Page 44 of Two Is Better Than One

"She's lying, whatever it is," he said.

I had to work to hold in nervous laughter. "It sounded like it to me, too. She sounded nervous."

Casey and I speculated about what it could be, and then we were disappointed when we got there. We both expected it to be something at the dining table, and there was nothing there.

"I see it," he said once he came fully inside. "There's lights."

I looked at Casey and he pointed toward the kitchen. I couldn’t see it from where I was standing, but I walked toward him and could eventually see the balcony and appreciate that it had been transformed—at least half of it had.

I walked closer, squinting and trying to figure out why it seemed darker out there. The balcony was normally entirely open, but now there were some plants that were stacked at the rail, closing in half of it, creating a wall of privacy. Within that wall, there was an unbelievable table set up. It was a new table and chairs, a grand one with two oversized fabric chairs that were so grand it seemed like they were for a king and queen.

The table was set with white linens, and all-white dishes. There were lanterns everywhere with fake candles twinkling. It was still light out, but they were lit, and the shade from the new plant wall made them stand out. There were hundreds of small string lights. It was like I had stepped into an enchanted forest with all the plants they had moved in. The whole thing was a masterpiece.

It was so magical that I wondered if Casey might be proposing to me tonight. I got nervous at the thought—and I was mostly nervous because I knew I would agree to it.

He walked around the table, surveying it curiously. There was a fun centerpiece that included not only flowers, but cool fun gadgets and games, such as a set of Pass the Pigs, and a Fuji Instax camera, which took instant photos.

"She knows I love Pass the Pigs. My sister had something to do with this."

"Does my cousin know about it?" he asked, seeming stunned.

I knew Casey was a good actor, but I wasn't sure that he was acting. He seemed to really have no idea how this got here. I felt sad because I figured if he was proposing, he would own up to it.

"I don't know," I said. "I don't know what all my sister tells AJ. They were together for two days when he was sick, basically."

"They're still together right now," he said.

"Yeah, but Brooks is there."

He shrugged. He absentmindedly touched the chair he was standing next to, and I instinctually moved closer to him.

"Did my sister do this?" I said. "It has to be her, because she knows I love this game."

"That pig thing? Never played that."

"You've never played Pass the Pigs? Oh, it's so much fun. You just roll the little piggies like they're dice."

He laughed.

I still had hope that he and my sister had planned it.

I grabbed the camera off the table and turned it on before standing next to Casey and holding it outward, taking a selfie of us. The camera made that familiar clicking noise as it snapped the photo, and the motor pushed the piece of paper slowly out of the top of it.

I tossed the picture onto the table.

"One more, please," I said, aiming the camera and posing a little differently this time. I stood really close to Casey when I took the picture, and I didn't move when I finished and tossed the second photograph onto the table.

I held the camera out, aiming it at us again, only this time, I turned and kissed Casey on the mouth. I snapped a photo when our mouths touched, and he was smirking at me and shaking his head when we broke away.

"What?" I said as I threw the undeveloped picture onto the table. "I need proof."

"You don't need proof," he said.

"But I want proof," I said. I held the camera in the air with a questioning expression as if asking his permission to do it again. He tugged on my shirt and pulled me toward him so vigorously for a kiss that I was fairly sure my aim was off when I snapped the fourth one. This time, I didn't worry about taking the photo out of the camera.

I broke apart from him just long enough to set the whole camera on the table. Then I went directly into Casey's arms. It felt so good to be outside and alone. It reminded me of that day in the back of his truck.

"I asked God a question today," I said, my face only inches from his.

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