White Lies

The Seven Part Two

Tears fill her eyes, and a hiccup tickles her throat, choking back her reply. All Blanche can do is nod her head. She lifts her hand so that Hunter can place the ring on her finger. He's just as nervous and all the while excited. His hands tremble as he holds her dainty fingers on his palm, slipping the platinum band on her ring finger.

"I promise to love you and take care of you forever, Bee, you and our daughter," he tells her. Then he feels the resistance around the ring. "Ahm.. wait."

Hunter tries again, taking off the ring and pushing it once more. "Wait, I don't understand. Why won't it fit?" His brows draw together as he concentrates on placing the ring properly where it should be, without breaking her finger. He sits up and helps Blanche too, but by that time she's in hysterics, her entire body shaking in laughter.

"It's okay, Hunter," she says between swiping tears off her cheeks. "It's fine."

"No, it's the right size. I checked. I even borrowed one of your rings and took it to the jeweler. I don't get it." He scratches the top of his head in wonder.

Blanche leans on one arm and squeezes his cheeks with a hand, making his lips pucker. "You're adorable. I love you." She plants a quick kiss on his lips. "I love it. It's perfect but my fingers are swollen, babe." She wriggles her fingers in front of him. "See. they're like mini-sausages."

Hunter is awfully disappointed. He's been planning this proposal for weeks. The initial idea is to propose to Bee after his parents' vow renewal, in front of the whole family. But excitement got the better of him. The box has been burning a whole in his pocket throughout the trip. He even had to distract Bee at the airport to make sure she didn't see it when he had to empty his pockets. This moment, with her in his old bed, with arts he's created in this very room. When really, he should have been chasing skirts, the younger Hunter had stayed in his bedroom, dreaming of the perfect girl. His perfect woman.

And Blanche is that perfect woman.

"Keep it in the box, and we'll wait until my fingers are back to their normal size," Bee interrupts his musings. She circles her arms around his neck, getting on her knees, and nuzzles him on the side of his throat. "I love you."

Never will he ever tire of hearing those words from her. "I love you too." And never will he ever tire of saying those words back. The happy noises from the backyard reaches his room. "Do I tell my family now or wait until you can wear the ring?"

Bee spreads her lips into the sweetest of smiles. "We should tell them when you feel it's right. It sounds like they're having a great time without us, shall we go down?"

Hunter helps her lie back down on the bed, cuddling with her, his hands on her stomach. "No, I want to be selfish and think how awesome it is to finally have a girl in here."

"That's not really true, is it?" There's laughter in her voice.

Hunter nodded. "True." He moves her hair, now longer and back to its light brown color, and kisses the back of her neck. "But I'm glad it's you."

For several moments neither one of them say anything. They listen to each other's breathing. They listen to the sounds of voices and laughter beyond the windows. And in that blissful moment, Blanche finds happiness, Hunter finds peace, and they both find love.

****

She blinks her eyes open to an unfamiliar room. Once she adjusts her vision, she remembers whose room she's in. Bee wakes up alone on Hunter's old bed, but she doesn't feel lonely. She will never feel lonely again, not with the love of a man who will stand by her no matter what tribulations come their way.