Page 128 of Geordie

“Is there a great secret you're not wishing to share with the other males?”

“Aye, there is, it’s inside. First, congratulations again. Lily and I saw the Olympics on the TV. Kenzie and her partner Livi were pure magic on the sand. To win a gold for beach volleyball, you must be bursting with pride.”

“I couldn’t be happier. I handled everything in her life that wasn’t volleyball, so she could focus on her goal. Kenzie’s determination was something to watch.”

“Is she going back for another medal in four years?”

“I don't know. It's up to her to decide.”

He points his beer to Lily who’s sweetly cooing at Innis in her arms, looking the picture of motherhood. “You’ve achieved our goal first to have a family and I must admit, it looks as though fatherhood suits you.”

“Fatherhood is a wonderful thing,” saying it low, as a confidence, “better than I could have imagined, cousin. You should try it.” His gaze lands on Kenzie and I can see him wondering when will it be his time to start a family. I clamp my hand on his shoulder. “It’s impossible to tell you what Lily and the babe mean to me. I just know that every minute of my struggle to have them both in my life was worth it. But there’s one matter left that needs to be resolved before I can claim all my happiness. I grin at my quizzical cousin, who doesn’t have a bloody clue of what I’m talking about. I release my hold on him and chuck my chin towards the house. “Come to my office; I’ll show you what I mean.”

Lochlan glances over his shoulder before following me inside. “Shouldn't we get back to the grill? You have a mob of hungry people waiting for you to feed them.”

“This will only take a minute,” sliding the heavy glass door open for him to step inside. We walk a short distance to the home office as the sounds of the party grow faint. I push the door open to a space that’s more masculine than the rest of the house. It’s the only part of our home that is my domain. I offered to create another office for Lily, but she’s chosen to work in a corner of our bedroom, curled in a cozy overstuffed chair instead.

I reach into a top shelf of the book case and push an art piece aside. “I want to give Lily this. What do you think?”

He takes the box from me and pops it open. “This is your mother's wedding ring?”

“This was returned when her body came back for burial. Do you think she will like it, or do you think it has too much history the way my mother died?”

Lochlan stares at the ring for a few seconds, shuts it closed, and hands it back. “Lily will keep it for Innis, but think about making your own tradition. Buy a ring just for her to pass down to your daughter, maybe let her pick it out. When were you going to ask her?”

“After she blows out the candles, I want to give her this gift and ask her to marry me.”

Lochlan arches a brow, face cautious. “Is she ready? Have you talked about it?”

“Ah, no. We've been living together, and there's our child. Granda told me to ask her after the christening. I was waiting for the right time.”

“Man, hasn’t that been more than a year ago? Has she said anything, dropped any hints?”

I shake my head. I thought asking her to marry me in front of family and friends, would be a perfect way to show her I want her to be more than a co-parent, I want Lily as my wife, my life partner. Listening to Lochlan’s concerns, maybe we should keep things as they are… it's working, so, why do we need a piece of paper?

Lochlan slaps me on the shoulder. “Why don't you wait to ask her when you're alone? No reason to risk looking like a dolt if you don't get a yes.”

I shove the box into my pocket and turn towards the door. “Let's go feed the mob.”

Harv has arranged the food on the potluck table, the guests are forming a line and piling food on their plates. Lily is leading Innis, Gemma and Emmy to a child's table, the girls are dancing as they walk. It seems Gina has volunteered to sit with the children, along with Connell, they’re only steps away from the adult table.

Lily takes a seat at the other end of the long table with Connie, Kenzie, Maria, her mom, and Molly. I'd prefer she sit next to me, but it's her birthday party; I won't insist she be by my side.

“Cheer up, cousin,” Lochlan slipping onto the bench beside me. “All is well. Even Granda and his lady friend are in a good mood.”

Granda sits at the next table and raises his glass to me while his friend gives me a wave. I nod and wave back. I glance at Lily. She smiles at me, pointing to her plate and giving me a thumbs up. Would I embarrass her if I asked her to marry me in front of everyone?

I'm pulled into conversations, but my mind isn’t completely on the light discussions around me. We eat until we're pleasantly groaning from the food and drink, praising the meal to a comic level.

The women are collecting plates and dumping them in garbage cans for the clean-up company to clear away. It will take their small army to return our house back to normal. The children are getting sleepy and it's time for the cake.

Molly and Connie roll out a chocolate cake from the kitchen, passing kids that are excited with the grand arrival of the dessert. The wee lassies dance and twirl, while the boys park themselves so close, their noses practically touch the icing until Connie shoos them back.

Lily hikes Innis on her hip and skirts behind the cake as the candles are lit. She holds out her hand to me to join them and we stand together as a family.

Lily's emotions are close to the surface as she looks at our family and friends. I take the child before she becomes overwhelmed and place my arm around her for support. She looks up at me, tears brimming, then back at the gathering. “I don't know why I'm so emotional,” wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday. I love you all. Some have traveled a great distance to be here.” She nods at Granda. “Thank you for making the journey.” She claps her hands and shows a bright smile through the tears. “After I blow out the candles, I have a huge announcement to make.”

The gathering murmurs about the coming news. “Lily, are you finally going to dump that arrogant Geordie MacTavish and find a man who's truly worthy of you?” Granda shouts.

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