Chapter 12 #2
I sit at my kitchen table with wire cutters, silver solder, and a YouTube tutorial playing on loop. The jeweler two blocks over offered to help. I declined. This needs to be mine.
The design is simple. A thin silver band with a small groove that holds a line of crushed mica. Sparkle embedded in structure. It takes four tries to get the solder clean. My fingers blister. Worth it.
I tuck the ring in Clarence's battery compartment. Cracked screen and all, he's still the safest place I know.
The question is when.
Cecie and I have fallen into something steady. Comfortable. She closes Sparkle Beauty at six. I finish client calls by seven. We meet at my place or hers, trade off cooking, let Orry destroy whatever room he's in.
It's domestic. Unglamorous.
Perfect.
But proposing feels like threading a needle in an earthquake. Too public and she'll bolt. Too private and it won't feel real. Cecie needs witnesses. Proof. She's been burned by invisibility before.
Colum, naturally, has opinions.
"Fountain," he says over coffee. "Sunset. String quartet."
"No." My head shakes admately.
"Rooftop dinner. Champagne. I know a guy with doves." Colum doesn't give up.
"Absolutely not." Brow furrows as I look at my boss.
"You're no fun."
"I'm proposing to Cecie, not staging a Broadway show."
He sighs. Stirs his cappuccino with unnecessary drama. "Fine. But make it memorable. She deserves memorable."
He's right. Cecie deserves everything. I just need to figure out what everything looks like. The answer comes in late November, entirely by accident.
Cecie's teaching Orry to stack blocks. He's nine months old now, obsessed with order. He lines them up by color, knocks them down, starts over. My influence, Cecie claims. I don't argue.
"Watch," she says.
Orry places a red block. Then blue. Then yellow. He pauses. Studies the row. Adds green.
"He's doing a pattern," I say.
"He's doing your pattern. This is the spreadsheet gene in action."
"There's no spreadsheet gene."
"There absolutely is." She kisses the top of Orry's head. "My beautiful nerdy boy."
Orry beams. Dimple flashing. He holds up a purple block. "Dada?"
"Yeah, bud. Purple goes next."
He places it carefully. Claps.
Cecie watches him with this look. Soft. Unguarded. The kind of expression she used to hide behind sarcasm.
She's let me in. All the way in. And I want to stay.
"Cecie."
"Mm?"
"Come outside with me."
"It's freezing."
"Five minutes."
She narrows her eyes. "You're being weird."
"Probably."
"Fine. But if this is Colum's idea—"
"It's not."
We bundle Orry into his coat. Step onto the plaza. It's late November, early evening. The fountain's off for winter but the lights are still strung overhead. White bulbs against dark sky.
A few people mill around. The coffee shop's still open. Mrs. Lee's locking up her herb store.
Cecie shivers. I pull her closer.
"Okay," she says. "We're outside. Now what?"
I should've planned this. Written notes. Made a list. But the moment's here and the only thing in my head is truth.
"I love you," I say.
She blinks. "I. I know. I love you too."
"I mean I love you. In the way that's. Permanent. The kind that doesn't fit in a spreadsheet."
Her mouth twitches. "You tried to spreadsheet it, didn't you."
"Twice."
"Gunther—"
"Let me finish." I take her hands. Cold fingers. Familiar. "I know I'm not Ridge. I'm not the guy you thought you had that night. I'm awkward and I overthink and I'll probably alphabetize Orry's bookshelf when he's not looking."
"You already do that."
"Exactly. I'm. Predictable. Boring, maybe. But I'm here. And I want to keep being here. For you. For Orry. For whatever comes next."
She's staring at me. Eyes bright.
I pull Clarence from my pocket. Pop the battery compartment. The ring falls into my palm.
"I made this," I say. "It's not fancy. The solder's uneven and I burned my thumb twice. But it's got sparkle in it. Because you do."
"Gunther—"
"Marry me."
Silence. She looks at the ring. At me. At Orry, who's squirming in her arms trying to grab the shiny object. Then she laughs.Not cruel. Not dismissive. Joyful.
"You made a ring."
"I watched seventeen tutorials."
"You burned your thumb."
"Both thumbs, actually."
"You hid it in Clarence."
"Seemed symbolic."
She's crying now. Still laughing. "You're such a nerd."
"Is that a yes?"
"Of course it's a yes, you beautiful disaster."
I kiss her. She kisses back. Orry shrieks and claps between us.
Applause erupts. I pull back. The plaza's not empty anymore.
Mrs. Lee's standing outside her shop, hands clasped.
The barista from the coffee shop leans out the door, grinning.
A couple near the fountain cheers. Colum appears from nowhere, phone raised, recording.
"Did you stage this?" Cecie demands.
"Absolutely not," I say.
Colum waves. "I may have mentioned Gunther was acting suspicious. People noticed."
"You're a menace," Cecie says. But she's smiling.
I slide the ring onto her finger. It fits. Barely. I'll need to resize it. But right now, wearing sparkle and solder and my clumsy devotion, it's perfect.
Mrs. Lee brings champagne from somewhere. The barista produces plastic cups. Someone turns on music. It's impromptu. Chaotic. Exactly right.
Cecie leans into me, Orry balanced on her hip. "We're engaged."
"We are."
"I'm marrying a financial analyst who makes jewelry."
"You're marrying me."
"Yeah." She kisses my cheek. "I am."
The celebration spills into the coffee shop. Colum buys out the pastry case. People keep stopping by, offering congratulations, asking to see the ring. Cecie shows it off with this proud tilt to her chin that makes my chest ache.
Orry gets passed around like a trophy. He's thrilled. Loves the attention.
Around nine, Cecie excuses herself. Bathroom. She's gone longer than usual.
I'm halfway through explaining compound interest to Mrs. Lee's nephew when Cecie returns.
Her face is. Strange.
"You okay?" I ask.
"I need to talk to you."
"Now?"
"Now."
We step outside. The plaza's quieter. Cold air sharp.
"What's wrong?" I say.
"I'm pregnant."
The world tilts.
"You're—"
"Pregnant. I took a test last week. Wasn't sure. Took another one tonight in the coffee shop bathroom because I'm classy. It's. Positive."
"You're pregnant," I repeat. Stupidly.
"I know the timing's insane. We just got engaged five minutes ago and now I'm telling you I'm pregnant again and—"
I kiss her. She makes a small surprised sound. Then melts into it. When we break apart she's breathless.
"You're happy?" she asks.
"I'm terrified."
"Same."
"But yeah. Happy."
She laughs. Shaky. "We're going to have two under two."
"We'll need a bigger apartment."
"We'll need a nanny."
"We'll need. I don't know. Everything."
"We'll figure it out." She grips my hands. "Right?"
"Right."
We stand there. Freezing. Stunned. Grinning like idiots.
Colum appears in the doorway. "You two coming back? Orry's trying to eat a croissant the size of his head."
"We're pregnant," Cecie blurts.
Colum's eyes go wide. "You're—"
"Pregnant."
"Again?"
"Apparently I'm very fertile."
"Gunther, you magnificent bastard." He claps my shoulder. "This is. We need more champagne."
"It's nine PM," I say.
"Exactly. Prime champagne hour."
He drags us back inside. Announces the news with the subtlety of a megaphone. The crowd erupts.
Mrs. Lee hugs Cecie. The barista offers free coffee for life. Someone suggests a baby shower. Another suggests a joint wedding-shower. Colum's already planning.
Orry, oblivious, gums his croissant. Cecie and I end up in the corner, watching the chaos unfold.
"This is our life now," she says.
"Apparently." I blow out a breath.
"Two kids. A business. A. Family." Two kids.
"Scared?"
"Out of my mind."
"Same."
She leans her head on my shoulder. "But we've got this."
"We do." I hug her.
"Even when it's a disaster?"
"Especially when it's a disaster."
The party winds down around eleven. People drift home. Colum's the last to leave, still buzzing with event ideas.
"I'm thinking a quick winter wedding," he says. "Before that basketball you're hiding under your shirt gets any bigger."
"Colum—"
"Or winter. Winter weddings are elegant. We could do ice sculptures."
"Colum."
"Fine. But I'm involved. Non-negotiable."
He leaves. Finally.
Cecie and I collapse on the coffee shop couch. Orry's asleep in his stroller, croissant crumbs on his cheeks.
"Today was a lot," Cecie says.
"Understatement."
"You proposed."
"I did."
"I said yes."
"You did."
"And now we're having another baby."
"We are."
She turns. Studies me. "You really okay with this?"
"Cecie. I spent a year not knowing I had a son. I'm not wasting another second. So yeah. I'm okay. More than okay."
"Even though it's fast?"
"Even though."
She kisses me. Slow. Sweet. The kind of kiss that feels like a promise.
We gather our things. Bundle Orry. Step into the cold.
The plaza's empty now. Just us and the string lights.
"Hey," Cecie says. "Your ring's already working."
I peer down at her hand. The mica catches the light.
"Told you. Sparkle and structure."
"You're so cheesy." She laughs, lightheartedly.
"You're marrying me anyway."
"I am." She squeezes my hand. "Lucky me."
We're halfway across the plaza when movement catches my eye.
A man with a camera. Professional rig. Standing near the fountain.
"Did Colum hire a photographer?" I ask.
"Probably. Why?"
The man lifts his camera. Snaps a shot.
Cecie waves. I do too, awkwardly. Orry's still asleep.
We're almost to the car when Colum jogs over. Phone in hand. Face lit with manic glee.
"What now?" Cecie asks.
"That photographer? Works for the Poplar Springs Gazette."
"Okay?"
"He just sent me a preview shot." Colum turns his phone.
It's us. Mid-kiss. Orry between us. Confetti from earlier still caught in Cecie's hair. The ring visible on her hand.
The caption reads: Local Business Owners Celebrate Engagement, Baby News.
"Oh no," Cecie says.
"Oh yes." Colum's grinning. "This is going in tomorrow's paper. Front page."
"Colum—"
"And I may have texted it to a few people."
"How many people?"
"Define few."
Cecie groans. I should probably groan too. But I'm looking at the photo and all I see is family. Messy. Visible. Real.
"It's a good picture," I say.
"It's mortifying," Cecie says.
"It's both."
Colum pockets his phone. "You two do know this will go viral, right? Poplar Springs loves a good romance. Add a baby and a proposal? You're local celebrities."
"We're really not," Cecie says.
"You really are." He winks. "Enjoy it. And get some sleep. You'll need it." He leaves.
Cecie and I shiver in the cold, staring at each other.
"We're going to be in the paper," she says.
"Front page," I confirm.
"Everyone will see." Her brow arches.
"Everyone." I nod.
"My mother's going to call. Her baby girl has hooked up with an orc. Her grandchildren are half-orc."
"Yes, we make quite a pair. Our children are beautiful."
"Your coworkers will have opinions."
"Definitely." I can already hear their comments.
She's quiet. Then. Soft. "I don't hate it."
"No?"
"No. I spent so long hiding. Being invisible. And now. I don't know. It feels. Good. To be seen."
"You've always been worth seeing."
"Cheesy again."
"It's my brand."
She kisses me. Quick. "Let's go home."
"Yeah. Let's."
We load Orry into the car. Drive through empty streets.
My hand finds Cecie's. She squeezes.
Somewhere in the darkness, a phone buzzes. Notifications rolling in. The photo spread.
But right now, it's just us. Our tiny, chaotic, visible family.