Page 99 of Say Yes to the Hot Mess

I stare at my phone, waiting for her answer, but I don’t expect the loud thumping from the wall behind me that has me jumping.

Thump, thump, thump.

I grin. Then, exiting out of the Sunset Horizons app, I call my girlfriend. “You thumped?” I say.

“Are you proposing?” she says, sounding incredulous.

“I was thinking about it,” I say calmly, my heart picking up its pace a bit despite the fact that I really am confident in the status of our relationship.

“But in amessage?”

“Nah, that was just a way to float the idea,” I say, smiling at the sound of her disbelief. “If I proposed I’d do it right. Get down on one knee and all that.”

“Oh, good,” Maya says, sounding relieved. “In that case, I’m in.”

“Yeah?” I say, my breath hitching at the thought of making this woman mine for real, of waking up next to her every day.

“Yeah,” she says, and I smile.

Good thing I’ve already got the ring.

* * *

The flight to St.Louis, Missouri, is pretty easy, even with Archer along. There’s only one blip of about twenty minutes where he screams and cries before Maya finally gets him calmed down—which involves her straight up whipping her breast out on the plane and me turning my back to her, shielding her from the eyes of the row across from us. She doesn’t like to breastfeed with a feeding cover, because she says it’s like making Archer eat with a bag over his head. “I don’t judge people who use a feeding cover,” she says, “but it’s not for me. Now stand guard, please.”

Aside from that incident, the flight goes well, and Sam and Carter meet us at the airport. It’s the first time I’m meeting them in person, though we’ve met over video chat before, and I’m only around them for a few minutes before deciding that I really like them both.

Especially because they helped stop the wedding between Maya and Chet, and I am happily reaping the benefits.

The next forty-eight hours are a whirlwind of last-minute preparations, laughter, and a fair bit of anxiety-induced deep breathing on my part. It’s harder than I thought it would be to find a minute alone with Frank, but I finally manage it the evening before the wedding. Maya is staying with Sam in Sam’s apartment, while Frank and I are staying in Maya’s old house with Carter.

Carter heads to bed at around ten, saying, “Maybe if I just sleep, tomorrow will get here faster.” He seems to be jumping out of his skin with excitement, and though I’m not an overly sappy man, I can admit it’s fun to see how much he and Sam love each other.

Then it’s just Frank and I, sitting in awkward silence.

“So,” I say, deciding to get right to it. No point in beating around the bush. “Frank. I want to ask you something.”

He grunts. This would be off-putting if it weren’t for the fact that Frank isn’t a talkative or social man—although from what Maya says, he’s joined the Sunset Horizons bingo group, and he’s liking it. I don’t know anything about picking up the pieces after your wife passes, but I’m happy for Frank. I know Maya said he’s been wanting to get out more, and she thinks it’s good for him.

The point is, I’m pretty sure a grunt from Frank is his way of telling me he’s listening, so I go on.

“I want to marry Maya,” I say, my heart pounding. “I want to propose to her. Is that something you’d be okay with?”

Frank’s eyes narrow as he looks me over, his face inscrutable. This man should play poker for a living.

“To be clear,” I say, watching as he deliberates. “I’m asking, but…”

“But you’ll do what you want anyway,” Frank finishes, and though I have yet to figure out how to read the man, I could swear I see amusement flash in his eyes when I nod. “I like you, son,” he says. “Not hesitating because I don’t. You’d just best be sure you’re certain before you pull out a ring. Last guy who said he’d marry her—”

“Was an idiot,” I say calmly. “Who didn’t deserve her and Archer.”

Frank grunts, which I take as agreement. “And you do?” he says, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” I admit. “I don’t. But I’ll certainly give it my best.” Then, because I don’t really want to argue, I say, “I love her. Archer, too. And she loves me. I’ll do everything I can for them, and they’ll always know they’re loved. I’ve never been more sure about anything.” I hesitate before going on, “And though I’m very certain Maya doesn’tneedanyone…Ineedthemin my life.”

Frank eyes me for a second, seemingly unmoved by my speech—until a wide smile splits across his face. I just stare, dumbfounded, because I think this is the first time I’veeverseen a smile from him—and Maya and I have been dating for seven months.

“If you think you can get her to say yes, go for it,” he says, still smiling. “You’ve got my blessing.”

---