Page 27 of Good Girl and Grinches

He opens the box to reveal her wedding ring that I’ve heard about but never seen. The oval diamond in the center captures the light and reflects it in a dazzling array of sparkles. Flanking the diamond are two smaller rubies, deep red and vibrant.

I’ll cherish the ring and the significance it holds for them. Their grandma and grandpa were an iconic couple that made good on the ‘til death do us part’ portion of their vows. Tears start to well. This is so sweet.

Ghost places the box on the table then marks an X in the checkbox next to ‘old’.

An X? Oh, no. It should be a check mark. I attempt to lighten the intensity of the moment, grab the dry-erase marker, and say, “We can’t have that.”

Ghost flinches. “Have what?”

I use my fingers to erase the X, redraw the box, and put a check in it. “We need the positivity of a check mark.”

“You scared me for a minute.” Ghost shakes his head, carefully pulls me close, and pretends to draw an X on top of my head. “But the treasure is always under the X.”

“True, butchecklists needcheckmarks.”

The three of them laugh at me and concede that they’ll use checks. I try to hand the marker back to Ghost, but Ruckus takes it as he hands me an envelope. “Something new.”

“Can I open it?”

“Yes.”

It’s the legal paperwork confirming my name change. The tears that threated before, spill down my cheeks. I’ve always been the outsider, having my birth father’s last name even after my mom married their dad. I hold the paper to my chest. “My new last name.”

Ruckus checks the ‘new’ box. I nod approvingly.

“Something borrowed…” Flame presses the button to retract the room divider, and stops when it’s halfway open, enough to reveal a table full of treats: Chex mix, spinach artichoke dip, brownies, and several other favorites. That explains what smelled so good.

He winks and checks the ‘borrowed’ box.

“Wait. The food is borrowed?”

“Sorry, I was so excited, I forgot to explain. The serving trays and bowls are borrowed.”

“Gotcha.”

I’m ready to stuff my face, but in unison, they say, “And something blue…”

They each reach for the panel of the dry-erase board, and fuss over each other to slide it to the side, revealing another panel behind it, with the words, “It’s a boy.”

At the ultrasound appointment, I hadn’t wanted to find out, so they harbored a secret. But later I told them that they could surprise me if I hit my due date and hadn’t given birth.

My breath catches as they each drop to one knee in perfect synchronization.

“Thank you for being patient,” Ghost starts.

“Thank you for trusting us,” Ruckus adds.

“And thank you for going on this wild adventure with us,” Flame finishes.

“Will you marry us?” they ask together.

Tears blur my vision as Ghost retrieves their grandmother’s ring and slides it past the first knuckle of my finger before it sticks. Good enough.

The thoughtfully arranged reveal worked into a wedding checklist makes a perfect moment.

“This is the most amazing proposal ever.”

Flame clears his throat, stands, and grabs the dry-erase marker. “Is that a yes?”

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