Keifer's POV
Jayjay's voice does things to me.
Not normal things.
Weird things.
The kind that make my chest buzz like I just drank too much coffee and excitement at the same time.
We pulled up and—there they were. Chantelle and Andrew, standing way too calmly for people who clearly knew something I didn't.
Andrew smiled first. That smile. The I-know-something-you-don't smile.
I squinted at him. "So… you're officially Sir Piggyback now."
Chantelle burst out laughing. Andrew bowed. "Honored."
We walked in—and the moment my foot crossed the doorway—
Click.
Darkness.
Pitch. Black.
"…Jay?" I called.
No answer.
My heartbeat skipped. "Jayjay?"
Before panic could fully load, Andrew's voice came from my left. "Relax, boss. Just follow me."
Something touched my arm.
"Bend."
I bent.
"Leg up."
I lifted it.
"This feels illegal," I muttered.
We walked like that for what felt like a full horror movie scene until Andrew suddenly stopped.
"Okay. We're here."
I felt… someone beside me.
Instinct kicked in. I grabbed it.
"Jay, what is going on? Why are the lights off? And why are you not talking—"
CLICK.
Lights on.
I was holding a mannequin.
A full, silent, judgmental mannequin.
I yelped, stumbled backward, and fell flat on the floor.
Andrew tried to grab me. Failed.
Hard.
Chantelle clapped. "Just like his wife."
Andrew nodded seriously. "Yeah, but he's faster."
I groaned and sat up. "Okay—where is Jayjay?"
"Oh," Andrew said casually, "Jaybird?"
I snapped my head up. "NO. I am —WHY do you call her Jaybird?"
Andrew shrugged. "First day she came here, she tripped. I saved her with confetti. She fell like—"
"A bird," Chantelle finished.
I stood. "No. She is my ...."
That's when I froze.
A curtain moved.
And she stepped out.
Jayjay.
My brain stopped working.
She looked… unreal. Soft lights, gentle smile, eyes shining like she knew she'd just ruined my ability to form sentences.
"How's the decoration?" she asked.
I breathed out one word.
"Let's get married."
Chantelle and Andrew lost it.
Andrew snapped his fingers in front of my face. "She asked about the decoration, not marriage."
I finally looked around.
And wow.
Photos—our photos—hung on strings in the air, like memories floating. Every picture had a story. A laugh. A moment. us.
I walked slowly, touching each one like they might disappear.
Then I saw it.
A table for two. Perfect. Quiet. Intentional.
I turned to her. "Is this why you've been tired? Busy? Disappearing all the time?"
She nodded. "Yes."
I didn't think.
I pulled her into me.
A deep, real hug. The kind that says thank you without words.
Behind us, chairs scraped.
Chantelle cleared her throat. "We'll… uh… give you space."
Andrew grinned. "Don't break anything."
The door closed.
And suddenly, it was just us.
Lights on.
World off.