Firefighter's Virgin

“Why are you rooting through the clothes like that?” Megan asked curiously. “Are you looking for something?”

“No, of course not,” I said, a little too quickly.

Megan didn’t seem convinced, and she stood over my shoulder watching what I was doing. “Um…don’t you want to get that bowl of ice cream?” I asked.

“I feel like you need me more than I need ice cream,” she said.

“Ha, ha,” I said nervously.

“I left the hangers in our bedroom,” she said. “Let’s just move the box in there, shall we?”

“I’ll do it… You relax.”

“I thought you liked company while you did these kinds of chores?”“Not always…”

She gave me another frown and then she grabbed the box herself and walked into the bedroom. Panicking, I followed her, trying not to give myself away. She started sifting through the clothes and putting them on the hangers. She lifted up a white sweater, and I saw my blue blazer underneath it.

I went for it immediately, but in my own haste not to be caught I pulled it up the wrong way around, and something heavy fell to the ground. Megan turned immediately and stared at the little box that sat between us on the floor. There could be no mistaking what it was, and as her eyes slowly came up to meet mine, I knew she already knew what it was.

“Oh my God,” she said softly.

I let out a long sigh, but I couldn’t help smiling at how things had turned out. “I wanted to surprise you,” I said.

“It’s safe to say you did.”

I smiled, as I sunk down to one knee and picked up the box. Then I clicked it open to reveal the vintage blue sapphire ring that sat on a shiny ivory cushion. “I had planned to do this at our housewarming next week,” I said.

I could see tears glistening in her eyes. “No… I’m glad it happened like this. I’m glad it’s just the two of us,” she said, shaking her head at me.

“Megan Jacobs,” I whispered. “You are the love of my life. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She let out a breath that was both a laugh and a cry of happiness. “Of course I’ll marry you.” She nodded. “Of course I’ll be your wife.”

Epilogue

Megan

One Year Later

“Are you sure you want to go in alone?” Phil asked, clutching my hand.

“Yes.” I nodded. “You don’t mind?”

“Of course not,” Phil said. “I think it’s important that the two of you talk alone first.”

I gave Phil a quick kiss and then joined the line of visitors filing into the prison. I was used to the routine of prison visits at this point. Phil and I visited Paul at least once a month. It had become sort of a tradition to drive to New York, spend at least a night there, and drive back the next day after seeing Paul. I was used to the ritual of being checked, handing over my phone, and walking through the metal detectors.

My nerves about walking into a prison had long since fled, but seeing as how I wasn’t seeing Paul today, my nerves had returned with a vengeance. The visitation room was slightly different to the one in New York. It was a little larger, and the tables and chairs looked like they were in better condition. I sat down at a table in the corner and waited till the prisoners were brought in.

I almost didn’t recognize Brent when he walked in. He shuffled his feet and kept his head down. He had lost a lot of weight and had shaved off all his hair. He looked every bit the hardened criminal, except that when I looked into his eyes, I saw my brother. Not the man he had become in adulthood, but the scared little boy who used to run to Mom for everything when we were kids.

When he saw me, he stood there for a moment and then shuffled towards me. He sat down in the chair opposite, but he didn’t say a word.

“Hi, Brent,” I said.

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

“I wanted to come see you,” I replied.