Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Caitlin glanced toward the living room, where she could see Michael pacing back and forth. She felt a flutter of worry for him—he had been acting strangely all evening.
“What should I do with the baby tomatoes, Mommy?” Pearl asked.
Caitlin and Pearl were in the kitchen making dinner. Michael, who usually offered to help with cooking, had excused himself to the living room about five minutes earlier. At first, Caitlin had just assumed that he was tired, but now she was starting to wonder if something was bothering him.
“Just go ahead and throw them in the frying pan with the rest of the vegetables, honey,” Caitlin told her, smiling. “Keep your hands away from the pan, though, it’s hot.”
Pearl, who was standing on a short stool at the kitchen counter, carefully leaned over and tossed the cherry tomatoes into the saucepan, where other vegetables were simmering in a savory sauce. The food smelled heavenly, and Caitlin was looking forward to eating. Not only because she was hungry, but also because she wanted to ask Michael if something was bothering him.
She glanced toward the living room again and saw that he was standing in front of the window, gazing up at the sky and frowning in concentration.
A few minutes later, their meal was ready, and Pearl called for Michael to come into the kitchen to eat with them. He appeared a moment later, smiling cheerfully and not looking at all upset. He helped them carry the serving dishes onto the table and poured sparkling grape juice into everyone’s glass.
“How was your day, sweetheart?” Caitlin asked him as they sat down to eat.
“Good.” He smiled at her, but as he reached for a serving spoon, he ended up knocking his hand against the dish instead.
Caitlin’s eyebrows lifted as she wondered why he was acting out of sorts. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” he said hurriedly as he spooned food onto Pearl’s plate. “Nothing’s wrong.” He smiled at her reassuringly, but she could sense that he was jumpy, almost as if he was nervous.
“Are you sure?” Caitlin asked gently. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“No, I—”
Pearl cleared her throat loudly.
“What is it, Pearl?” Caitlin asked her.
“You do have something to say to Mommy, don’t you, Michael?” Pearl said, winking.
Caitlin felt her heart start beating faster, especially when she saw Michael’s ears turn slightly pink.
“I guess now is as good a time as any,” he murmured. He cleared his throat and turned toward Caitlin. “Caitlin,” he said slowly. “I love you. I love you so much. I—”
At that moment, his phone buzzed, and the screen lit up. It was a text from an unsaved number, and Pearl leaned over and tapped on the text. It was a dolphin emoji.
“Who’s sending you dolphins?” Pearl asked.
Caitlin and Michael looked at each other and shared a sympathetic smile.
“As I was saying,” Michael continued, but his phone lit up with another message, this time containing several dolphin emojis. Then another one appeared, with even more dolphins. Caitlin covered her mouth with her hand, laughing.
“She’s clearly determined,” she said, chuckling. “Are you going to answer that?”
Michael shook his head. “No. Her dolphin emojis don’t matter—especially not right now. I have something important to do.” He turned off his phone, firmly ignoring Janelle, and the text messages were silenced. “As I was saying.” He took a deep breath, looking flustered. “I love you, Caitlin.” He seemed to be having a hard time, since his build-up had been interrupted. “I—I don’t know how else to say it. I love you with all my heart,” he stammered.
“Say, ‘You are the woman of my dreams,’” Pearl whispered loudly, prompting him.
Caitlin began to laugh at the sweet moment, and then all at once she realized what was happening.
“You are the woman of my dreams,” Michael said, also chuckling over Pearl’s adorable suggestion. “You really are. Spending time with you makes me happy in a way nothing else ever has. I want to be there for you. To protect you and support you and do life with you. Every day.”
Caitlin’s heart began to pound as Michael stood up and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a ring box. He opened it and dropped down on one knee, beaming up at her.
“Caitlin,” he said, grinning from ear to ear, “will you marry me?”
Happiness flooded her, and she pressed her hand against her heart, finding that tears were filling her eyes. “Yes,” she gasped immediately. “Oh, yes, Michael, of course I’ll marry you.”
He squeezed her hands and then slipped the ring onto her finger. She stood up and he stood up with her, and they shared a tender kiss. Pearl cheered, clapping her hands and whooping, and Michael hugged her too.
“Thank you for your help, Pearl!” he said, winking at her. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I know,” she said proudly.
Michael wrapped Caitlin in his arms again, and she nuzzled up against him and gazed at the beautiful ring he’d given her. There were three diamonds on it that glittered gorgeously in the light.
“There’s a diamond to represent you, and me, and Pearl,” he said softly.
She looked up into his eyes, feeling aglow with joy. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, finding that her eyes had filled with tears again. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“Neither could I,” he said, grinning, and they shared another kiss.