It sounds like the best holiday ever.
I can’t remember the last time I was so content, so filled with anticipation, or so grateful for my many blessings.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us?” Naomi asks Faith, squeezing her hand with an affection that makes me love her a little more. “We don’t mind at all.”
Faith is one of my people. Once Naomi realized that, she’d become one of Naomi’s people, too. She’s embraced my surrogate little sister with a warmth and generosity that leaves no doubt in my mind that she’ll be an amazing adoptive mother. She’s got so much love to give and I can’t wait to see her holding her son or daughter.
And I can’t wait to sign my name on the dotted line beside hers on those adoption papers.
We haven’t had the official talk about adopting together yet, but hopefully…after tonight, it’ll be a no-brainer.
The ring I picked up from the jewelry store on Main Street this afternoon is burning a hole in my pocket, but I’m determined to wait for the perfect moment.
I want this proposal to be something neither of us will ever forget.
“Jake can take turns dancing with both of us,” Naomi continues as Faith casts an anxious look around the ballroom. “I don’t mind standing on the sidelines. That’s where the cookies are, and I am all about cookies until January first when I may or may not consider dieting in a low-key, half-assed sort of way.”
“Only way to diet.” Faith laughs and tugs nervously at her skirt.
In a floor-length, cream-colored dress with a gold belt, she looks stunning, but I can tell she doesn’t feel that way. The fact that her date is a Neanderthal who’s done his best to make her feel like an ugly duckling surely isn’t helping. I doubt Neil intentionally meant to shake Faith’s confidence, but I still kind of want to pound on the kid, a little.
I respect Faith for sticking it out and showing up for her last two dates, but I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d told Neil to go to hell and rot there, either.
“No, I’m good,” Faith finally says. “I’m going to find my loser, eat some cookies, dance three dances, and then get the hell out of here as soon as they announce how much money we’ve made.”
“Is Jamison still going to give you a ride home?” I ask.
Faith nods. “Yeah. He wants to cut out early, too. He said his date and her soon-to-be-not-ex-boyfriend will probably be making out under the mistletoe by eight o’clock anyway. Her plan to make her ex jealous worked like a charm. Poor Jamison isn’t going to get any action, and he’s pretty cranky about it.”
That’s not the only thing he’s cranky about, I add to myself, but don’t say aloud.
I’m not in the mood to dwell on my brother’s sour disposition.
Tonight is a night for good things, wonderful things. I can’t imagine anything better than hearing Naomi say she’ll be my wife and I have a pretty good feeling that, by the end of the evening, the ring in my pocket will be sitting pretty on her finger.
“I’m not nearly as cranky as he is,” Faith continues. “But I may have to break my punch glass over Neil’s head if we haven’t raised enough money for a new firehouse.”
“You’ve raised enough,” Naomi says, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “I know Mitzy from school. She gave me the scoop last week at the hayride. Everything’s on track, and they already have a builder under contract. They’re planning to break ground at the new location in the spring.”
“Praise Jesus. Looks like tonight’s going to be a perfect night, after all,” Faith says, shooting me a thumbs-up I know is about more than the new firehouse.
She spotted the bag from the jewelry store in my coat pocket at work today and put two and two together to make a marriage proposal. She’s the only one who knows I intend to pop the question tonight…which is a good thing.
If too many other people knew, I’d be even more nervous than I am already.
“All right, wish me luck,” Faith says, diving into the crowd.
“Good luck, and don’t take any crap,” I call after her, watching as she weaves her way through the throngs of people already filling the large foyer and the ballroom beyond.
The dancing hasn’t started yet, but the room already feels packed. I certainly won’t have any trouble finding an excuse to whisk Naomi outside for a breather—and an opportunity to get down on one knee.
“Of course, there’s one big downside to the new firehouse going ahead, you know.” She turns back to me, slipping her arm around my waist with a familiarity that feels just right.
“We won’t work across the street from each other anymore.”