Epilogue
Chris
Six Months Later
This has been a crazy six months. The most enjoyable part was Stacey and I being able to date all throughout the summer and fall. We were happy and delighted when the pandemic restriction eased up, and we both received an email that the schools would be opening again.
Stacey hugged me when she read that, saying, “I can’t wait to see the kids again.”
I smiled and replied, “Me too.”
I genuinely meant it. I really enjoy my job.
A few days later, Stacey is sitting at the kitchen table, looking through housing listings online. We made the decision to buy a house at the beginning of the year. It’s getting kind of cramped, living in her apartment. I have already gotten rid of my place.
I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her. I gently kiss the top of her head. She looks up at me and smiles.
“I have something to tell you,” I say.
“Ok,” she says, turning away from her computer to face me.
I sit in the chair next to her.
“Remember how I said that you wouldn’t be my TA anymore, and that you would be getting a promotion?” I ask.
She thinks for a minute, then nods.
“Well, I spoke to the school district…”
I pull out an email that I had printed it out. She looks at me, confused.
“Read it out loud.”
She takes the paper from me.
“’We are pleased to inform you that history will be taught jointly by our exceptional teachers, Mr. Chris Winston and Ms. Stacey Mikhailov, at the start of the school year.’”
She cries out happily, leaning forward to hug me tightly. I hug her back. “Oh, thank you! This is the best news ever!”
I smile. “I’m glad. You more than deserved this,” I say.
She lets go of me and looks at the paper once more. I smile as I watch her; she looks so beautiful and adorable right now. I decide to take things further and do something extra special.
“Excuse me, Miss Stacey?” I ask.
She looks up at me, puzzled.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“I was wondering if I could take you on that coffee date, since the coffee shop near here is open now?” I ask.
It takes her a few seconds to get it. She giggles and blushes before going along with it.
“Well, I need to get ready. How about I meet you at the front door in 30 minutes?” she asks.
“Sounds like a plan,” I say with a wink.
She kisses me before running off to get ready.
I smile and clean up the room before going to the bathroom to freshen up. Afterwards, I sit on the couch to wait.
Thirty minutes later, she walks to the front door. She smells clean and fresh. She’s dressed for the warm weather in a cute sundress and sandals. She grabs her purse and keys.
“Miss Stacey, you look lovely,” I say as I open the door for her.
“Thank you, Mr. Winston. You look very handsome today,” she says as we walk outside.
She reaches for my hand as we walk. It’s a nice day outside, so we walk all the way to the coffee shop. I open the door for her and pull out her chair.
“Such a gentleman,” she says.
“Well, this is a first date,” I say as I go to get our coffees.
Afterwards, I sit across from her. We sip our coffees and look out the window. She sighs happily.
“I couldn’t picture today being any better,” she says.
“I agree. Except, there is one thing I want to do differently about this first date,” I say.
“What’s that?” she asks curiously.
“I want to take you home right away to hit that. Now that I think about it, I wish I had done that then, too,” I say, smiling.
She laughs and sips her coffee. “You know, it’s funny,” she says after a moment.
“What is?” I ask her.
“Well, the way we met and started our relationship was very unusual, but I don’t regret it,” she says.
I look at her in surprise.
“In fact, I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”
She goes back to drinking her coffee.
“I’m really happy to hear you say that,” I say, getting up from the table. She watches me curiously, and her eyes widen with shock as I get down on one knee in front of her.
“Ms. Stacey Mikhailov?” I ask her.
“Yes, Mr. Chris Winston?” she says, her voice quivering with emotion.
“These past six months have been the best of my life. The only thing that could make them better is if you agreed to be my wife.” I pull a box from my pocket and open it.
“Oh, Chris, yes!”
I put the ring on her finger. She rushes to wrap her arms around me. We hug each other tight and kiss. People around us in the coffee shop clap. I let Stacey go and she brushes away her tears.