After Tonight

Rob’s P.O.V.
The day after Allie’s wedding, I took a plane to London. I’d promised my mum I’d come to visit as soon as possible. Abbey wanted to go, but it was just going to be a quick trip and neither of us really saw the point. Re-shoots were finished and though I would have an occasional press event to attend, I was all hers for the next two months.
Besides, it gave me time to get some things done. Like finally go out and buy her an engagement ring.
Neither of my parents were home when I arrived, which was to be expected. So I left a quick note and went into town. It felt good being in London again, but every time a girl with chocolate colored hair walked past me I felt like I should’ve been in New York.
The next two hours I spent looking at dozens of rings. None of them seemed right. None of them held the sparkle that Abbey’s eyes did when she smiled. As cliché as it sounds, I was going to forget it and come back another day. But as I was walking back to the car, I saw a place; a small brick building wedged in between a bar and a restaurant.
“Might as well.” I spoke softly to myself and I crossed the semi-busy street.
The bell jingled overhead as I entered. It smelled like incense, some sort of spice. The purple scarves over the lamps cast a dim glow throughout the shop. I’d only been here to get something for Lizzie—it was thrifty and “retro”, as she would say. I wandered to the jewelry case, scanning the contents slowly.
And there it was. I’d searched all afternoon and it’d taken me five minutes to find it. It was a gold band with a single white pearl set in between brown gemstones. Definitely Abbey. I think that was what I loved about her most: she loved the unique.
"Do you need some help?" A blonde girl got up from her chair and walked over to where I stood.
"Yeah, I'd like to see that ring please." I smiled, watching her take the ring from its stand. This was it.
"May I ask what it's for?" She looked at me curiously, adjusting the display.
"My girlfriend."
"What size is she?"
"A six." I checked all of Abbey's jewelry before I left, desperately wanting not to fuck this up. As luck would have it, the ring was a six. This was a little something I called fate.
"She must be a lucky girl." She carefully handed me the box, along with a little card detailing where the store had found the ring--something I knew Abbey would love as well.
"I hope she thinks so."
I left the store with my ring and now needed to come up with a proposal. That was the part that terrified me the most. Every once in a while, I’d stop my trail of thinking only to grin foolishly. I couldn’t believe this is what a simple kiss on the street had done to my life.
…
“Are you coming home for Christmas?” My mum and dad sat across from me inside a dimly lit pub.
“Well Abbey’s family is going to Colorado for the week or so, I’m not really sure of the dates but I could come home before we leave. I’ll bring Abbey too—she’s been dying to come back.”
“Abbey?” My mum gave my dad a strange look, thinking I hadn’t seen. He just shook his head. “You’re still seeing that American girl?” I knew rarely saw my family, but I also knew that we’d spoke often enough for them to know that Abbey was still a big part of my life.
“Er, yes.” I took a swig from the beer bottle in front of me. The American girl?
“Robbie…” My mum cast a sidelong glance at the people sitting around the bar. “Do you really think that this is going to work out between the two of you?”
“Yeah mum, I do actually.” I felt my body stiffen in Abbey’s defense.
“Really? I thought this move overseas wasn’t permanent…what about your family and friends? That girl isn’t going to want to leave her family to live over here with you.”
“Well it’s been working pretty well, I don’t see any problems with it. We’d come and visit—or ya’ know, you could actually come visit us once in a while.” I took another drink, my jaw clenching.
“Well then it’s settled.” My mum spoke after a moment of silence. “We’ll bring everyone to New York for Christmas. You’ll have it at your flat, yes?”
She’d caught me off-guard and I only stuttered my reply.
“Good. How about we plan for the 22nd of December? That way we can catch you before you go to Columbus.”
“Colorado.”
“Yes, Colorado. The 22nd then?”
“We’re leaving on the 23rd.” I wasn’t sure what to make of my mum’s sudden change of heart. I looked at my dad for an answer, but all he did was take a drink.
“The 20th then.” My mum was starting to look frustrated. “Talk to your friend—”
“Abbey.”
“Talk to Abbey and let me know. It’ll be good, and then you won’t be able to complain about us not coming to visit.” I bit the inside of my lip, feeling as if she’d just pulled the wool over my eyes.
“Alright.”
We got back home and as much as I wanted to call Abbey, something else was eating away the back of my brain. I went into the kitchen, looking for my mum. She was there, just as I expected her to be.
“I thought you guys liked Abbey?” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and leaned against the cupboard.
“She’s a nice girl, Robbie, but you can’t really be considering staying with her.”
“Why not?” I had never been more confused in my life. The time Abbey and I spent here had been great—I thought my parents were fond of her.
“She’s American, for one. They just don’t have the same values as we do.”
“They? Abbey’s not a “they”, mum, she’s her own person. And the same values as who—you?” I was getting irritated now.
“And when are we going to see you?” She ignored my rebuttal.
“The same times you do now!” I grabbed at my hair, knowing it stuck up as I did. “This is ludicrous, you know that? Absolutely absurd. I’m glad my flight leaves tomorrow night.”
“Robbie—”
“No. I’m going upstairs. I can’t talk to you when your reasoning is what fucking country Abbey was born in.”
So I called Abbey, artfully leaving out any details of my mum’s newfound dislike of her. It broke my heart to hear her excitement when I told her about Christmas at our place. She was thrilled and if I knew Abbey, she’d probably start planning for it as soon as we hung up.