After Tonight

“How nice.” My mum knocked back her glass of wine. “Congratulations to you both.”
After the initial engagement, everything got really awkward. Once Abbey and I pulled away from one another, we noticed that our happiness hadn’t radiated to anyone but our dog, who hated being ignored and jumped up between us. The smiles on our faces were wiped clean when we looked at our guests, sitting slack jawed ten feet in front of us. When no one spoke, Abbey cleared her throat and went back into the kitchen to get everyone’s drinks.
I looked at everyone, waiting for a cough, a sneeze, a curse word—anything. It never came.
“I’ll be right back.” I turned around and found Abbey in the kitchen. Any trace of happiness was gone from her face and she sat on top of the counter, swinging her legs wildly.
“So I guess we’ll be saving a lot of money with the wedding—that’s at least eight people we don’t need to invite.” I walked over to her and hopped up on the counter next to her.
Abbey laughed a little, stretching her arms over her head.
“Don’t say that.” She rested her head on my shoulder.
“Abbey, I’m really sorry—and that’s not even the right word for how I really feel about all of this.”
“It’s alright.” Her fingers intertwined with mine, giving my hand a squeeze.
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s not alright in the slightest bit. I want them to leave.”
“Rob, they’re your family. I won’t make them leave.” I looked at her, wondering how she wasn’t hurling pots and pans in the general direction of the living room. “I just don’t get it. When we went to visit, I really thought…oh I don’t know.”
I had to tell her.
I groaned, rubbing my face. “When I went back in October, my mum said some things…” Her eyes widened.
“What kind of things, Rob?” I could detect a bit of annoyance in her voice.
“She asked if I was coming to visit for Christmas and I said that I was spending it with you.” I cleared my throat, hesitant to continue. “She was a little surprised we were still together…”
“What? Why didn’t you say anything? That was two months ago.”
“Mum says she didn’t think my move here was permanent. She’s just upset because I’m not moving back—really, that’s all this is. And she’s just saying everything else to fuel it.”
“What else is she saying?” By now Abbey’s eyes were dry and she’d taken her head off my shoulder. “Beside everything she already said to my face.”
“My mum tends to put…us…on a pedestal…and forget about everyone else.”
“It’s because I’m not British?” Abbey threw her hands up into the air. “Jesus, that’s what this is all about? Because I don’t have your funny little accent? Am I not proper enough? Oh forgive me, God! Shall I go serve her tea and crumpets?” Abbey exaggerated her words, getting a little dramatic.
“None of that matters to me.” I tucked a loose fly-away strand of hair behind her ear. “So it doesn’t matter at all.”
“It does.” She sighed and leaned into me, closing her eyes. “It matters.”
“How?” I kissed her head, letting my legs swing along with hers.
“They always say that if the parents don’t like who you’re with, then it’s not right. And it’s always been true for everyone I’ve known.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“Oh I don’t know, Rob—it’s just common knowledge or something like that I guess.” Tears spilled down her cheeks and she turned to wipe them away.
Abbey took this as another one of her “signs”. Damn it all to Hell.
“No. Abbey, don’t you dare!” She’d started toward the fridge but I grabbed her arms. “Don’t you think that because my mum and my sister can’t get their priorities straight that it means you and I aren’t supposed to be together. OK?”
Those brown eyes looked up at me, brimming with tears. Her face became red, and her makeup looked like it’d been done by a raccoon. Abbey shook her head, fighting back a sob. I’d never seen her get herself so worked up.
“Jesus, I’m sorry. I need to stop this.” She laughed a little, grabbing a paper towel to wipe her face with. “Sorry. It just all came out at once. Sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be.” I kissed her forehead, her nose, both her cheeks and then her lips.
“Come on, we’ve got to go play Host.” Abbey kissed me back and grabbed the drinks from the counter. I’m sure they were all lukewarm by now but I didn’t care.
When we walked out into the living room, Lizzie was pointing a finger at our mum and arguing with her. She saw Abbey and rushed over to her.
“Congratulations!” My sister enveloped Abbey into ferocious hug. When she pulled away, she held Abbey by the shoulders. “Don’t worry about the rest of them.” She winked and gave Abbey another hug.
After my dad had stood up and gave me his congratulations, he found Abbey.
“It’s about time we got some new blood in this family. Whatever you did to get my boy to settle down, you’re a saint.” He wrapped her little body in a hug. “Congratulations, love.”
Abbey’s eyes found mine. They were wide with shock but she smiled and gave me a thumbs up. “Two down,” she mouthed.
I looked at my mum, raising my eyebrows and gesturing to Abbey.
“Abbey, dear, congratulations!” She stood up briskly and pulled Abbey into an awkward embrace. “He’s right.Whatever you did to make Robert want to get married, well more power to you.”
Abbey half-smiled as my mom nearly crushed her bones. Her eyes were wide with fear. I just nodded, implying to just let it go. She did and wrapped her arms around my mum.
…
Abbey kissed my lips tenderly, sliding closer to my chest. Despite the fact that my parents were in the room next to ours, I wanted her. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted her since I first laid eyes on her. But she kept on teasing me.
“Abbey, you’re killing me.” I leaned further into the headboard, groaning out of frustration.
“They’re right next door, Rob.” I felt her lips at the base of my neck. At that point I couldn’t have cared if they were in the same bloody room.
Though in retrospect, I probably would have really cared if they were in the same room.
“Aren’t we supposed to ‘consummate’ our engagement?” My voice was hoarse, but at least I hadn’t pinned her to the mattress.
“I love it when you talk dirty,” Abbey replied sarcastically, smiling before she kissed my lips once more. I rolled my eyes and continued to fight with myself.
“Speaking of consummating,” I’d pulled away before her hands could roam any further. “I have something for you.”
Through all the “excitement” over our engagement and trying to progress with the Hell-on-Earth of a Christmas party, I’d forgotten to give Abbey her ring.
It was not the way I’d wanted it to go. This definitely was not how I envisioned spending my first night as an engaged couple. But the smile on Abbey’s face when she looked at me made everything we’d gone through worth it.
I felt around the nightstand for the red leather box. My hand trembled as my fingers clasped around what they’d been looking for.
This was it.
I rolled back over, pulling Abbey onto my lap.

Abbey’s P.O.V.
I wrapped my legs around Rob’s waist as we sat in bed. I watched him fiddle with a small red box, which by now I knew was the ring. Cupping his face in my hands, I kissed him gently.
“Sorry it’s a few hours late.” Between his thumb and forefinger was a small gold ring with a pearl set in between brown gemstones.
“Rob.” I whispered, inhaling deeply. “It’s beautiful.” I grabbed his cheeks and pulled his lips to mine. I could feel his smile against my lips.
He reached for my hand, bringing it tohis lips and kissing my fingers. The ring slid effortlessly onto my finger and when it did, Rob grinned wildly.
“Looks pretty good, huh?” I flexed my hand and we both looked at it, tilting our heads in admiration.
“I think so.” We continued staring at the ring.
“We’re getting married.” I shook my head, unable to keep from laughing. “We’re getting married?”
Rob rolled on top of me, pressing his body into mine. “We are getting married.”