Page 55 of Grumpy Boss's Secret

“It started two weeks ago,” I said.

He frowned.

“They. She. He. Started two weeks ago.”

For a moment, he was still frowning; then, his eyes widened. I was afraid of how he might take it – afraid for him. Afraid it would trigger his grief. That it would frighten him.

"Oh, Jozi," he whispered.

He lifted his eyes to the sky, the water. He glanced around as if reeling from the news. A smile broke, and his eyes were shining.

“Are you…can we – ”

“Yes,” I said. “You’d better marry me.”

He laughed, throwing his head back. I’d never seen him laugh like that. It was like the good angel to what his screaming had been – a burst of emotion. Instead of pain, there was joy. He kissed me and hugged me, spinning me around in a circle. He set me down. His face hovered near mine for a moment, and his lips parted as if he were about to speak.

He inhaled. He got down on one knee. He reached for a seashell and held it out to me.

“Jozi,” he said. “Zee. I don’t have a ring. This will have to do for now. Will you marry me?”

“Are you proposing to me with a seashell?” I said, laughing.

“This seashell,” he said, feigning melodrama, "is like our love before we'd met. Buried for a long time under the sea. Undiscovered. Now, it is out in the open. I give it to you.”

I looked down into his eyes, beaming at him. It genuinely impressed me.

“You really made the most out of that, didn’t you?” I said. “It’s like you’re a writer or something.”

“Answer the question, Jozi,” he said.

"What question is that?" I said coyly, kneeling down on the sand next to him.

“Will you marry me?” he repeated, taking my hands. The seashell was cupped inside our fingers.

“There’s no question there,” I said. “I couldn’t possibly say anything besides yes.”

Epilogue

“You look beautiful, Jozi.”

I turned from side to side, gazing at my reflection in the mirror. Behind me stood my mom, beaming with tears sparkling in her eyes. She held Bethany, the cutest little round human who had decided I didn't need to sleep anymore, but only attended to her every whim.

Ian called her our little miracle. She was like a whole new universe, who rested in my arms like a soggy sack of potatoes. I loved her as much as I loved Ian, which was saying something. I turned back and grinned at Mom and my daughter. They were wearing matching dresses – both a luscious shade of cherry. Except, you know, Mom's dress was significantly bigger than Bethany's.

I had to agree with my mom. I looked beautiful. My wedding dress had a lacey corset top and a swirling, ballgown-sized tulle skirt. My veil was attached to a diamond tiara, trailing behind me like a river of frost.

The rings were resting in the room's corner on a little red pillow. Ian's was a plain gold band with the words “with love from Zee" etched inside. Mine was a unique piece made of silver and a seashell welded together in a swirling pattern. The same seashell Ian had proposed. The man follows through like that.

There was a knock on the door. My bridesmaids, my mom, and I were all packed into the nursing room of the church-a square room lined with red brick-laden with many chairs and a couple of mirrors. Perfect for nursing mothers looking for a quiet moment or many women feeling beyond excited and talking too much.

“Who is it?” called Jessica, one of my bridesmaids.

“It’s Ian.”

It filled the air with squeals and shrieks.

“Are you out of your mind?” squealed Tina, another bridesmaid. “She’s in here!”

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