The Painful Beauty Of Spring

Part 14

I never recalled falling asleep, but when I awoke, I sneezed, and when I sneezed, Josh blessed me. I sniffled and wiped my nose, looking around the room and noticing Josh sitting in the chair with Maurecio on his lap. Maurecio meowed and laid his head down on Josh's left thigh. Though I felt disgusting with my horrible allergies, I walked over to Josh and the cat and pet Maurecio behind his ears. He rubbed the side of his head against my arm. "Apparently he owns me," I said, laughing a little, despite my allergic state.
"Looks like it," Josh responded, watching me as I continued to pet Maurecio.
I was content, but I could slowly feel the sensation to sneeze once more. "H-hold on, Maurecio," I said, and the cat and Josh both watched me as my breath hitched and I built up for my sneeze with my handkerchief cupped around my nose. I tilted my head back as my eyes closed. "Hih, iht'schiew!" I sneezed, pitching forward. Josh blessed me, and Maurecio meowed.
Josh said in a high-pitched voice, trying to imitate Maurecio's meow, "Bless you, Jess!" Josh and I laughed together until I sneezed again, and he blessed me once more.
"Thank you," I said as Maurecio jumped off the chair and Josh stood as well.
"Hey Jess," Josh said, walking over to the couch, "Come sit down with me."
I followed him, and I sat to his left side. "Where'd John go?" I asked casually.
"He just left a few minutes ago while you were sleeping," Josh stated and put his arm around my back so his left hand would set on my left shoulder. There, he pulled me closer, positioning me so I was laying down with my head on the left side of his chest as he started to stroke my hair with his right hand as if he was petting Maurecio.
I laid there for a while and relaxed with him, my nose itching for a while but staying otherwise well-behaved. I closed my eyes with contentment when Josh gently began to rub my cheek. The two of us then cuddled together for a while, and I eventually looked up into Josh's eyes as the itch in my nose slowly began to increase. I didn't want to move any more than that, because I knew Josh would release me from his loving arms, but I didn't want to sneeze on him. "Josh?" I asked.
"Yes, Jess?" he responded, looking at me expectantly.
I sighed and said with disappointment, "I need to sneeze, but I don't want to move. I'm comfortable with you." I adjusted my position so my head was against his chest again. "And if I don't move, it would be hard for me not to sneeze on you."
"I understand," he responded, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a clean handkerchief, and handing it to me. "I brought some extras just for you but didn't think about them until now. You can keep that and use it."
"Thanks, Josh," I said, accepting the handkerchief. I held the cloth of the hanky to my twitching nose as my breath began to hitch, and I closed my eyes. "Hih, ih, hih'shiew! Hih, iht'chiew!" I sneezed twice, convulsing a little against Josh as I pitched forward violently and then sniffled before bringing the handkerchief down.
"Bless you," Josh said and watched me as I laid with him, continuing to sniffle liquidly every few seconds for around another minute or two. He then grabbed my right hand, which still held the hanky, and brought it up to my nose. "Blow, darling," he said calmly.
I looked at him with a blush before blowing my nose wetly. Afterwards, I was able to breathe without sniffling and sighed in relief.
"Better?" Josh asked, and I nodded slowly, settling my head against the middle of his chest so I could hear his soothing heartbeat.

As my nose stayed calm for the first time in forever, Josh moved from our snuggle and started to walk across the room. I frowned with disappointment and sat up. However, I watched as Josh turned around. "Stand up, please, sweetheart," he said soothingly and lovingly, and I stood, looking up at him with confusion. He then kneeled on the floor on one knee in front of me, so I looked down at him as he took my hands in his and looked into my eyes. "I want you to know I have been thinking about this for a while but haven't been able to find the words. I still feel like I can't explain it enough," he began. "However, the most important thing is that I love you and always have, and I want to show you that's more important to me than just saying the words, 'I love you' over and over again." He reached into his pocket. He looked back up and continued looking straight into my eyes as he pulled out a small box and held it in front of him.
"Jessica Haldemann," Josh continued, opening the box to reveal a gorgeous, diamond ring which sparkled in the sunlight pouring in from the windows, "will you marry me?"
Taken by complete surprise, I gasped in amazement at my boyfriend and brought my hands to my mouth. I looked at him and said, "Oh my God. Yes, Josh! Of course!" Adrenaline rushed through my body, and my heart raced with excitement. My eyes filled with tears of joy, and I smiled, holding out my left hand to let him slip the ring onto my ring finger to finish the proposal. He stood up, and we both kissed each other on the lips. It was the first kiss of our engagement. I could just feel that Josh would be a wonderful, loyal, caring, and protective husband to me for my entire life, and I knew that I would be dedicated to do the same with him as his future wife. When we finally broke our kiss, we smiled at each other with affection and love.
"I love you, Jess," my new fiancé said as he held my hands, "and nothing will ever change that." I smiled, turned, and—without withdrawing my hands from Josh's—sneezed to the side, and he chuckled. "Not even your allergies."
"Hiht'schiew!" I sneezed strongly once more into the crook of my elbow and then turned back to Josh with a smile. "I love you too, Josh," I responded.
"And your sneezes will always be adorable as well," Josh added, and we both laughed. The two of us then sat back down together on the couch, holding hands and smiling, excited to tell our families the news as well as giddy for the wedding that was to come.