After it All

Teddy

I trudged into my apartment and dropped my things on the floor. I love flying, but the constant back and forth between here and Florida is getting on my nerves. At least something good came out of it. I took it a little black velvety box.

After college Charlie started his surgical residency, and I got started on my own career. A few years later I managed to snag a job with NASA. We got busy and didn't have time for the life stuff.

Charlie and I have been together for a few years now. We got to busy to be tied down with wedding planning and shit like that. We talked about it, but it was always "when we have time" or "when we have money" But now we do.

Our apartment was a mess to say the least, but it always is. I wondered into the kitchen and saw a heart shaped sticky note on the fridge.

Hope you had a good flight! Shift ends at 11:40, pizza in the fridge. Love you!

I smiled at the note. He must have lost his phone. I got to work straightening up and finding his crap.

His house keys were under the bed, his car keys were under the sofa, his sunglasses were in the cabinet, his wallet was behind the coffee maker, and his phone was in the fridge. Why? I don't know.

After all that, I walked into the laundry room to start a load of laundry. In the corner I noticed something interesting. A laundry basket filled with pink tee shirts and undershirts. Someone must have run out of clean clothes. How? Again, I don't know. I was about to start folding them when there was a loud bang at the door. I grabbed Charlie's keys and opened it.

"Missing something?" I asked dangling the keys in front of his face.

"You found them!" He tried to grab them, but I pulled it away.

"What would you have done if my flight had been cancelled?"

"Called-" He stopped realizing he what he was missing, "I'm really sorry, I swear I will keep better track of these things, but will you please let me in!"

I sighed and opened the door.

He dropped his stuff and went to the laundry room to grab some clothes.

"Shit!" He hissed. He came out looking sheepish. "You saw the laundry basket, didn't you?"

"I sure did."

He closed his eyes and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, one red sock-"

"Go shower."

When he came out, he curled up next to me on the sofa, his head on my shoulder.

"How was work?" I asked

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay."

He nuzzled his face into my shoulder, and I could feel his silent tears wet my shirt. I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. He's usually fine, but some days he comes home really upset. He works on kids, so losing one really gets to him. I wish there was more I could do.

"Hey, I was thinking we should do a date night tomorrow night." I said breaking the silence. He nodded wordlessly and wiped his eyes. "Let's go to bed." I pulled him off the couch and into our room.

<*>

"It is 5am, you need more sleep." I moaned as Charlie got dressed in his scrubs.

"It's an emergency. I promise to be home before we leave." He said kissing me goodbye.

<*>

He is late. I walked through the hospital to where he works. I really just want to propose to him, and he has somehow managed to avoid me.

As I was walking down the hall, I saw him sitting with a little girl in her room. I stopped in the doorway and just listened to the two of them. She couldn't be more than 7.

"—and there was this HUGE cockroach! I screamed, then Teddy screamed, then we were running around trying to get away! Then one of my friends came over, Melisa, and she smushed it!" He clapped his hands and the little girl jumped. "Then she started laughing at us because we had climbed onto our dresser!" The little girl laughed, and I couldn't help but smile. I remember that day. I fell off the dresser.

Charlie looked up and noticed me in the doorway. He jumped and checked his watch. "I'm so sorry, I promise I didn't forget, I just- "

I smiled and held up my hands.

"Is that Teddy?" The little girl asked

"What? Oh, Yes! Teddy this is Bree, Bree this is Teddy." The little girl waved as Charlie led me out.

We walked over to a desk and he started writing stuff down in a folder.

"Charlie."

"One sec, then I promise I'll leave. I just have to say bye to Bree."

"Charlie." All traffic around me had stopped. I was down on one knee with the little velvet box open in my hands. He turned around and stopped dead in his tracks. He covered his face with his hands and nodded. I laughed and stood up to hug him. I slipped the ring on his finger and he pulled out his own little box and pressed it into my hand.

"You beat me to it." He said, burying his face in my shoulder

"You already know my answer." I said. He nodded and hugged me tightly. Everyone around us erupted in cheers and applaud. When he pulled away his face was red and splotchy but still adorable, I couldn't help but kiss him.

"Love you." He said

"I do too."