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“What’s this?” asked Nick.  He picked up a flat stone disk from the coffee table.  He thought it might be jade.

They were sitting in the living room waiting for the parents to leave.  Nick was on the sofa, sitting up straight, but itching to stretch out.  Abby was in the wingback chair at the end of the sofa, leafing idly through the TV guide. They had already made selections for their evening viewing.  Neither one of them cared what they watched.  They both hoped secretly that they would be in bed together before very long.

Abby had spent the afternoon in her room…supposedly writing, but mostly hugging herself and reliving last night’s encounter with Nick.  It had been awkward and not at all elegant, and it had been the most incredible experience of her life.  She could only imagine how good it would be tonight when they both knew what they were doing.

She tried to think about how this turn of events impacted their ‘relationship’.  She thought it made it better.  It certainly made it real.  Abby realized that she hadn’t quite believed in it, that she had been waiting with bated breath the entire weekend for Nick’s quiet announcement that it had all been a mistake.  So it was now a platonic relationship with fringe benefits.  Abby smiled to herself.  She could live with that.  She shushed the tiny voice in the back of her head that said surely there should be more and went back to Lady Vera.

“It’s my father’s worry stone,” said Abby.

“Worry stone?”

“Yes, he got it when he quit smoking a few years ago.  The doctor told him to keep it on him and whenever he wanted a cigarette...to rub the stone instead.  He always has it with him.  Even though it isn’t about smoking anymore, he finds it relaxing.  I used to have one, but I kept losing the damn thing and that made me more anxious, so I gave up on it.” 

“I have something like that,” said Nick, nodding.  Then his eyes brightened.  “And you know what, you are the only person in the world who would get it.”

“Get what?”

“You’ll see.  Hang on a sec.”  Nick got up and went out into the hall.  He came back a few seconds later with his hand behind his back.  He perched on the edge of the sofa.  Slowly he drew the object out from behind his back and held it out on his palm.  It was a tiny blue velvet box.  At least, it had been velvet at one time.  Now the plushness was gone; it was worn and patchy, from the constant thumbing.

“Omigod,” said Abby, knowing instantly what it was.  “You still carry this around?”

“Yeah,” said Nick, wrinkling his nose.  “I kept meaning to take it back to the store, and never got around to it, and then it just became…like a charm or something.  I transferred it from jacket to jacket and really got unnerved if I didn’t have it.  Is that sick?”

“You don’t mean that the ring is still in there, do you?” asked Abby incredulously.

Nick nodded.  “Yeah, it is.  What did you think of it, by the way?”

“Think of what?”

“The ring?  Did you think it was nice?”

“I never looked at it.”

“You never looked at it?”  Nick found that hard to believe.  Wouldn’t any girl be curious?

“I wasn’t much into looking at engagement rings at the time, if you recall,” said Abby.

“Right!” said Nick, laughing.  “Good point.”  He held out the box.  “Tell me now.  I designed it myself.  Tell me what you think.”

Abby took the box from him.  She put on a poker face.  God alone knew what it was going to be.  Some big flashy rock with entwined initials or a gold heart around it, she guessed.  It wasn’t.  It was a solitaire diamond, pretty big but not too flashy, nestled in two curves of white gold.  Like waves.  Like the ocean.

“Oh, Nick, it’s beautiful,” she said.  She heard a gasp from the doorway and turned to see her mother standing with her hands over her mouth.

Abby’s world went into slow motion.  Time slowed right down and it seemed to take forever for her to turn her head back from the doorway to look at Nick, who had also turned to look at the doorway.  Then she looked down at the ring and back to the doorway.  Her mother was gone.  Abby looked back at Nick.  “Nooooooo….” she said, rising from the chair.

“Wait!”  Nick grabbed her by the wrist, snapping her world back into present time.

“But she thinks…”  Abby tried to jerk her arm out of Nick’s grasp.

“Why not, Abby?  Why not?”

Abby jerked her arm again.  “Why not what?”

Nick grabbed her by her arms and turned her to face him.  “Why not get engaged?”

“WHAT!!!???  Have you lost your mind?”

“No, listen, Abby, listen.  It makes perfect sense.  Then we never have to answer another question.  We never have to doubt each other or worry that one of us will change our mind.”

Abby shook her head from side to side.  “No, no, no, it’s all wrong.”

Nick took the ring from the box.  He grabbed her left hand and started sliding the ring down her finger.  Abby knew that she had to stop him, but she couldn’t seem to.  She couldn’t make her brain work.

“Please, Abby, please.  I don’t want to play the Pain Song anymore.  Please, Abby, please.”

Abby started shaking.  She thought she might throw up.  Nick pulled her into his arms and held her.

“Honey?”

Abby looked toward the doorway.  Her mother and father stood there.

“Mr. Fremont…Sir…” began Nick, not loosening his grip on Abby.  “Ma’am…”  A nod to Sharon.  “I was wondering if I could marry your daughter.”

Abby made a sound.  Nick rubbed her back.  “Please,” he said.  The parents thought he was talking to them.

They edged their way into the room.  They were dressed in coats and boots, ready to go out.

“Honey?” said John again.

Abby took a deep breath and removed herself from Nick’s grasp.  She turned to her parents.  “You two, sit down.  We’ll be right back.  And don’t go near a phone.  You…come with me.”

Abby marched out of the living room, through the dining room and into the library.  “Close the door,” she said.  She walked over to her father’s desk.  She took two deep breaths and then turned back to Nick.  “Have you lost your mind?  This is insane.”

“No, it’s not, Abby.  Why not do this?”

“Because you don’t love me,” she said.

“But I like you,” he said sincerely.  “I really like you and I think we’re good for each other.  It was working out so good before and it can still, only this time with no worries.”

“No worries!?  No worries!?”  Abby’s voice rose hysterically.  “Have you met my mother?  Do you think she is going to be content for us to be engaged for years on end and not mention a wedding?”

“I didn’t mean for us just to be engaged,” said Nick.  “I meant for us to get married.”

Abby’s knees buckled and she sat down heavily on the desk.  Her mouth opened and closed.  No sound came out.  It didn’t matter.  There were no thoughts to be expressed.  “I…I…”

“How can I make you believe it?” Nick asked desperately.

“Maybe you could kiss me,” said Abby softly.

And time slowed down again.  But this time it was okay.  It took forever for Nick to walk the four steps to her.  It gave her time to memorize everything about him.  And then he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, softly, gently, with a small sigh of contentment.  Or maybe that was her.  It was hard to tell over the pounding of her heart in her ears.

Nick kissed her for a long time and then he stepped back.  Abby slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.  “Believe in us, Abby,” he said.  “We can make it work.  It worked for your parents.”

Abby’s eyes grew large.  “My parents!!”  She bolted from the room.

Back in the living room, John and Sharon Fremont were perched on the edge of the sofa, still in their coats.  They were holding hands but not saying anything. 

“Mother, Daddy…”

Nick came up behind her and put his arm around her.  “Mr. and Mrs. Fremont.  Abigail has agreed to marry me, if that’s okay with you.”

John Fremont rose to his feet.  “You don’t need my permission, Son,” he said, reaching out a hand to shake Nick’s.  “But you have my blessing.  Our blessing.”

Sharon stood up as well, saying nothing.  She shook hands with Nick and then she put her arms around her daughter.  She hugged her tightly still saying nothing.  When she stepped back, her eyes were moist.  John Fremont hugged Abby tightly.  “Is this what you want, Honey?” he whispered.  She nodded into his chest.  He stepped back and looked into her eyes.  “It’s not…”

Abby gave a small shake of the head.  “He doesn’t know about that,” she whispered.  Then out loud, she said, “You are not allowed to mention this tonight…at the party.”

“What?”  Sharon had already been calculating the order of people she was going to tell.  Miles and Jeannette first, of course…

“No, you can’t.  Mother, Daddy, listen.  This has to come from Nick.  This will be a very big deal in his world.”  She looked over at Nick.  “Omigod, we never even thought about that.”

Nick could see that she was on the verge of changing her mind.  “I’d like to tell the other Boys.  And my family.  This kind of news kinda gets out there.  I’d hate for them to find out from the media.”

“You can’t say anything about this.  Do you promise me?”  Abby’s eyes bore into her mother’s. 

“Of course, Dear,” said Sharon, squeezing her daughter’s hand.  “Whatever you and Nick want.”

“Well, then,” said John, clearing his throat.  “Well then, I guess we’ll be off.  I guess you two have a lot to talk about.”  He saw Abby’s pleading look.  “We won’t tell.  It will be okay.”

Nick and Abby stood silently in the living room after the parents left.  They heard the door close but still they didn’t move or speak.  The same thought was running through both their heads.  What have I done?  What have I done?  What have I done?

“Okay,” said Abby, finally, taking a deep breath.  “Let’s talk about the rules.”