323 Tender Way

After all the fanfare was over, Pearl insisted on cleaning up and literally pushed us out the front door before we could protest.

“Ridiculous, is what you are, Duke Miller. Neither of you are lifting a finger if I’ve got anything to say about it. Go home! Rest. There will be more work to do tomorrow. I’ve been cleaning my whole life, one more mess isn’t gonna kill me.”

When we looked back, we could see Ozzie and Trinity pulling down the streamers in the well-lit shop.

“So, were you happy with the shoe choice?” Duke asked me. He noticed I was wearing the Vans.

“Today was perfect, down to the shoe choice. Do you mind if we stop at Perks and drop off the coffee urns? I’ve got a key and that way we won’t have to get up early tomorrow and bring them in.”

Duke

I took a left to head downtown and Maddy casually reached over and grabbed my hand.

Perks was closed and most of the lights were off. I parked on the empty street and Maddy and I walked over to the coffee shop. I held the box of empty urns while she unlocked the door. We dropped the box in the kitchen in the back and Maddy scribbled a quick not for Larry the owner. Walking back through the coffee shop we both stopped by our table, the one where I'd first asked Maddy out and she’d thankfully accepted.

I pulled her into a hug and inhaled her scent, kissed her neck, her cheek and finally, her temple. Before I lost my nerve, I dropped to one knee, reached deep into my pocket for the ring.

Madison brought her hands up to hide her face. Her smile was ecstatic and her hands were shaking.

“Madison Stephans, will you marry me?”

She grabbed both of my hands in hers and pulled me to standing, threw her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately.

“Yes! Duke. Yes!”

She was still shaking as I slid the diamond onto her right ring finger. I’d had the square set art deco style, hoping for a result as unique as she was, and from the way she admired it, she appreciated the creativity.

I picked her up and spun her and then kissed her again.

A loud banging on the glass startled us from our kiss. We turned to see an older gentleman pointing to the coffee bar.

“Are you open?” We could hear his muffled question through the glass.

“No, Sir,” I said wagging a finger at him.

Madison held her fist high showing him the ring.

“We’re engaged though! I said yes!” she hollered back to him.

The man gave us a deep bow and then lumbered away.

Epilogue- 20 Years later

Madison

“Free coffee number seven thousand three hundred,” I said to Duke as I set a steaming mug beside him at the breakfast table.

“Thanks, babe,” he replied. One fist, that had Maddy tattooed on the knuckles, curled around the mug handle. He reached up with the other, where the knuckles read Tilda, grabbed my neck and pulled me in for a quick kiss. He took my breath away even after all these years. Still wearing his usual Saturday pajamas, stubble beginning to show from just one morning of not shaving.

“Is that a real number or do you just make it up?” Matilda asked us.

“It’s real, baby girl,” I said to our daughter. Our youngest, at five, was already starting to feel grown up.

“Why do you count coffees like that? Because your job is to count numbers?” she asked us.

“Eat your cereal, Tilda. We have a bit of a drive to get to the sports complex,” Duke told our precocious daughter.

Aiden and Elijah came downstairs showered and ready, followed by a sleepy Bennet still wearing his pajamas.

“Kind of, Tilda,” I told her.

Duke pushed his chair back, stood up and kissed me again on the cheek. Growling, he ran to Bennet and scooped him up in his arms.

“The sea monster’s got Benny and he’s going to make him walk the plank and swim in the ocean!” Duke roared as he chased Bennet back upstairs to run him through the bath.

I set out more bowls and spoons for the boys, along with some fresh fruit.

“I count the coffees because Dad and I made a deal when we first met that Mom would make him free coffee for life. So I count those days because every one of them has been good, every one a blessing. Every single day with Daddy brings me happiness and so I keep track of those days, just like you keep track of anything you love and are grateful to have.”

“I keep track of my brothers,” Tilda piped up in response.

Aiden reached out and ruffled her hair. All of our boys had inherited my brown eyes, but Tilda’s were a warm golden color, just like her dad’s.

Five minutes later and Duke was back with a clean and giggling Bennet dressed in his soccer shorts and shin pads.