“Are you sure you don't need help carrying that, Michael?”
Michael lifted the heavy toilet and strained as he began the ascent up the stairs. “No I think I got it.” His face went red and he blew out heavy breaths as he juggled the large object.
I led him up the stairs, guiding him up each step since he couldn't see over the porcelain. “You're almost there. Be careful of the wall to your right.”
“I see it. I see it.” Michael turned the corner and made it into the bathroom. He squatted down and gently placed the toilet in its rightful place. Michael craned his neck side to side and cracked it.
“Looks good, don't you think?” I asked him.
“It's a toilet, Kelly. It looks exactly how I imagine a toilet would look.”
I playfully hit Michael on the shoulder. “I mean the bathroom is finally coming together.”
Over the past year, Michael and I had been renovating my parents' house together. I had wanted to do all the work myself but Michael's curious condition changed all that.
We were together twenty-four seven. All day every day. We had tried out leaving him alone for any length of time but the hunger always came back like a freight train.
But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Michael made a lot of sacrifices to make this relationship work. He moved out of his rich loft apartment and into my parents' house. He wasn't exactly thrilled about it but it was one thing in our negotiation that I wasn't going to back down from.
We didn't need to be in the same room all the time. In fact, we would spend a lot of time apart in opposite ends of the house. It gave me the quiet time I needed and I didn't feel suffocated. I think being so close all the time made our relationship grow faster.
I felt like we were truly meant to be together. Maybe it was the fact that I had this special power over him or it was the way he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. Whatever it was, I could really see myself spending the rest of my life with him.
Our house had gone through so much work over the year. The flooring had been refinished, kitchen remodeled, every wall painted. The plumbing needed to be fixed on multiple occasions. A leaky ceiling was just a fixture of our life for awhile.
The guest bathroom downstairs was the last room to finish. I never thought we would get to that point.
When I first walked into the house, I thought it wasn't even possible. Even if it was, it would take decades to finish by myself.
That's why I have to give a lot of credit to Michael. He was beyond knowledgeable on house repair. I don't know where he learned it all from but it was much appreciated.
Michael slapped the dust off his blue jeans. “This house is really coming together. We only have the vanity and the tub to replace. Then we'll finally be done.”
“Doesn't seem real, does it?”
“You ever think about what we're going to do with all our free time when we are finished with the house?”
“I thought we could relax and enjoy the work we accomplished. But I can't live off your dime forever. I've let you pay for too many things already, including all the renovations on the house.”
“I think we should go travel the world,” he said with that dumb smile of his.
“Yeah that might mess with me needing to find a job.”
Michael waved my comment away with his hand. “You don't need a job. We can live off my money comfortably forever.”
“Oh so we're going to be together forever now are we?”
Michael nodded. “I was waiting until we were completely done with the house to do this but I can't wait a second longer.”
I had no idea what trick he had up his sleeve. Michael was always trying to surprise me.
Michael got down on one knee and produced a ring from his back pocket. “Kelly Marshall, will you marry me?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I put my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe it. The diamond ring was mesmerizing. The giant stone was set on a silver band with a million other tiny diamonds around it. I couldn't breathe let alone speak.
Our future together flashed before my eyes. I imagined us traveling the world and always returning to our perfect home.
Michael switched knees. “Are you really going to leave me hanging here. A yes or no answer will suffice.”
I snapped out of my daydream. “The answer is yes.”
Michael stood up and I jumped into his arms. He swung me around the half-renovated bathroom and we kissed. I couldn't stop giggling as he put the ring on my finger.
“Can we go traveling now?”
I nodded and wiped the tears from my cheek.
Michael rested his nose on mine. “I love you, Kelly.”
“I love you too, Michael.”
He was my Mr. Right.