Authors: Billy Taylor
He signalled down at his tie and wafted it. “August Victoria Bishop. Will you marry me?”
I’ve never cried and laughed and smiled and sulked and winced in such a short time. All these emotions were combining and I couldn’t help but cry. I can’t believe he kept that card. I can’t.
I wiped my eyes, and smiled, nodding my head, “Yes.”
He quickly leant forward and kissed me. He had the biggest grin on his face. I’d never seen him so happy as he placed the ring onto my finger.
“It was my Mum’s. My Dad bought it as soon as he won his first big payout. Growing up my Dad didn’t give me much advice. But one day he crouched down in front of me and handed me the ring, telling me to give it to you when we were old enough. He said my Mum would want me to have it.”
I held his head next to mine and caressed the back of his neck. I held my hand up over his shoulder and admired the ring I possessed on my finger.
When he mentioned his Mum though it made me think of the letter, maybe now I should give it to him, now is the right time. Leaving it any longer could only make things worse.
“Ethan I need to show you something.”
“Ok.” He replied.
I rose from the sofa, seating him on it, and walked over to the cabinet I had kept it hidden in. I regret keeping it from him for as long as I had. Still, I passed the box to him. The moment I gave it to him I think he knew who it was from. I sat quietly, allowing him to examine it in peace. Ethan removed the envelope containing the letter from his box and began to read it. I watched his eyes as they flicked along each line. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he folded the letter into the envelope and returned it to its box. I shuffled behind him and put my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back.
“I just wish she was still here, you know. To see how well I’m doing. To see you. It’s not fair.”
“I know it’s not.” I replied. “She’ll be watching over you, and I’m sure she is so proud of you, Ethan.”
We sat silently as he wiped his eyes.
“I’m such a baby! I don’t cry my entire life and I’ve cried twice this year!”
We both giggled. I kissed the back of his neck and gave him a squeeze.
“Will you be ok?”
“I’ll be fine Mrs. August Bishop-Knight.” He replied.
“Did you notice we kinda sound like the beginning of a chess set?” I asked with my cheek squished against him.
“Oh yeah.” He replied with amusement.
NEW MESSAGE FROM MUM
A HOUSE! A BLOODY HOUSE! IS HE MAD? August, if you don’t marry that boy I have failed as a Mother! Tell him thank you, honestly thank you so much. Thank you for my shoes and the Tv, too. Madeline is running around like a lunatic and she went crazy over her presents. Your Father cried, but he won’t admit it. He also asked me to remind you to keep your tongue out of Ethan’s mouth while on live television, lol! God, I need a lie down, it’s too much to take in! All my love to you couple of goofballs, we love you so so so so much. Merry Christmas my angel! Xx
I’m sure you can imagine my Mum’s overwhelmed reaction when I replied to her text with a photo of me and Ethan kissing as I flashed my engagement ring. Believe it or not Ethan had already spoken to my Dad about proposing to me. I didn’t see that coming. When we arrived at Max and Eleanor’s, Ethan introduced me as his fiancée. It was the strangest most wonderful feeling, and I thought I was going to burst with excitement. Max and Eleanor were thrilled as I held up the
huge rock
on the end of my finger. My fiancée, wow it’s even more wonderful to say it, was creating our surprise dinner with Max while Eleanor and I enjoyed a glass of wine. Whatever it was they were making it smelt great. The reason it smelt great was because when we sat down we had four pizza’s waiting for us at our table. Eleanor and I were laughing for a good minute or two. Ethan and Max didn’t find it too amusing because they had spent a long time preparing them for us. Pizza is hardly a traditional Christmas meal, but I’m glad we didn’t have anything else. We sat and ate our pizzas prepared for us by our partners. Then I snuggled up into Ethan’s arms on the sofa and we had a nap while Max and Eleanor did the same. I shuffled my head back and pouted my lips, in an attempt to show that I wanted a kiss. I had to nudge him with my head before his hands grasped my cheeks and kiss my pouted lips. We didn’t stay much longer because Ethan was still a bit shaken by his Mum’s letter from earlier. I secretly made Max and Eleanor aware of it and they completely understood.
My fiancée had one more surprise for me as we reentered our apartment. He took my coat off me as I obliviously wandered straight past the gift he had hanging on the wall.
“August, you missed something, dear.” He said, pointing to the wall.
I slumped my arms, as to say
How on Earth did I walk past that without noticing it?
I strolled over to him and gazed upon his final gift. It was a framed black and white photo of the moment he surprised me at my premiere. It was so pretty. He looked so smart and dashing in his suit, and I had the largest surprised smile on my face. And the flashing cameras were in the background. It would make the perfect movie poster!
He kissed the top of my head and put his arm around my shoulder as I admired the frame. “Do you like it?” He asked, resting his chin on the top of my head.
“I love it!” I don’t know what happened, but as I said that a burp sneaked its way up and surprised us both. Ethan burst into one of his uncontrollable laughters, and I hid under my shirt in embarassment.
“You’re so adorable.” He said, pulling my shirt from over my head. We laughed at each other again.
“I love you.” He said, tucking my hair behind my ears, then bringing a small section forward, “My little elf.”
I sulked at him. “I love you, too.”
Ethan placed his arm around me as we turned and faced the beautiful photo of us, newly hung on the wall. Nothing else was said, because, nothing else needed to be said.
NEW EMAIL FROM ETHAN KNIGHT
October 31
st
Leonard,
There’s a solution, a simple one, to how we will resolve this matter. And that is no one will ever find out how it was done, not even me. Because I don’t remember how I did it. There it is, the truth. However, the footage taken from the side of the vehicle where you would see how it was done, is in my possession, or was, who knows. I had the tape in my hand, just like the footage I took from my college surveillance cameras when I broke a guys jaw for hurting the girl I love. That’s why August’s parents didn’t see the footage. This is irrelevant to you, but I wanted you to know why you couldn’t get ahold of the footage. No one needs to know the truth, Leonard. I thought maybe I did, so I placed the footage from the crash into the player. But then I removed it. Because I realised, maybe this should remain a secret from everyone. Even from the one who performed the act, and that’s how it shall remain. I think we both know how I did it, Leonard, but I think we both don’t believe it because, it is as they say, impossible.
Ethan Knight.