Love Is Blind

Holiday Dinner Extravaganza: Part 2

Soon enough, although it probably was a lot longer than I forced myself to believe, salads were out and not long after that dinner was served.

All of us piled into the large dining room, and for once I was glad that the size was actually accommodating to a proper sized group. Typically, it was just me, and around that time, Lacey and I. It always seemed too big, too empty.

No name tags were put down, so we didn't have any specific seating chart. Chaos ensued for a few moments before Lacey shoved two fingers into her mouth, wiping a coating of Cranberry Cream lipstick on them, and whistled. The piercing shriek got us all to turn and look at her.

Pointing to the first chair on her right, she spoke sternly, as if an authority to all of us, "Mom, you sit here. Asher beside you."

Both dashed to their seats in a blur of green and red. With a smile that could outshine the sun itself, Lacey continued to beckon where each person should sit. Properly, all couples sat together even the kids stayed with Mandy and Tony. Which was probably for the best anyway. Knowing the three of them, as soon as dinner was over they would be balls of energy and would certainly need something to calm them down.

Considerably, the food was served down the line. There was a commotion of "Pass the potatoes!" and "Hey, don't take the last biscuit, Leo! You'll get fat, like Santa!" Overall, though, the sounds were quite soothing.

Catching Lacey's eye, my heart jumped in my chest. Green eyes sparkled as they met mine, a smile so vibrant in them I was surprised I couldn't physically feel the warmth of it. She was happy, and maybe the happiest I had ever seen. That made me happy, too.

"So," My father spoke, breaking the mesmerizing spell I had fallen into as I stared at those eyes, "When are you two planning to tie the knot?"

Sputtering on her sparkling apple cider, Lacey seemed honestly aghast by his proposition, "W-what?" She stuttered out, wiping her mouth on the napkin and smudging that with the dark colored lipstick as well.

"You know, get hitched. Get spliced. Buy the cow. Put on the ol' ball and chains, per say," Seeing that she still had her stunned eyes on him, as if he had been speaking in another language entirely, he raised an eyebrow, "Get married?"

She shook her head slowly, a few tendrils of hair loosening from the vice grip of her braid and fluttering down, over her forehead. "No... Uh, I know what you meant...uh..."

At a loss for words, Lacey looked like a fish out of water. Unable to find what she was saying, but also unable to ignore the words. So, I broke in, "Dad, you are going to ruin everything if you just blurt things out like that."

His eyebrows shot up and he turned his gaze to me, his whole face seeming more shocked than even Lacey had and I couldn't bear to look around and see everyone else's reactions to my words, "What are you talking about, young man?"

Chuckling, I tried to defuse his anger, "Dad... I haven't exactly proposed yet, and I really didn't want you to go off and mess up my plans for the evening," I explained, hoping he would get the hint and Lacey wouldn't.

Locking his eyes to mine, he seemed to realize what I meant. Calming down, he was just about to change the subject to a safer topic when Janie broke through the silence, "You're gonna ask her to marry you on Christmas?!" She belted out, as if what I had planned was some sort of unthinkable sin.

Floundering myself, I was fumbling for the right words, but I found none. Quietly, a hand rested on my shoulder and I turned my head to look at the gorgeous girl beside me. "Did you really plan on proposing tonight?" Lacey asked softly, eyes shining with a new kind of light.

Nodding slowly, I watched her face transform into a teary-eyed grin. Slamming her lips to mine, she mumbled the words against them, "I'm saying yes. One hundred percent yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. A million times, yes!"

Obviously, she planned to continue her repetition, but I didn't get the chance to stop her. Instead, Tabby howled out, "EW! They're kissing!!!!!"

Her outburst caused us all to laugh and in the midst of the laughter, I promised Lacey I would be right back. Rushing off, I bounded my way up the stairs and into my room. Digging into my jeans from yesterday, shoved under the bed so Lacey wouldn't chastise me for leaving a mess when we had guests coming over, I rummaged around until I found it.

Getting back downstairs in record time, I slid back into my seat just as Asher gave me a questioning look. Beaming at him, I held the ring box up just enough so that he could see. Then, as Lacey had done earlier, he stuck his index and middle finger into his mouth and let out a screeching whistle.

Everyone turned to see what the noise had been made for this time. Nodding towards me, Asher grinned, and then all eyes had been on me.

"Now," I began, knowing this was a tad redundant but needing to do it anyway, "that everyone knows what my plan is...." Standing, I dropped to my knee in front of Lacey's chair, "Lacey Anna Webber, will you please do the honor of marrying a lowly editor, such as myself?"

Tears fell from her eyes, and I knew that she would jokingly berate me for ruining her mascara later, she nodded and laughed, "Of course I will, you nincompoop!"

Joining in on her laughter, everyone smiled and I grinned, sliding the cool ring onto her left hand. Watching her, she wiggled her fingers around, as if trying to get used to the weight of such a foreign object on her hand.

Returning to my seat, I took her newly jeweled hand and held it my own. It took about twenty minutes for the cheering and constant congratulations to calm once again. "Thank you. All of you."

Glancing at Lacey again, she seemed a little upset, but otherwise utterly ecstatic at the turn of events the night had taken. Heavy as my heart was, not knowing what held her back from being fully happy, I continued to eat like everyone else had begun to do. I would get her to talk about it later.

Halfway through my first helping of candied yams, a knock sounded on the door. Every person at the table looked around, as if making sure we hadn't somehow lost someone in the process. "Guess I'll go look," I volunteered after a minute.

Heading out to the front room, I racked my mind to figure out who we had been missing. I couldn't think of a single person from my family that wasn't there, and as far as I knew, all of Lacey's immediate family had joined us as well. Opening the door, I faced a stocky man. His beard was greying, as was the hair on his retreating hairline. Finally, his eyes caught my attention and I knew.

"Mr. Webber, I presume," It was less of a question and more of a statement.

A smile, dimples included, graced his face and he nodded, "Maxwell Webber, to be exact. You must be the young man that I have heard so much about. Jacob Anderson, correct?"

Nodding my head, I stepped to the side so he could come inside and away from the cold. Bolting the door behind him, I smiled some, "Come on. You've made it just in time. There's still plenty of ham and food. Lacey and I even whipped up a few pies for dessert."

Seemingly pleased by the offer, or maybe just the variety of our selection, he grinned as he followed to the dining room. Making our grand entrance, I spoke, "This is Lacey's father. Everyone say hi."

No one got the chance to verbally greet him, though, because Lacey leaped from her chair and practically tackled the poor guy into a bear hug. When she peeled away herself away from him, he was pulled into another two fearsome hugs by his wife and son.

Resuming my position beside Lacey after I got Mr. Webber a chair, I glanced at her. Any trace of sadness was swept from her eyes and all that remained was joy. A joy so powerful, it made me breathless.

"Thank you," Lacey said, as if I had done this.

Without giving me a chance to refute that, to correct her and tell her I hadn't actually invited him here, Lacey leaned closer and pressed another deeply loving kiss to my lips. Her hands cupping my face, and mine resting in my lap, I knew all was right.