Never Look Back: A New Dawn

Happy Mother's Day - 9

        I slowly tip-toed my way into the bedroom, careful not to wake her. She was snug under a cocoon of blankets she piled over herself, but as I stepped over a creaking floorboard she shifted and then let her eyelids fly open. She spotted me, and surprisingly had greeted me with a smile free of groggy fatigue.

        “Morning,” she hushed.

        “I was hoping to surprise you,” I said while crawling into the bed she was sprawled across. “Happy Mother’s Day.”

        “I’m not even a mom yet, Ryan! I’m a month pregnant for crying out loud,” she chuckled.

        “I know, but I like thinking ahead.” I pulled the sheets off of her and revealed my oversized white tee shirt she clothed herself in. I began to lift it up, slowly revealing her smooth, toned thighs, the baby blue satin panties along her hips, and then her abdomen. It was still flat and firm, but I relished in the thought of there being another life somewhere in there. I started to lightly dance my index finger along her naval, but then I leaned in and allowed for my lips to trail across her skin, now cloaking itself in goose bumps. “I’ve got a surprise,” I hushed.

        “What is it?” Abruptly, I scooped her off of the bed and rushed out of the bedroom, kicking the door open and heading to the kitchen with her squealing in my arms. “Ryan! Let me go!” she said through giggles.

        I reached the kitchen and revealed to her the table set with a large breakfast and her favorite flowers. Tulips were overflowing from an old vase I used to keep tucked away, and in front of it there was a plateful of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and slices of crispy, buttered toast. After the many years I spent fixing Hannah breakfast and the months that went by when I watched Rose diligently in the kitchen, I had become quite the chef myself. She plastered an immediate beam onto her face and rewarded me with a long peck on the cheek.

        “This looks amazing,” she said while starting to stuff her face. She was so engrossed with the fact that it was Mother’s Day, I was surely going to catch her off guard with the real surprise I had planned. My sweaty hand had dug itself into my left pocket and gripped onto the small, velvet box. I was sure my heart was ready to pound out of its own chest or perhaps burst from the nerves that racked me. Things had been going so perfectly for the past few months for us, regardless of the break we took, and with the baby on the way and the fact she had settled into the apartment, I couldn’t think of much that would result in a no. I planned on saving it for later on tonight when I’d take her out to a surprise dinner at her favorite restaurant, but it didn’t stop me from asking her some questions to ease my nerves.

        “Can I ask you something?” I asked with my tone growing shaky.

        “Sure.”

        “With the baby on the way and you moving in, where do you see us a year or two from now? I know I’ve got a bit of a head start when it comes to settling down, and I don’t want you to feel forced into doing anything you’re not ready for, but… I’m really counting on this becoming something more.” Slowly, she set her fork down onto the plate and reached for the glass of water to sip from, giving me silence in the meantime. “Rose?” I urged.

        “I heard you,” she replied. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I found out about the baby. I mean, sometimes I hardly sleep over the thought. This is without a doubt the happiest I’ve ever been, and I know most people would think I’m crazy for saying this, but this feels right, and I’m ready. I want to settle down, and I’m sure whatever it is that you imagine a year or two from now, it’s the same thing that I have in mind.” A long sigh of relief escaped me as she said those final words, and suddenly, the idea of taking that small box out of my pocket didn’t seem so nerve-racking.