Joshua

The situation has devolved from chaos to anarchy. As if being thrown into my own damn pool by an enraged employee wasn’t bad enough, now I’m working together with said deranged employee to wheel my flaming grill filled with expensive steak into my pool before it sets my brand-new pergola ablaze.

And to think I was just about to propose.

Once the grill is a smoking mess in my now grease-covered pool, the four of us stand at the edge of the water listening to my wet clothing drip on the patio. We watch the grill bob once and then sink, a few bubbles burbling to the surface before it settles at the bottom of the pool.

Teagan starts laughing first. Then her mom joins in. Her dad stares at me for a long time before he follows suit. “I just shoved my boss into the pool for knocking up my daughter.” He puts his hands on his knees and lets out a braying laugh. “Come on now, there has to be a camera crew around here somewhere.” He looks up expectantly, hope chasing fear across his tear-stained face. “Right?”

I shake my head. “Unfortunately, no. No camera crew.”

Robert Flowers blinks up at me and then straightens, his arms falling to his side. His mouth opens and then closes as he tries on several different things to say and discards them all.

“Mr. and Mrs. Flowers,” I say, trying again to begin the speech I started before my grill went up in flames. “Teagan and I are in love. I wanted to tell you it’s a long story, make excuses for how we came to be, but in reality, it’s a very short story. I saw her. I fell in love with her. And I never, ever want to be without her. I asked you here tonight to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, and not just because she’s carrying my child. I would want this woman by my side even if she wasn’t pregnant. She is my heart and soul and I will follow her to the ends of the Earth. Although I’d much prefer just moving her in here with me so I could take care of her and our baby for the rest of our lives.”

Teagan gapes at me, a smile stretching across her face as tears fill her sparkling eyes. “Really?” she mouths.

I take her hand. “Yes, really.”

“Teagan?” Mrs. Flowers steps forward. “Is this true? How did this happen?”

She smiles up at me. “It’s true. And how did it happen? I think I just came this way. I came into this world destined to love him. We spent one night together. One night. And that was all I needed to know that he was unlike anyone else I’ve ever met in the whole world. We’ve spent the last two months talking to each other for hours every day and the more I learn about him the more I love him. I wasn’t even scared when I found out I was pregnant. I was ecstatic, like I finally found my path.”

I smile down at this little woman who stole my heart. When she looks up at me, I run a thumb across her cheek. “Ditto,” I say, and she laughs.

I turn to her parents. “This is not how I intended tonight to go. I wanted to explain to you the relationship I’ve started with your daughter. Tell you I love her. That I will always take care of her. And then I wanted to ask you for her hand in marriage.”

Beside me, Teagan gasps.

“Mr. Flowers. Robert. This is a lot. I know. But I want to marry Teagan. Do we have your consent?”

Barbara stares at Teagan for a long moment before she turns to her husband who meets her gaze for another long moment. A slow smile stretches across their faces in unison.

“I don’t know why you’re asking us.” Barbara shakes her head. “We raised our girl to think for herself and know what she wants. It’s not up to us whether she marries you or not. That’s up to her, right Robert?” Barbara turns to her silent, scowling husband and then elbows him in the side. “I said, right Robert?”

Mr. Flowers nods. “That’s right,” he says, even though I’m not quite convinced he believes he’s saying it. “Teagan is a grown woman with a good head on her shoulders. If she wants to marry you, then it’s up to her to say yes, not me.”

I turn to Teagan, get down on one knee, and finally fish the ring out of my sopping wet pocket. “Teagan Flowers, will you do me the honor of being my wife? The mother of my children? The apple of my eye? My own personal unicorn, to have and to hold for the rest of my life?” I open my hand to show her the ring and Teagan drops to her knees beside me.

“Yes, you wonderful man. The moment I met you I knew that you were all I was ever going to want in this world.”

I slide the ring onto her finger and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in all my life.