I have the ring. I’ve had it for months. I’m just waiting for the right time. How do I give the perfect woman the perfect proposal? Nothing feels good enough.
I grab my fresh cup and walk back to the table. I bend down and find Jessie’s lips, pressing mine to them. She pulls back and smiles softly at me.
“How are you feeling this morning birthday boy?” she asks.
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m perfect.”
It’s the truth. What can be better than spending my birthday with my two favorite people?
Her eyebrows turn up. “Really? Even with all the screaming and crying last night?”
That pulls a laugh from me. “Nothing can bother me when I have all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Dido, babe.” She looks over at a smiling Eli. “I’m just glad she doesn’t seem to be in pain right now. Teething sucks.”
“Tell me about it,” I reply as I walk around the table to take a seat. “Colton said her low grade fever is normal for teething. Hopefully the medicine is helping with some of the pain.”
“How annoyed do you think Colton is with our constant questions at ridiculous hours of the night?”
I take a sip of the coffee and lean back in my chair. “He doesn’t mind. I promise. Most of the time he’s awake and on shift at the hospital anyways.”
She drums her fingers on the table and looks off into the distance. I know that look.
“What’s on your mind?” I lean in and tap my finger down on the table eyeing her own restless fingers.
She looks down at her hand and flattens it. “Do you think Colton has been acting weird lately?”
Her words catch me off guard. “What makes you say that?”
It’s not that I disagree, I’m just surprised. I shouldn’t be. Jessie is a very observant and caring person.
“It’s just little things. I’ll catch him staring off into space or clenching his fists when he checks his phone like something made him angry. He doesn’t talk or smile as much.”
“I have noticed. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Her forehead creases. “Welll, have you asked him?”
“Why would I do that? I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”
She rolls her eyes—something that hasn’t stopped since we’ve started dating. I kind of love that I still annoy her sometimes. It’s fun to watch her attitude come out. She likes to test me, see how far she can push it before I snap. I always take it out on her in the bedroom—the one place she allows me to dominate.
“Because he’s your friend and you care about him. It’s not always easy telling someone you need help. Maybe he’s waiting for someone to take interest. To show they care enough to ask.”
Huh, I never thought about it like that. I’ve never wanted to intrude if someone wasn’t ready to tell me something. But we can be our own worst enemy at times and hold in our suffering.I did it for a decade until life forced me to confront what I was running away from.
Now, I’m living a life better than I could have even dreamed.
“Alright. Maybe I’ll ask him next time I see him.”
She smiles and nods her head like she’s satisfied with my response.
Jessie
He has no idea what’s in store for him. I’ll never forget when we were sitting at the restaurant telling each other something no one else knew about the other and he told me he forgot his own birthday three years in a row. My heart broke for him. Everybody deserves to be celebrated on their birthday.
So, today is going to be filled with surprises. Starting right now since I just got Eli down for her nap. I close the door to her bedroom and tiptoe away just to make sure I don’t make any sudden noises that wake her.
I find my man standing in front of the sink washing dishes. His hair is still messy from bed. Chest bare and grey sweatpants hanging low on his waist. He knows how to make the most mundane tasks look like a photoshoot for sexiest man of the year.
