Chapter 54: Happy Valentine's Day

Thursday started like any other day. Well, any other day for me in New Jersey. I woke up to David kissing me gently, teasing me awake before the jarring blare of the alarm clock could sound.

“Mmmm,” I said sleepily as David wrapped me in a hug. “Morning, baby.”

“Good morning, my love,” he answered. “Happy Valentine’s day.”

“Back atcha,” I said, wrapping my own arms around David. I smiled as David moved to rest his head on my chest. He stroked my belly with light, tender fingers. “Morning, LJ,” he said.

“Another four months or so, and she’ll kick when she hears your wonderful voice,” I said.

David smiled and propped his head up on his elbow. “Someone’s been reading again,” he teased.

I pretty much bought out the parenting section of the local Barnes & Noble. I can’t help it. I’m a planner, and forewarned is forearmed. David thought it was cute. I reminded him that he went through this already a couple times, but it’s new to me. I loved reading about how big LJ was and what she was probably experiencing; it was just so amazing. We made a little person. And she’s in there. *gulp* and she has to come out at some point.

“Do you have to go in early today?” A couple of days a week, I have early conference calls with India. Not today, though.

“No, but I was going to go in early to see about taking an early train back home to you,” I said, kissing his cheek.

“I like the sound of that,” he said, kissing me back.

“Of what, me getting out early?” I toyed with his hair. It never ceased to fascinate me.

“No. Well, yeah, but the other part too. The part where you call this home.” David wasn’t looking at me anymore. Jesus, Stephanie was right; this was really bothering him. Time to try to make this right.

“Baby, anywhere you are feels like home to me,” I said. “I love getting off the train and seeing you there, waiting for me. I love coming back here with you and making dinner and clearing up and snuggling in to watch TV. I love getting ready for bed with you, and falling asleep in your arms and waking up the same way.”

David looked at me, his expression hopeful. “I love all those things too,” he said. “Do you know how happy I was to come home Monday morning and see your stuff all around? There were shoes in the foyer, where you’d kicked them off. Stray earrings on the counter in the kitchen, a purple sock in the library…”

“I’d wondered where that had gotten to,” I said, making David chuckle. “Do you know,” I said to him, “that I am deliriously happy here with you? And that I’m heartsick that I need to work in Boston next week even though you aren’t going to be here?”

“I had hoped, but was afraid to believe it,” David said.

“Believe it, baby,” I said. “You, my dear sir, have gotten way under my skin.”

He patted my stomach. “Yeah, I believe that,” he said, making me giggle. “So what should we do about that?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Hang on a sec,” David said, and got out of bed. He left the room, and came back a few minutes later with a small box. It was bigger than a ring box, so I had no idea what was inside. My heart was pounding though, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I sat up against the headboard.

“What’s this?” I asked, taking the proffered box from David. It was gaily wrapped with silver paper, and tied with a big red bow.

“Open it,” he said, and sat by me.

I slowly pulled the end of the ribbon, and the bow came untied. I looked at David, and looped the ribbon around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. “I love presents,” I said.

“Well, I hope you like this one,” he said, biting his lip.

I slit the paper with a fingernail, and peeled it back, revealing a plain gray box. I lifted the lid of the box and gasped. Inside, nestled in a bed of tissue paper, linked on a heavy gold heart-shaped fob was a set of keys. I picked it up, and the keys jangled merrily. I looked at David. He took my hand, and counted off the keys.

“This one is for the gate, this one is the front door, this one for the garage, this for the Nav, this for the mailbox…” he listed off each key, never taking his eyes from me.

“Oh, David,” I said, and clasped my hand around the keys. “I would love to make my home with you.” He leaned in to kiss me, and I could taste his relief.

After several long minutes, David broke the kiss and sat back. He swept a lock of hair from my forehead and tucked it behind my ear. “Hath, there’s one more key in there, under the tissue – the key to my heart.”

I got a chill and looked into the box and slowly lifted the tissue paper. Winking back at me was a breathtaking heart-cut diamond solitaire ring, set in a platinum band. The band had smaller diamonds set in it, going all the way around. I don’t know much about jewelry, but I know this is gorgeous and the most absolute perfect thing I have ever seen.

With shaking hands, David took the ring from the box, and took my left hand. “Hath, I don’t know how to do this except straight out. I love you with all my heart, and want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. I want to share my life, my home, my very existence with you. Will you accept me, warts and all into your life forever? Will you marry me?” He poised the ring over my finger and looked deep into my tear-filled eyes.

“Yes,” I said simply. “Oh, David, yes.” I watched him slip the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, and glittered happily there. I looked up to see tears in his eyes, and pulled him to me. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. You have become so important, so essential to me, that I can’t even remember what it was like to not love you. I would be honored to be your wife and to take your name.”

David hauled me up and into his lap and kissed me reverently. “You will never regret choosing me,” he said, looking into my eyes, and trailing a hand down the side of my face.

“And every day I will make you glad you decided you wanted me forever.” I wrapped my arms around David’s neck and kissed him with all the passion, love, and devotion I felt. His arms wrapped around me and held me firmly to him.