang off-key.

"AND SCOOBY-DOO ON CHANNEL TWO!" Mason added. Molly and Kev lightly covered both of their mouths at the same time. I picked up the plates and set them down on the trays of the highchairs.

Ally looked at the cake with wide eyes. She was still holding her spoon, unsure of what to do. Joe looked up at me and beamed.

"DADA!"

It wasn't just a long set of d's. This was the full word and he had an audience. Everyone clapped for him. I was rendered absolutely fucking speechless. His voice was so damn cute. He puffed out his little chest and dug his hands in the cake, stuffing his fingers in his mouth and nodding in approval.

Ally turned her head and watched him. A minute later she was copying him.

"SILLY BABIES!" Shelby said. It was her favorite phrase. She tugged on my hand.

"So how's about that cake?"

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April 7 - London, England

"He said dada again this morning," I told Nick.

"I swear that's the most awesome thing in the world. It makes all of those dirty diapers and long nights worth it."

"It really does," I said.

While the girls had taken the kids out shopping, Nick and I had stole away to stroll the streets of London. I had an idea bubbling in the back of my mind and I was glad to have Nick along.

By the time we got to New Bond Street, I knew without a doubt I was going to go through with it. I stopped in front of a beautiful brick storefront with small black signs. On those signs was the fancy gold lettering of 'Cartier.'

"I need to stop in here," I said. Nick looked up in surprise.

"Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

Nick followed me in. Diamonds glittered up from all of the cases.

"Can I help you?" a saleswoman asked. She looked at me with a little bit of distaste. I guess she didn't wait on many people wearing a Hendrix t-shirt.

I looked up. I was used to being judged. It didn't bother me anymore.

"Yes, I'd like to see your best selection of engagement rings."

The lady nodded and walked off to gather some rings in a little tray. I felt Nick's eyes on me.

"Dude, are you going to propose to Molly?"

I snickered. "Well, I'm not proposing to you."

Nick leaned against the case. "When are you going to do it?"

I felt my palms begin to sweat. Sonofabitch.

"Here's some of our best selections," the lady said. She set down a black velvet tray.

I was suddenly overwhelmed. I knew exactly what I would have chosen, but then again I loved flash and dazzle. Molly was different. She was a mom. She needed something beautiful, but also something practical.

"The diamonds shouldn't be raised too much," I said. Nick held up a ring and studied it.

"All of these are fairly expensive," the clerk added.

"I don't care about that," I said. "I can afford it."

There was nothing on the first tray that caught my eye. Or the second. As the clerk went to fill up the tray a third time, I began to walk around.

"Liv would like this," I heard Nick say. I walked a little farther past the watches and necklaces.

In a corner cabinet was a simple display of five rings. The one on the bottom left made me stop in my tracks.

It was beautiful; 18 karat gold. It almost looked like a flower. Little gold scallops looped off of a circle of little diamond chips encircling a larger diamond right in the center. I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

"What did you find J?"

I crouched down. "I found it."

Nick hovered over me. "It's different. I like it. Want me to try it on?"

I looked up at him. He smiled sweetly and batted his eyelashes.

"I don't know why I brought you with me."

He laughed. "Because you love me."

I snorted. The clerk came up with a third tray.

"Here's some more selections."

I stood up and pointed to the case. "I'd like to see that one."

She looked at me doubtfully. "Really?"

At this point I was getting a little cranky. "Yes, really. What you've shown me so far are nice but they're fairly inexpensive. I'm going to propose."

The clerk made a big show of getting the ring out of the case. It was five thousand dollars. It was perfect.

"I'll take it."

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April 9 - Belfast, Northern Ireland

We arrived in Northern Island for our concert at the Odyssey Arena a day early. Nick didn't hesitate a moment when I asked him early in the morning if he would watch Shelby and the twins.

"Today the day?" he asked. I smiled.

"Today's the day."

Molly was trying to tame her hair with a bottle full of water when I walked into the bathroom. I kissed her bare shoulder.

"You're coming with me," I said. She turned and laughed.

"What?"

"You and me. We're going sightseeing today."

"What about--"

"Nick and Liv are watching them."

"But--"

"No buts."

We joined one of those hokey tours that are complete tourists traps for the morning. I mimicked the guys thick accent and made up as many dirty names for the guy's handlebar mustache as I possibly could. By the end of the tour Molly was practically lying in my arms laughing.

"That was fun," she said as we hopped off. In reality, I had paid the group to drop us off a little early. As Molly's laughs died off she looked around.

"Wait, we're not anywhere near the hotel."

I smiled. "No we're not."

We were, in fact, in Cavehill County Park in front of Belfast Castle. The sun was high overhead and there was a soft breeze that blew Molly's hair gently behind her.

There was no other place on earth I could imagine proposing to my beautiful redhead then in Ireland. Molly eyed the castle.

"This is amazing."

I took her hand and we headed around the castle. I had done enough homework to know that to the side was a beautiful flower garden with magnificient green wrought-iron benches. Flowers were just beginning to bloom and the deep purples and pinks just made it all the more romantic.

"J, your hand's sweating," Molly said as I tugged her towards the bench.

"It's warm out."

"It's not even sixty degrees!"

"Sit down, okay?"

She sat down slowly. She looked concerned. A little wrinkle appeared in the space between her eyes whenever she was stressed or nervous. This was one of those times.

I paced back and forth a few times.

"Did I do something?" she asked shakily. I shook my head.

"No it's not that. It's just..."

"Is there someone else?" Now I was freaking her out in a totally different direction than what I wanted. I needed to turn the situation back around fast.

"No!" I said. "I..."

My hand slipped into my pocket. She was holding her hands together so hard that her knuckles were turning white. I took out the Cartier box and sank down onto my knees.

She started to shake. Her mouth opened, but before she could speak I opened the box.

"Mol, I love you. I love Shelby. You saved my life just when I thought it was over. You're a mother to my children. I would love nothing more than if you would consider becoming my wife. Will you marry me?"

She studied the ring. The light danced off of the stones. I saw a big tear slip down her cheek. She unclasped her hands. They were shaking badly. Just when I was about ready to crap my pants, she nodded.

"Yes. Yes. YES!"

"Yes?"

"YES!"

I took the ring from the box and grabbed her hand. I slid the ring on her finger and then brought it up to my mouth.

Overhead I swear I saw a raven fly by. I hadn't seen one since the day I visited Ro's grave.

Somewhere up there I hoped that she was smiling down.