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Gavin watched all the excitement and shook his head. "Jeez. What is with these people? It's just a snotty kid."
"It'll be the first baby in the Knight Security family since we all retired from the Navy. Steel went through a lot to get there. You become a team guy and you'll know." It was hard to explain to a man who'd never faced down a bullet with you what it was like to see that man succeed and find happiness in the civilian world.
"I'll take your word for it."
Gavin had been working out and bulking up, but he would never make the teams. He didn't have the drive and determination needed to swim, run, hike, or shoot a weapon. Best he stuck to computers. Which reminded me. "How're things with school?"
"Good. Almost done with my certificate."
He was taking tech classes similar to Wren's but at the junior college instead of the state college like her. "And who's your guest?"
"This is Adeline. She's a professor at the college."
"Really, Gav? Is that allowed?"
"I don't know." He shrugged and she blinked quickly, but neither one of them seemed too bothered by it.
The excitement about the baby announcement settled down, and we all finished our meal. They brought out Wren's mooncakes for dessert, and I stuffed those down into my very nervous stomach because as soon as dessert was over, I was on.
The music started, and I nearly tossed up all the chow I'd just consumed. Dancers wearing traditional dragon costumes entered and began to bop around on the small dance floor at the center of the room.
"I'll be right back."
Wren barely noticed me leaving because she was so enthralled with the dragons. In the kitchen, the banquet manager slid the costume over my head and I gripped the handles that held the dragon head before walking out to the back of the stage.
At the end of the song, the two dragons stopped moving, and I emerged from between them. I removed my head like I was the fucking Masked Singer or something.
I felt extremely awkward, but Wren loved it. Her eyes were big, mouth open. Totally shocked. She looked around like it was a joke.
I tossed the head aside, pulled the ring box, and slid in front of her, landing on oneknee.
The crowd collectively gasped with her as I took her hand.
We hadn't talked about marriage much. It was a total surprise to her. As far as she knew, she was still sowing her oats and I would never commit to marriage.
Well, things had changed in the last six months, and I needed to let her know that. "The last time I did this, it was fake."
She covered her mouth with her hands.
"But I didn't want it to be. I wanted it to be as real as it is now."
Her face crumpled, and I knew the tears were coming so I struggled to get the words out fast. "I was a ship adrift at sea in a violent storm."
Too late, she was already crying.
"And you are my anchor."
I hadn't opened the ring box yet when she flew out of her chair and jumped me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, choking me. "What are you doing?"
"I'm proposing to my girl big style."
"Oh my God."
I peeled her off my neck and propped her up in front of me. "So, will you take this ring as a symbol of my unending devotion and to declare that I have chosen you above all else now until the end of time." I repeated the words we'd said at the city hall before we even knew we would mean it someday.
"Yes." She collapsed on me, weeping into my neck.
"Baby, stop crying so I can put theserocks on you."
