Page 175 of Loving the Legend
“Thanks, man. Help yourself to a drink. I’ll go see if the food is ready.”
The caterers dropped off trays of rice and peas—both a regular and gluten-free version—and vegan baked macaroni and cheese, baby kale and endive salad, baked salmon, and vegan sliders earlier today. Sid and I made sure to cover everyone’s dietary restrictions.
Kieran and Lily are putting the finishing touches on the picnic table. A natural woven runner sits under cream pillar candles and bouquets of fresh cream flowers with green stems. The gold and cream place settings round out the celebratory theme. I pat my pants pocket to confirm the ring is still there. Adam, Ishan, and Sid’s family know about my plan to propose to Sid today. Kieran and Lily volunteered to take care of the decorations. They knocked it out of the park. Everything looks perfect!
“Hey, Unc. Need a hand?”
“Hey, kiddo! I’m just about done here. Can you take those three trays to the serving table? Finishing up the dogs now. Five more minutes.”
“Cool.” I peel back a tray’s lid to get a whiff of the jerk chicken. Another tray has BBQ chicken, and a third has burgers.
“Dayum! Smells insane!” I can’t resist peeling off a piece of the juicy and perfectly grilled chicken and popping it in my mouth.
“It’s the smoker! Man, I have to cop one of these. Sid did his research.”
“He researched and compared a dozen options, spent hours watching reviews. You know how he goes in.”
I make a mental note to gift order the smoker to him and Ishan.
“Hey, everyone, the food will be ready in five minutes. Now’s a good time to wash your hands, start making yourself a plate, and grab a seat at the table. Grab the chicken while it’s hot if you know what’s good,” I announce.
“Thanks, babe!” Sid calls back.
After moving the trays to the server table, I take my advice and run inside to the restroom. Staring at myself in the mirror, I wash my hands and take a deep breath. I dry my hands and pull a piece of paper from my pocket even though I know what’s written on it by heart, having written and recited it a gazillion times over the last month. It’s too long, I think, starting to freak out.
There’s a knock on the door. I quickly stuff the paper back in my pocket.
“It’s me, honey!” Kieran says.
I rub my sweaty palms on my shirt and turn the lock.
He slides inside. “You ready?” He tiptoes to embrace my shoulders.
“No, yes, ugh no,” I stammer.
“Y'all are already married in my cousin’s eyes. This is just a formality.”
“I know, but, like, what if he prefers a private proposal?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Sid? Private? Not a chance. This is perfect.”
“I know, I know, but what if he hates the ring?”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the most stunning 24-carat emerald-cut eternity ring I’ve ever seen. Norah, my jeweler, really outdid herself. It was a challenging ring to make. The difficulty came down to trying to match emerald-cut diamonds for eternity bands. Specifically, aligning the carat weight, clarity, and color. Given the layout, she looked at close to eighty diamonds to find the seventeen that would fit Sid’s ring size. The project took weeks. I’ve never spent so much on a piece of jewelry. Good thing I only plan to get married one time.
“It’s magnificent, Ty! You know he’ll love it. Your descendants 400 years from now will love it.”
I grin at that.
“Now, take a deep breath.”
I close my eyes and inhale for five seconds, hold for seven, then release for nine.
“Good. Now erect your spine, shoulders back, head high,” he says.
Spine straightened, shoulders down, and chin up.
“Hey,” he says.
