#brent x malia

[hvlfwygod]

sparkling wine | brent (& malia)

summary: Brent picks out some wine.

He had just over forty-eight hours left before his life, regardless of the outcome, took a turn.

Don’t be so dramatic, Vale.

Brent was standing in an icy-white glow of the refrigerated section, holding two nearly identical bottles of sparkling wine, trying to will himself to calm down. Pleasant, aimless string music poured out from the speakers hanging in the store. For an early afternoon on a Thursday, the vineyard was oddly crowded. Just outside the small, cozy shop, lined with more varieties of wine than he could count, were acres of land, lush and green and lovely, basking under a brilliant summer sun. It was beautiful here, another idyllic slice of Long Island not unlike the more rural parts of New Athens. He could barely appreciate any of it.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Rae and Hazel were laughing at him, demanding to know why this wasn’t done yet. Miranda’s latest text, confirming the details of the night in question, taunted him. Brent stared up at the ceiling while his heart fluttered around in his chest. Saturday felt too soon, but also so far away. How could he keep it together until then?

He glanced down at the wines once again, worry gnawing away at him. It had been about five minutes, already, and he’d reread the notes on each bottle several times over while retaining almost none of it. This is such a small detail, Brent, just pick one. But when he finally made up his mind and moved to put the reject back on its shelf, a third option appeared in front of him. Why were there so many vegan options? On any other day, he’d be happy about this, but right now he was cursing the variety.

“Brent?”

He recognized the voice, but couldn’t quite place it. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because as soon as she called his name, Malia bounded up to him, beaming.

Brent blinked at her, surprised. For a split second, he wondered if he was seeing things. “Wow, hi.”

“This is so weird!” she chirped. “How are you? Why are you here? Did you come alone or is Macey around?”

“Nope! Just me,” he said quickly. “Are you here with anyone?”

Malia shook her head. “We’re both solo, I guess.” She pulled her phone out. “Can I take a picture? I think it’s literally hilarious that we ran into each other, I wanna put it on Insta.”

Brent faltered, then nodded his head. It’s not like it was a secret that he was here. “Sure,” he replied, leaning down to get in the frame with Malia.

Once she took the picture, she immediately started typing again, but paused to glance at the bottles in front of them. “Oooh, I love these. Are we getting the same thing?”

“Um,” he started while she reached past him. Her hand closed around the neck of the bottle that he decided against. “I was thinking, this one?” Brent pointed to the new, third option.

“That one is good, too! Very sweet. Actually,” Malia plucked that one off the shelf, too. “This place is great. I keep saying New Athens should work with them. Have you been here before?”

“No, this is my first time. I just wanted to get uh, something different than what’s at the store in town.”

“Exactly my point! Imagine if we could just hop across town for this? Anyway, I guess you’re planning something super fancy and special?” she asked, and she was clearly just making conversation, but Brent felt another wave of nervousness crash over him. Malia paused, then her smile got a little wider, a little more excited. “Brent, what’s this for?”

“Dinner,” he answered, a little too fast.

Malia wasn’t buying it, and it showed. She posted their picture— he felt the buzz in his pocket of her tagging him in her story— and pocketed her phone. Her full attention was on him. “Dinner for what?”

Brent’s face was a traitor, and he knew it without having to see. She gasped quietly and he turned away, blushing. “Oh gods, Mal, please don’t say anything.”

“Brent! I would never! I’m very good at keeping secrets.” She grabbed his sleeve and tugged excitedly. “This is so great! I have been waiting for this moment, you have no idea. It’s been like, five years right? Does she have any idea at all?”

“No.” Brent ducked his head, putting a hand over his mouth. “I don’t think so? I don’t know.”

“Awwww, Brent, don’t be nervous! She’s totally going to say yes.”

He knew that. Maybe it was presumptuous or foolish, but he wasn’t worried about that. He was just stunned, just overcome with emotion every time he thought about it.

“I’m not. I’m...” He swallowed, then leaned against the cool glass door. “I don’t know.”

“Come on. Are you done shopping? Let’s check out.”

They walked up to the front of the store; Malia insisted on buying his bottle— “it’s my congratulations!”— and guided him outside. She plopped into a bench and motioned for him to join her. 

“When is this happening?”

“Saturday,” he answered, his head in his hands. “There’s like... this castle, it’s not far from here, they have a restaurant and a nice courtyard and...”

“A castle!” she exclaimed, then lowered her voice, looking apologetic. “Brent, that sounds perfect.” She gave his arm a small squeeze. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m... Yeah, me too.” He laughed a bit, knocking his fist lightly against his forehead. “I’m not nervous, but I’m... Overwhelmed?”

“Of course you are!” Malia was practically bouncing in her seat. “Brent, you love her a lot, this is big. You’re probably feeling so much it’s all one big jumble. There’s like, not a word for it.” She nudged him, and he felt a little tingle spread from his chest, traveling outward. “But you got this. She loves you sooooo much, Brent, and you are like, perfect for each other. I’m like... Okay, I’m revealing myself as a big big Brent and Macey shipper. This is gonna be magical!”

Brent took a deep breath. She was right. He felt a little warmer, a little calmer. “Yeah. Okay, okay.” He looked over to her and smiled.

She smiled back, her eyes getting misty. “Wow, I might cry. I remember when you were this big grouch. I judged you so hard.”

He laughed. “So when I tried to convince you to date me, that was never gonna happen?”

“Oh, gods,” Malia waved her hand. “No, it wasn’t, sorry. But look at you now! About to be a married man! Well, an engaged man. Basically the same thing.” She pulled him in for a hug.

Brent let himself linger in the embrace for a moment, and when he pulled back, he was well and truly blushing. “Thanks.”

“Of course!” Malia hopped up to her feet, picking up the bags with his and her wine. “Okay, so, I took a car here, and I think, it would be super cute and nice of you if you gave me a ride home!”

With a laugh, Brent rose as well. “Of course, Mal.”

“Yay! Thank youuuu.”

Brent guided them back to his car with an easy, relaxed gait. He couldn’t explain why— maybe it was some Aphrodite-sponsored confidence— but he felt better. Less nervous, more excited. He imagined Macey, in two days' time sitting across from him, aglow by candlelight. He imagined her standing in the spot in the courtyard that he’d already picked out, under the sparkle of starlight. His heart stuttered again, but he knew better now than to call it nerves.

“You okay?” Malia asked, peeking over the top of his car.

Brent came back to this afternoon and nodded, fumbling for the keys. “Yep. Just...” She smiled knowingly at him. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

[themomsandthecity]

Every Baby Name We Could Possibly Think Of

Naming your baby is a big decision, and with endless options, it can also be a difficult one. Whether you're going the traditional route or want something more unique (if so, read this first!) it's helpful to have a little, or a lot, of inspiration. Ahead, you'll find nearly every baby name we could think of (close to 1,000!). These aren't just random names we found in a book or concocted ourselves - they're almost all monikers we've heard being used, or we actually know someone who goes by the name. If we missed any, tell us in the comments! A Aaliyah Aaron Abbie Abel Abigail Abraham Adalyn Adam Addilyn Addison Adelaide Adeline Adley Adora Agatha Aiden Alan Albert Aleph Alexander Alexis Ali Alma Alton Ama Amanda Amaryllis Amber Ameila Amélie Amy Anders Anderson Andrea Andrew Angie Angela Angelica Anika Anna Annalise Anne Annie Ansel Apple April Arata Archie Aria Ariane Ariel Arlee Arlo Arman Arthur Arun Arwen Arya Asha Asher Aspen Atticus Aton Aubrey Audrey August Augustus Aurora Ava Avery Axel Aziz B Bailey Barack Barbara Barney Barry Beatrice Beau Beckett Beckham Becky Ben Benedict Benjamin Bennett Bentley Bernadette Beth Bette Betty Beverly Bexley Bianca Bill Billie Bingham Bishop Bitsie Blake Blue Bobby Bodhi Bonnie Bowie Brady Braelynn Brandon Brayden Brecken Bree Brent Brenton Brett Brian Briana Briar Bridgette Brienne Brig Brigham Brinley Brio Britta Brock Brody Bronwyn Brooklyn Bruno Bryan Byron C Caden Caitlin Caity Cale Caleb Calla Calvin Camari Cameron Camilla Carena Carina Carl Carmel Carol Carrey Carter Cary Casey Caspian Cat Catherine Celine Chandler Chanel Channing Charise Charlene Charles Charlotte Chase Cher Cheri Cheriann Cheryl Chevy Chip Chloe Chris Chrissy Christian Christopher Claire Clara Clark Clary Claudia Clementine Clifford Clint Clinton Clyde Colin Collins Condoleezza Connor Conrad Constance Coolidge Cooper Cora Corban Courtney Cruz Related: 100 of the Most Beautiful Baby Names D Daisy Dale Dallas Damon Dane Danica Daniel Danielle Daphne Darby Darlene Darrel Daryl Dashiell Dave David Davina Davis Davon Dawn Dean Deanna Declan Dekel Delaney Delilah Delta Dennis Denzel Desmond Dev Devon Dexter Diane Dinah Dixie Dixon Dolores Dominique Donald Doris Dorothea Dorothy Dot Duke Duncan Dwight Dylan E Easton Ed Eden Edith Edmund Edward Effie Eleanor Elena Eli Eliana Elijah Elise Elizabeth Ella Elle Ellen Ellerie Ellie Elliott Ellis Elodie Eloise Elora Elroy Elsa Elsie Embry Emerson Emily Emma Emmett Eric Erica Esme Esmeralda Esther Ethan Ethel Eugene Evan Eve Evelyn Everett Evie Ewan Ezra F Farah Fay Felix Ferris Finn Fiona Fisher Fitz Fleur Flint Florence Floyd Flynn Ford Forrest Foster Fox Frances Frank Franklin Frederick G Gabe Gabriel Gaige Gail Gant Garrett Garth Gavin Gem Gemma Gene Genesis Gertrude George Gianna Gibson Gigi Gina Ginger Gladys Glenn Gloria Gordon Grace Grady Graham Grant Grayson Greer Gregory Griffin Grover Gus Gwen Gwyneth H Hadlee Hailey Hal Halle Hank Hannah Harding Harlow Harlyn Harold Harper Harriet Harrison Harry Hart Hartley Harvey Haven Hawk Hawthorne Hayden Hayes Hays Hazel Hector Heath Heather Helen Henley Henry Hillary Honor Holden Holly Holt Hope Hubert Hudson Hugo Humphrey Hunter Hurley Hutton Related: Based Off Last Year's Trends, These 30 Names Will Be Among the Most Popular of 2017 I Ian Ida Idris Ike Imanuel Imogen India Indy Ingrid Inizio Ireland Iris Irvin Isa Isaac Isabella Isabelle Isaiah Isla Israel Ivana Ivory J Jack Jackie Jackson Jacob Jacqueline Jaden Jaelyn Jagger Jake James Jameson Jamie Jane January Jason Jasper Jaun Jax Jaxon Jayce Jayden Jeannette Jed Jeff Jefferson Jenna Jess Jessica Jessie Jill Jillian Joan Joanna Joaquin Joe John Jones Jordan Joseph Josephine Josh Joshua Joslyn Joss Joy Joyce Judith Judy Jules Julia Julian Julie Juliet Julius June Juno Justin K Kai Kaia Kale Kalinda Kane Karah Katharine Kathryn Kate Kay Kaya Kaylee Keanu Keegan Keira Keith Kellan Kelly Kelsey Kendall Kennedy Kevin Khloe Kiah Kiele Kiera Kim Kima Kimberly Kingston Kinsley Kirk Kit Kitty Knox Krista Kristen Kurtis Kyle Kylie L Laith Lake Lana Landon Lane Larissa Larkin Laszlo Laura Lauren Lawrence Layla Leah Lee Leia Leighton Leilani Lena Lennon Leo Leonard Leslie Levi Lewis Leyona Lia Liam Liana Lida Lilith Lillian Lily Lincoln Lindsay Lionel Lisa Lisette Liz Logan Lois Lola London Loretta Lorraine Louella Louise Lucas Lucian Lucille Lucy Luke Luna Lux Lyle Lyndon Lynne Related: 100 Unusual Boy Names M Mabel Mabrey Mac Macallan Mackenzie Macy Madeleine Madelyn Madison Mae Maeby Maggie Mahershala Maia Makena Malcolm Maleeya Malia Mamie Mandy Marabelle Marcus Maren Margaret Margot Mari Maria Mariah Mariam Marilyn Marin Marion Marisole Marisse Marjorie Mark Marlene Marlon Marlowe Martha Martin Mary Mason Matilda Matthew Maui Mavis Maximus Maxson May Maya McKinley Megan Melissa Meredith Merritt Meryl Meyer Mia Michael Michelle Mika Mike Mila Mildred Miles Millie Milo Moana Molly Monica Monroe Montgomery Morgan Moses Muhammad Murray Myles N Nahall Nahla Nancy Nanette Naomie Nasima Natalie Nate Nathan Naveen Naya Neil Neisa Neo Neoma Newt Newton Niall Nicholas Nick Nico Nicole Nicolette Nigel Nile Nimah Nixon Noah Noel Nolan Nora Norma Norman North Nova O Obama Octavia Olly Olive Oliver Olivia Omar Opal Ophelia Ordell Oriana Orion Orlando Orson Orville Oscar Otis Otto Owen P Paige Paislee Paloma Pandora Paris Parker Patrick Patsy Paul Payton Pearl Peggy Penelope Penn Penny Perry Pete Peyton Phillip Phoebe Phoenix Phyllis Pierce Piper Polly Poppy Porter Posey Preston Primrose Priya Prudence Priscilla Q Quaid Quincy Quentin Quinn Quinten R Rachel Radley Rae Ralph Ramsey Rayna Rayne Reagan Rebecca Reese Reeve Reid Reign Remi Renly Rex Rhea Rhett Rhys Richard Rick Riley Ripley River Rivers Rob Robert Robin Rome Romy Ronald Ronin Rooney Roosevelt Rory Rosalind Rosalynn Rosamund Rose Rosemary Ross Rowan Roy Royce Ruby Rue Ruth Rutherford Ryan Ryder Related: 100 Unique Yet Beautiful Girls' Names S Sacha Sage Sahara Saint Sam Samuel Sandra Sandy Sansa Sarah Saul Savannah Sawyer Scarlett Schuyler Scout Sean Sebastian Selena Sena Seymour Shane Shannon Shea Shelly Sherlock Sherry Shiloh Shirley Sia Sidney Sienna Simon Skyler Sloan Sofia Solo Sonia Sophia Sophie Spencer Stacy Stanley Stella Stephanie Sterling Stetson Stuart Sue Sullivan Summer Suri Susan Sylvia T Tabitha Tad Tamera Tamsyn Tanner Tara Tate Taylor Teagan Teddy Terrance Thea Thelma Theordore Theresa Thomas Tim Tina Tinley Toby Todd Tom Tony Travis Travon Trent Trey Tricia Trinity Tripp Tristan Troy Truman Turner Tyler Tyson V Valentina Valentine Vance Vaughan Vaughn Vera Vern Victor Victoria Viggo Vince Vincent Viola Violet Virgil Vivian W Waldo Walker Wallis Walter Warren Watson Waverly Wells Wes Wesley Westley Whitney Will Willa William Willow Wilson Winter Wolfe Wren Wyatt X Xander Xavier Xeno Y Yanet Yani Yigal York Yuma Yvette Z Zachary Zahir Zander Zane Zaylee Zayn Zion Zoe Zola Zooey Zora Zuma Zuri Related: These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2016 http://bit.ly/2kR9iwY