09-02-2020, 01:34 PM
"That day in the ER is what finished it for me, too. That, and the other night when you held me as I broke down. I've never done that before, and you didn't back away." Tom drew back from Mary a little bit so he could look into her eyes. "Mary, I know it's awfully soon, and we hardly know each other, but I know enough for me. Will you marry me?"
"I know enough for me, too, and I would be honored. I love you, Tom. This only happens in the story books and movies, but it's real." Mary leaned in to Tom for a kiss and then nestled her head back onto his shoulder and sighed.
"I can't ask your father or the Staff Sergeant for permission. Should I maybe ask your daughter?" Tom murmured in her ear.
"I know what her answer will be, but I think it would be good."
Tom pulled his new phone from his pocket and stopped. "You know, I don't even have her number."
Mary got her phone from her purse and handed it to him. "She wouldn't know your number either and probably wouldn't answer it this time of night. Use mine."
Tom's hands were shaking as he tried to push the buttons.
"Hi, Mom. What's up?"
"Stephanie, this is Tom."
"Oh no! What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just need to ask you something."
"Oh. Good. You scared me for a minute. What's up?"
He paused and took a deep breath before saying, "I just asked your mother to marry me, and I want your permission." He had to pull the phone from his ear because of her scream of joy.
"Oh yes, yes, yes! I'm so happy! I told Mom the day I met you that you would be a good one for her! And, I think you will be a wonderful Daddy!"
"Thanks," Tom whispered.
It was a very excited Stephanie that danced all through the house hugging everyone and telling them the good news, holding me tightly, while I held her so she could cry tears of joy into my neck. It was only moments before I had Rosemary on one side of us and Susie on the other joining in on the hug and tears. I'm not saying I cried too, but my cheeks were awfully wet when we broke apart, and I needed a tissue.
Tom lifted Mary and set her across his lap and hugged her tightly to himself. Somehow the wine and beer were forgotten.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Debbie, Bitsy, and Helen left shortly after we finished off the pizzas, but Brian stayed around for a while. We all moved into the library, and were sitting in the lawn chairs in front of the desk. Something about the room just made it the gathering spot. Maybe it was the dark wood of the shelves that just made it more comforting than bare walls in the kitchen. When Stephanie got the call we had been talking about school, and what we could expect in the fall, places to get good deals on books, professors to avoid, and things like that.
Stephanie jumped to her feet and started screaming, and kicked her chair across the room as she jumped. She danced around and around laughing, crying, hugging us all, even Brian who was as puzzled as he could be, but she ended up in my arms trying to drown me in her tears, as it were. What a difference from the girl who cried in my arms after Paul attacked her and tried to bang her. What a difference in men!
"I know enough for me, too, and I would be honored. I love you, Tom. This only happens in the story books and movies, but it's real." Mary leaned in to Tom for a kiss and then nestled her head back onto his shoulder and sighed.
"I can't ask your father or the Staff Sergeant for permission. Should I maybe ask your daughter?" Tom murmured in her ear.
"I know what her answer will be, but I think it would be good."
Tom pulled his new phone from his pocket and stopped. "You know, I don't even have her number."
Mary got her phone from her purse and handed it to him. "She wouldn't know your number either and probably wouldn't answer it this time of night. Use mine."
Tom's hands were shaking as he tried to push the buttons.
"Hi, Mom. What's up?"
"Stephanie, this is Tom."
"Oh no! What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just need to ask you something."
"Oh. Good. You scared me for a minute. What's up?"
He paused and took a deep breath before saying, "I just asked your mother to marry me, and I want your permission." He had to pull the phone from his ear because of her scream of joy.
"Oh yes, yes, yes! I'm so happy! I told Mom the day I met you that you would be a good one for her! And, I think you will be a wonderful Daddy!"
"Thanks," Tom whispered.
It was a very excited Stephanie that danced all through the house hugging everyone and telling them the good news, holding me tightly, while I held her so she could cry tears of joy into my neck. It was only moments before I had Rosemary on one side of us and Susie on the other joining in on the hug and tears. I'm not saying I cried too, but my cheeks were awfully wet when we broke apart, and I needed a tissue.
Tom lifted Mary and set her across his lap and hugged her tightly to himself. Somehow the wine and beer were forgotten.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Debbie, Bitsy, and Helen left shortly after we finished off the pizzas, but Brian stayed around for a while. We all moved into the library, and were sitting in the lawn chairs in front of the desk. Something about the room just made it the gathering spot. Maybe it was the dark wood of the shelves that just made it more comforting than bare walls in the kitchen. When Stephanie got the call we had been talking about school, and what we could expect in the fall, places to get good deals on books, professors to avoid, and things like that.
Stephanie jumped to her feet and started screaming, and kicked her chair across the room as she jumped. She danced around and around laughing, crying, hugging us all, even Brian who was as puzzled as he could be, but she ended up in my arms trying to drown me in her tears, as it were. What a difference from the girl who cried in my arms after Paul attacked her and tried to bang her. What a difference in men!
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