“No, I don’t.”
Megan frowned at me. “Phil, is there something going on?”
“Of course not,” I said casually. “In fact, I think you should put your feet up and relax, and I’ll unpack.”
“You hate doing that stuff.”
“I’ll make an exception in this case,” I said, as I rushed towards the box I spied in the corner.
“You are being so weird,” Megan said, shaking her head at me. “But since I really want ice cream, I’ll just go along with this.”
I smiled and started looking through the clothes in the box. My blue blazer was in there. I knew because I had come home yesterday and noticed that it was missing. Except I was so tired, and Megan was already asleep, so I had just put it out of my head and slipped into bed beside her. Now I needed to get to that damn blazer before she did.
“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.”