Stroking his thumbs over our knuckles, Marco lets out a sweet sigh, “I am.” Pulling out a ring box I haven't seen before, he opens it, showing a white-gold ring with three bands and my throat seizes. “I’m kneeling here before the two people who love me for who I was and who I am now. Jay, my prince, you met me when I was at one of the lowest points in my life. You came in with your megawatt smile and hopeless optimism, and you accepted me for who I was. Then you helped me peel away all my baggage and trauma, and you showed me that the real me was worthy of love. Jamison Nicholas Bishop, will you marry me and let me love and care for you for the rest of our lives?”
I wipe the tears from my eyes and nod frantically. “Yes. Of course I will, baby.”
This wasn't the plan at all. The two of us were supposed to propose together to Cora, and I was going to propose to him. And here he goes, making me a blubbering mess and weak in the knees.
Slipping the ring on my hand, he kisses it, and I join him on the ground, throwing my arms around him and pressing my lips to him with every ounce of love I can muster. “I love you.” Forcing myself to peel away from him, I fish out his ring box from my pocket and present it to him. Grinning that crooked perfect smile I’ve died a thousand deaths thinking about, he laughs, “Did we have the same idea?”
“We did. Marco, sometimes I look at you and I think there’s no way you’re really mine. It’s unbelievable. For too long, I was simply happy enough being in your presence. To be honest, I was a stage-five clinger, but you never seemed bothered by it.” We both chuckle, but I take a deep breath to keep going. “I love the way you talk to me. I love the way you open up and listen. I love the way you ground me. I love the way you love Cora. You always stick up for me, but I want you to know that your battles will always be my battles too. You are my best friend, my baby, my stallion.” Again, he chuckles through tears. “Will you marry me?”
Stricken with emotion, he can’t seem to form the words, but he nods and peers down at our hands, where I’m slipping on his ring. “I love you, Marco.” Large arms and a wide chest wrap around me and we nuzzle into one another. My entire body is shaking from adrenaline and joy as I squeeze, trying to absorb every morsel of him.
“I love you, too,” he murmurs. “Now, come on, let’s propose to our girl.”
Before I even look at her, I hear her squeak. She’s already crying as we each take a hand. I manage to take a deep breath and smile, “Cora Elizabeth Dalton, you are, without a doubt, the smartest person I know. Every decision you make is made with purpose. Whether it’s made analytically or made entirely by your heart, you’re always certain. And for some reason, you’ve chosen us.” She giggles through a sob, but I continue. “I want to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret that choice. I wanna spend the rest of my life making both of you happy. I wanna dance to ABBA with you when we’re ninety and embarrass our great-grandchildren,” I chuckle, wiping more tears from my face. “Will you marry me, Cora?”
“Yes, Jay,” she cries as she lowers herself to kiss me passionately, holding my face to hers. “I’ll marry you.” I think my heart could explode at this very moment as I taste her happiness.
“Okay, okay, stand up again, it’s my turn,” Marco smiles, shaking her gently.
Cora lets go of me and stands up, flicking her fingers in akeep goingmovement. “I’m sorry. Okay. Go on,” she giggles.
“Cora, my sweetheart, my princess. We came into each other’s lives for a reason. And if I’ve learned anything from my relationship with Jay, it’s that when a good thing presents itself to you, you don’t waste time. Not one second has been wasted with you, baby. Every kiss, every story, every hug and late night cry with you has created our foundation. I wanna be there to hold you if you break, and I wanna be there to build you up. I wanna build a life with both of you.”
I pull out the small black box in my pocket as she watches me open it up with wide eyes. Marco’s hands join mine as he finally asks, “Cora, my love, will you marry me too?”
“Yes!” she screams, shaking in place, then covering her mouth. “Yes to both of you.” The small crowd around us cheers as our guitarist friend plays a little louder. Marco grins as he takes the center ring with the two-carat diamond set in white gold out of the cushion. Right before I stuff the box back in my pocket, she rushes out, “Wait. I wanna see the other ones. Can I try those on, too?”
I take it back out and open it up, removing the other two diamond-studded bands that fit on either side of the engagement ring. Marco and I fit them together and slip them on her delicate finger. “Oh my god, that’s beautiful,” she sighs happily, then flicks her gaze to us. “Stand up, please. I feel alone up here.”
Chuckling and wiping my face again, we stand and hold each other tight. People are still clapping around us as the three of us kiss, no doubt giving our onlookers a spectacle to remember.
Breaking off the kiss, Cora settles back on her heels and looks at us. “I have a present for you guys too.” She steps away slightly, just enough to grab a hand from each of us, and she places them on her belly. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Marco huffs, the muscles in his face falling slack.
The world blacks out around me and I blurt, “I thought you said it would take longer?”
“How far along are you?” Marco adds.
“Are you allowed to fly if you’re pregnant?”
“Didn’t you have caffeine at breakfast? I thought pregnant people can’t have caffeine.”
“Guys, guys,” Cora chortles. “I’m okay. I just found out the day before we left. I’m only four weeks along. I’m allowed to have a cup of coffee a day, and I can fly until I’m eight months along.”
“Are you hungry? How do you feel?” I ask, barely subdued by her explanation.
“I’m not hungry, but I am a little tired. Would it be okay if we skipped the bathhouse today?”
“Oh, yeah. That was a decoy anyway,” I shrug. “Like we were gonna propose to you then split up into segregated spas. Please.” Then, the girl who filmed us taps me on the shoulder, and hands me back my phone. I thank her, accepting the phone with both hands and bowing my head. “Gamsahabnida.”
“Omo. Congratulations,” she cheers.
“Gamsahabnida,” Cora and Marco both add.
When she walks away, the music changes intoIrisby The Goo Goo Dolls, and Marco smiles down at Cora. “I can’t believe it. How are you feeling emotionally?”
“Happier than I’ve ever known. But a small part of me is worried, of course.”
