My Christmas Valentine

Forever

♥ Shane ♥

I met Caleb at Bean Leaf on a cold Thursday afternoon. The café buzzed with quiet voices and the smell of coffee. He waited at a table near the back, his hand around a mug with a small grin.

“You are late,” he said as I sat down.

“A client discovered her love for stretching at the last minute,” I said. “You were better off without me,” he shook his head.

“Always blaming the clients,” he remarked, and I smiled. But my jacket felt heavy where the envelope rested inside. I was aware of it with every movement. The receipt for the ring was in there, and that thought alone made my chest feel tight. “Coffee?” he asked.

“Yes, thanks,” I said. He signaled the barista with a small wave, then looked at me again.

“So,” he said. “You asked to talk. Serious talk, your words. So, this is either about leaving Ironworks, or it is about Megan,”

“It is about Megan,” I said. “Ironworks is safe,” he leaned forward.

“Well, out with it then,” he said, and I took the envelope from my jacket and put it on the table. He stared at it for a second. “What’s this?” he asked.

“I bought an engagement ring. I’m going to ask her to marry me,” I explained softly. Caleb let out a low breath.

“You actually did it,”

“I did,” I said. “It wasn’t all that easy, picking out a ring. But I did it, and now I’m trying not to overthink it,”

“Yeah? Don’t overthink it,” he said almost dismissively as he picked up the envelope. He read the receipt, and he let out a low whistle.

“You should see it, Caleb. It’s perfect for her…something she can wear every day, not something that just looks impressive,”

“She will love it,” he said. “She would say yes even if you offered a ring from a toy machine, but this is better,” a laugh escaped me.

“I did consider a doughnut,” I said. “I decided against it,” he smiled as he slid the receipt back into the envelope. I hurriedly put it back in my pocket.

“So, when are you asking?” he said.

“New Year’s Eve,” I said. “Before midnight. I want to start the year with a yes,”

“You will get it,” he said. “What’s the plan?”

“I want something special, but not like a show,” I said. “No crowds. She spends all day doing big things for other people. I want something that is just for us,”

“So, at home…just the two of you…maybe some fairy lights?” he suggested, and I slowly nodded.

“That feels right,” I said. “Simple, quiet,” he nodded.

“That is you and Megan,” he said, and some of the pressure in my chest eased. A little bit of fear lingered, but it didn’t drown out the excitement anymore.

“Enough about me,” I said. “You said you had news too,” his whole face changed. His eyes softened, and he glanced around before leaning closer.

“Amy is pregnant,” he said quietly. “We found out last week,” the words hung there for a second. Then I felt my mouth pull into a grin.

“Caleb,” I said. “That is amazing. Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” he said. His voice had a rough edge. “We went to the doctor. It is early, but so far everything looks fine. Amy keeps staring at the scan like it will tell her the future,” I pictured Amy holding a small black and white photo, brow furrowed in that focused way of hers.

“How is she feeling?” I asked.

“Tired,” he said. “Sick in the mornings. She says her body feels strange. She is happy and scared at the same time,” he wrapped his hands around his mug again.

“And you?” I asked. He let out a breath.

“Like someone handed me the biggest job in the world without instructions,” he said. “I am excited. I am afraid of doing it wrong. I think about money and time and whether I should work more or less. Amy tells me to breathe,”

“That sounds like her,” I said with a smile.

“She also told me to tell you,” he added. “She said you need to know we are bringing another future gym member into the world,” I laughed.

“Tell her I approve. We will have the baby doing push-ups before school,” his eyes warmed.

“You know what is strange?” he said. “When I think about you asking Megan, it fits with this. You and Megan with an engagement, Amy and I with a baby. It feels like a new phase for all of us,” I felt that too. We had already shared so much. Now there would be a ring and a child and years ahead that were not just about us as individuals, but as something like a family.

“Is Amy planning to tell the girls?” I then asked curiously.

“Yeah, she has this whole thing planned…but I warned her that once I told you, well…that you would tell Megan. It’s fine, by the way,” he said, and I nodded. We both fell quiet for a moment. The café moved around us, but it felt like the table held its own small bubble. “You know,” Caleb said just after the server stopped by with my coffee. “When you ask Megan, you are not just asking her to be your wife. You are saying yes to all of this. Dinners, babysitting, birthday parties, toys all over your floor one day,”

“All of that sounds good to me,” I said. “I want that with her,” Caleb studied me closely. I knew that he was trying to make sure that I was speaking the truth. I was, and he must have seen that, because he then nodded.

“Then ask her,” he said. “And hope the rest of the world behaves itself for once,” the way he said it made a small shiver run through me, even in the warm air. I pushed it aside and wrapped my fingers around my mug. I had a plan, but after that, it was like a blank slate. Megan and I had already been through so much together. Which is why I silently agreed with Caleb. The rest of the world needed to butt out and behave itself. I didn’t want any distractions or complications. That was the last thing we needed in our lives.

♥ ♥ ♥