Page 67 of When Love Is Unexpected

"You can have the bed," I say. "I'll take the couch."

She exhales a breath she'd been holding.

"Can I kiss you goodnight?" I ask.

"Yes," she says.

I kiss her slowly and thoroughly until she lets out a little moan.

I say goodnight and watch her pull the comforter off the bed and slip under the covers.

"Goodnight," she says, turning to her side and smiling as she watches me walk to the closet and pull out a bed sheet, a pillow, and a blanket so I can construct a makeshift bed on the couch.

"Can I turn the light off?" she asks after I sit on the couch.

"Yes," I say. "Go ahead. I'll see you in the morning."

***

When I wake up, my neck is stiff, and my back is sore. It was a long night. I woke up several times, wanting nothing more than to get up and join Laila in bed, but I stayed put. I can hear the water running in the bathroom. Laila is already up. I look at the clock, and it reads five till seven.

Twenty minutes later, I hear Laila's cheerful "Good morning!" Glancing up, I see her standing beside the kitchen counter, rummaging through her purse. She's wearing a teal blue silk top, tan slacks, and matching heels.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"I'm getting ready for church," she says. "You can have the bathroom. I'll do my makeup out here."

"I haven't been to church in years," I say.

"Yeah, I know," she says. "I must've invited you at least a dozen times back home. You always said no, but you're on your home turf now. What's your excuse?"

"I'm what you would call a ‘prodigal son.’" I say. "I'm not ready to go back."

"Whatever it is," she says, "it's not God's fault. He still loves you, and He forgives you."

I give her a weak smile and walk towards the bathroom.

"Suit yourself," she says. "If you change your mind, I'll see you downstairs. If not, I'll see you later."

The room is empty when I come out of the bathroom at seven-fifty.

The Sunday after I met Patricia in school, we found out her parents were the new pastors of our church. The church my family still attends to this day.

I proposed to her on a Sunday afternoon after church. I had been praying for months about proposing. I thought I was hearing from God and had His blessing. I went to her parents and asked for her hand in marriage. They gave me their blessing, too. Everything was perfect.

I reserved a private party room at our favorite restaurant for the special occasion, and I invited our families and friends to lunch to witness our engagement.

"It's a surprise," I told everyone, "so mum's the word, and please don't miss it."

Everyone was there: my parents, her parents, all the grandparents. Everyone was accounted for. Before we ordered lunch, I got down on one knee in front of everyone, including God.

"Patricia Anne Duncan," I said, "will you marry me?"

She looked surprised, confused, shocked, and embarrassed. One thing she didn't look, however, was happy.

"Patricia?" I said, still holding the ring.

"Sam," she said, "we should've talked about this in private."

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