totally meta

chapter 42

Henry sat at his desk, fidgeting with his phone as he stared at the blank screen. Something had been bugging him for a while now. Dr. Harris had been acting... different. Not in a bad way, just different. More intimate, more affectionate—she had been initiating things between them more often, almost like clockwork, multiple times a week. And then there was the double date she had arranged with her cousin and her cousin’s husband. That was new territory for him. It felt like she was trying to push their relationship into something more, but he couldn’t figure out what.

As much as Henry enjoyed the intimacy, something about the way Dr. Harris acted these days felt... purposeful. Like she was dropping hints. But for what? He had never been good at picking up on things like that, and every time he tried to figure it out, it just felt like he was missing something big.

His phone buzzed in his hand, breaking him out of his thoughts. It was Dr. Harris calling.

Henry answered, assuming she’d invite him over again like she had been doing lately. "Hey, Dr. Harris. What’s up?"

There was a pause on the other end before she spoke. "Henry, I need to talk to you about something. And I don’t think you’ve been understanding what I’ve been trying to make so obvious."

Her voice was serious, not the usual playful tone she used when she wanted him to come over. This caught him off guard.

Henry frowned. "What do you mean? I know you’ve been acting a little... different, but I just thought maybe it was... you know, just part of how things are now." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward. "If you’re trying to tell me something, can you just say it? I’m not good at picking up hints."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Dr. Harris let out a small, exasperated sigh.

"Henry... I wanted you to propose. I’ve been trying to make it obvious for weeks now, but you’ve just been so... oblivious." Her voice softened. "I want to get married."

Henry froze, the words sinking in slowly. Propose? She wanted to get married? His brain scrambled to catch up with what she had just said. Marriage? He hadn’t even considered that was what she’d been hinting at. Sure, they had grown closer, but... marriage? That was a whole different level.

"Married?" Henry finally managed to say, his voice coming out more surprised than he had intended. "You... want to get married?"

"Yes, Henry," Dr. Harris said, sounding more gentle now. "I love you. I’ve loved you for a while now, and I want to spend my life with you. But I didn’t want to pressure you into anything, so I’ve been dropping hints, hoping you’d get it on your own. I guess I was too subtle."

Henry blinked, his mind still racing to process what was happening. He hadn’t expected this at all. And yet, as he thought about it, it didn’t feel wrong. Dr. Harris had been by his side through everything. She understood him in ways no one else did. But still, marriage? That felt like such a huge step.

"I—uh," Henry stammered, unsure of what to say. "I didn’t realize. I didn’t think... I mean, I didn’t know you were thinking about that."

Dr. Harris chuckled softly. "That’s because you’re terrible at picking up hints, Henry. I didn’t want to push you into something you weren’t ready for. But I also don’t want to keep pretending I’m fine with just... waiting around."

Henry felt a warmth spread through his chest, a mixture of confusion and something else—maybe relief? Maybe he hadn’t known it until now, but the idea of being with Dr. Harris for the long haul didn’t scare him. It made sense. It felt... right.

"I’m sorry," Henry said, finally finding his words. "I didn’t realize. I really didn’t. But I... I care about you too. I just—"

"You just what?" Dr. Harris prompted gently.

"I don’t know if I’m ready for that right now," Henry admitted. "I mean, I love being with you, and I do love you, but marriage... it feels like a big step. I just need to wrap my head around it."

Dr. Harris was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "I understand, Henry. I’m not asking for an answer right now. I just needed you to know what I’ve been feeling. Take your time, think about it. I’m not going anywhere."

Henry nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. "Thanks. I will. I promise."

As they hung up, Henry sat back, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in. Dr. Harris wanted to marry him. She had been waiting for him to make that move, and he hadn’t even realized it.

He wasn’t sure how long it would take him to figure out how he felt about marriage, but one thing was clear—he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. And that was something worth thinking about.

Maybe, just maybe, the idea of proposing wasn’t so crazy after all.