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“Her sister inVirginia.”
“—Ahem. Attention. Hello? Thank you,” as she recaptured everyone's focus, “AsI was saying, I was essentially unconscious when I arrived. And I unfortunately slept through most of that visit. But as I am told the tale, Mom spoiled him to a level previously outside his ken. In fact she spoiled him so much that he’s clung to me like glue ever since. So, Mom, well done.”
Bastian chuckled as Paula was then regaled with tales of the events ofthe previousNew Year.
Last year they'd surprised everyone by showing up hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve. Their arrival had gotten off to an awkward start when Bastian had to carry her sleeping body inside. But he and the Raymonds had managed to stumble through introductions and the inevitable interrogations. In the end, everyone seemed happy.
Currently, the talking had stopped. He realized he was the focus of the room.
“You want to, uh, take it from here?” Paula was saying.
He nodded. “My version naturally is different from Paula's, since I was awake for the holiday.” He heard a snort from Owen. “Generally New Year's Eve for me involves business parties and promotional opportunities. In fact, that’s how every holiday tends to be.”
He cleared his throat. This was it. The moment of truth.
“But not last year. Last year I celebrated the New Year here in this house, with Paula and your family. And…I wanted to thank you all. First for not calling the police on me for showing up with Paula’s prone body. But mostly just for including me. And inviting me back this year for your Christmas celebration, which Paula tells me you tend to restrict to family only. Paula’s work kept us away on Thanksgiving, and mine would have kept me home this time. Except for one thing.” He met Paula’s parents’ eyes. “Paula may have told you she was my first girlfriend. But you…Lori and Stuart…in the last year, I'd say you’ve become my first family.”
“Oh,baby.” Lori sounded on the verge of tears. “That’s such a sweet thing to say.”
“And so now I’m asking you—”
“We’re asking you—” Paula inserted.
“To build on that,” he finished.
The silence was profound.
He went over to stand behind Paula and put his arm around her. “You warned me,” he looked directly at Stuart, “that I’d have my work cut out for me getting her to say yes. You were right about that.”
The adults seemed to freeze. Squeals and gasps were heard, and someone went, “Shh.”
“I asked her first over five months ago. It took me that long to get anything but a sassy Paula-style answer. But a couple of weeks ago I got lucky.”
“He caught meafterI’d had my coffee,“ she inserted.
“She wanted me to wait to give her this until today.” He removed the ring case from his pocket, took a deep breath, and dropped to one knee on the plush ivory carpet.
Above and behind Paula, the Christmas tree, dense with glittery stuff, shone its light. And for a moment all he could see was an angel who had changed his life and shown him shallow transactions had no place in his personal life. Then Paula gave him an encouraging smile, and he swallowed.
“Paula Raymond, you once told me we had nothing in common. No,” he corrected himself before she could. “You told me at least a dozen times. You said even though we loved each other, our lifestyles were completely different. I’m a….”
“Schmoozing workaholic,” she supplied.
“While you actively rein in your workaholic tendencies. Because there’s more to life than tokens of success. You told me we were very different people.”
Paula nudged him. “You buy planes. I buy dragon art. You order eighty dollar lunches. I eat at Wasserman’s Mustard House. That’s what I told you. And…” she bit her lip.
“And I have the Parents from Hell,” he finished.
There was a collective murmur of agreement. Paula had made sure everybody in her circle knew her opinion of Bastian’s family.
And he concurred. It had become clear to him in the course of the last year that the Spencers and their lifestyle were nothing he wanted to claim for his own.
“I’ve since bought dragon art, and you now join me at Emmender’s,” he said humorously. “We’ve both changed drastically in character. But it started before then. From the moment I stopped being that jerk, Paula, I….”
He lowered his gaze to the floor and swallowed again.Shit. A lifetime of cynicism, and now he was here, on the floor, exposing his soul. He felt about twelve years old.
“I started to taste happiness,” he said slowly. “And each day I spend under your light, I taste it more strongly. The idea of being without you, of ever letting you go…it's not feasible, honeycrisp. Two weeks ago you swore, you finally swore to me you would be my wife. All I want now is to seal this deal in front of witnesses.”
