"Why are you WATCHING THAT with Sammy?!"
He shrugs like he's innocent.
"Why not? It's my favorite show in the whole wide world. And as a responsible parent, I'm simply passing down culture."
"IT'S EMBARRASSING!"
He stands — easily, effortlessly — still cradling our son.
When I reach for the remote, he does a stupid spin move like we're in the Stanley Cup finals again.
"Turn it OFF!"
"Nope," he says cheerfully. "This is a masterpiece."
"It's HUMILIATING, Zach!"
He beams. "No, baby. It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."
I flop onto the sofa in dramatic defeat, covering my face with both hands.
He laughs.
I peek between my fingers and —oh God— there it is. On our big flatscreen TV.
The After-Party Proposal.
The most mortifying, chaotic, love-drenched thing I've ever done.
There I am on-screen, walking into a packed bar where Zach's team held his Rookie of the Year celebration — the year he won the Calder Trophy after his frankly stupid rookie stats:
41 goals.
56 assists.
He was phenomenal.
He had absolutely no idea I was coming.
I told him I was stuck performing with the traveling theater company all month — which wasn't even a lie. I WAS one of the main casts and we WERE touring Florida. I just... maybe kidnapped myself from rehearsal for one night to surprise him.
On the TV, I'm standing on a tiny stage with a mic, singing Taylor Swift's "Wishlist" in a way that can only be described as... passionately off-key.
Not a single person stopped me — the whole room knew what was coming (except Zach), so they just let me have my (embarrassing) moment.
Zach groans-laughs beside me. "Here comes my favorite part."
I bury my whole face in a cushion.
On the screen, I finish butchering the final note and walk toward him—my hands shaking, my knees wobbling. And then, I kneel.
I withdraw the small blue box, its robin's egg hue unmistakably Tiffany. I crack it open to reveal twin circles of silver nestled in velvet. My voice shaking but stupidly determined:
"Okay, yes, this is wildly unconventional,"I say, trying not to drop the ring box or the mic or my sanity."But let's be honest — we've never been a conventional couple. We skipped normal a long time ago."
A ripple of laughter moves through the room.
"I love you more than every standing ovation I've ever dreamed of. More than every stage I've ever stepped on. More than the entire Taylor Swift discography."
