His answering smile is soft and gentle. “Not as happy as I am.”
“Stop bein’ sweet.”
He leans in and brushes his lips over mine. “Never goin’ to happen so you better get used to it.”
Charlie: MOM!
Mags: Yes, we’re together. He proposed this morning too.
Charlie: WHAT!?! This is the best news. Can I tell the others?
Red chuckles, his arm around my waist tightening as he gives me a loving squeeze. “Don’t think we’ll need to make an announcement. Looks like Char’s goin’ to do it for us.”
“Is that OK?”
“You even have to ask? I want the whole world to know you’re mine, Mags. As soon as we’re not snowed in, I’m puttin’ a ring on your finger that’s so big, astronauts in space can see it.”
I giggle, turning on my side and resting my head against his chest. “Don’t think we need to gothatbig.”
“OK,” he murmurs, kissing the top of my head. “Just know I’m willin’ to do it. This is it for me and you, darlin’, and I don’t care who knows it.”
Tilting my eyes up to his, I smile. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” he rumbles before nodding to the phone in my hand. “Better answer her before she starts blowin’ up your phone again.”
“You’re probably right about that,” I snicker before replying to Char.
Mags: Yes.
Charlie: Just you wait. As soon as you get home we’re throwing a big party for y’all at the Cow. I’m so happy for you, Mom.
Mags: Not as happy as I am.
Charlie: And that makes it even better.
Mags: Any news from home?
Charlie: No. Everything’s fine. But I wanted to ask, did you move the letter?
My heart leaps into my throat. What are the chances that I’m thinking of the letter and now my daughter is asking about it? I hadn’t forgotten about it–I never could–but I hadcompartmentalized it, not wanting to think about it or what it might say. Then Red and I became Red and I and somehow I’d blocked it out of my mind until now.
Anna and I had talked many times about wanting each other to look after the other’s loved ones if anything ever happened to one of us. Knowing her the way that I did, I know that she'd want Red to be happy and that she'd want him to have the best life, even if that means he and I do that together. But how do I bring myself to read the letter and her final words to me?
Mags: No. I didn’t touch it.
Charlie: It was between recipe books stacked on top of the refrigerator, right?
Mags: Yeah…
Charlie: It’s not there anymore. I was cooking Austin dinner last night and knew it was up there, so I looked for it to make sure it didn’t get lost and it’s not there. We looked everywhere, even behind the refrigerator.
I frown at my phone.
Mags: Where has it gone?
Charlie: I don’t know, Mom. I’m sorry. Are you sure you didn’t take it with you or put it away again?
Mags: I haven’t touched it since that day in the kitchen.
