Come A Little Closer

“Eric, can you come here will quick!?”

A few moments later, I hear Eric storming in my room as I’m standing over my desk looking at the baby blue box that was secured with a white ribbon. I needed to hide this from my mother and hope to god that she wouldn’t find it. “Okay Marc, what’s going on?” He asks as I turn around to face my brother as he makes a quick glance at the box. “Awe, is that for me? You’re too kind, buying your older brother shit from Tiffanys!”

“Oh shut up douche!”
“Anyways, whats in the box?”
“Okay, when Gina and I went to Niagra Falls, I popped the question.”
“What?!”
“Shh…we don’t need mom to hear.”
“Wait, you proposed?”
“Well...more like demanded…and I figured I’d popped the question to her properly so I’m taking her to dinner tonight while you all have your fun barbecue.”
“Awe, how cute! What does the ring look like?”

I threw the box at Eric, who carefully opened it and saw the silver band with the clear diamond cut into a heart. She put the ring back and wrapped the box up before handing it back to me. “Very nice, I bet you payed good money for that with your contract extension…have you even told Gina about that yet?” He asked me.

“No, with all the Francesca bullshit that was going on, I have yet to tell her.”
“You might want to get a move on that so she can apply to a different law school.”
“Shit that’s right, she wants to go to law school!”
“Marc calm your ass down, I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Trust me, I’m sure she’d want me in Chicago.”
“She’ll get over it Marc, trust me on this.”

“MARC! ERIC! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE AND SET THE TABLE!”

We heard our dad yelling from the kitchen. I throw the box on the desk as we exit my room. I walk into the kitchen to see Jared and Jordan sitting their lazy asses at the dinner table drinking beer. “Get off your asses and help set the damn table!” I snap as they get up.

“Is Sydney coming Jare?” Tanya asks as she brings Parker in from his nap and puts him in his high chair.
“Yes she is.”
“Awe that’s nice. Marc, where are you taking Gina too?”
“The Italian restruant by Friends,” I smile.
“Awe cute! You guys are perfect for each other,” she smiles.
“We’ve been telling him that for how long now?” My dad nudges as I grab plates.
“Dad, I get it. I fucked—“
“MARC THOMAS STAAL!”
“Oh shit,” I mumble.

In comes in my mother, with the Tiffany box in hand. I turn my head as Eric stands next to me. I knew I was in for it this time. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve done shit my mother hasn’t been proud of, but this, this was just the icing of the cake. I mean, it’s not like she hates Gina, she actually adores her, but she wasn’t going to be happy that I was proposing right away.

“MARC! WHAT IS THIS!”
“A box.”
“No shit Marc.”
“Mom, calm down,” Eric defends me.
“Eric, stay out of this.”
“Mom, I’m proposing to Gina.”
“YOU JUST GOT OUT OF GETTING MARRIED AND YOUR GOING TO PROPOSE!”
“Mom, we all know that they were going to get engaged sometime down the road, regardless of Francesca.”
“ERIC MICHAEL STAAL, STAY OUT OF THIS!”
“MOM, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!” ERIC IS YELLING NOW.
“MOM, I LOVE GINA AND YOU KNOW IT,” I YELL OVER ERIC.

“Marc, when do you think you’re going to pop this question to her?”
“Well…I kind of already did?”
“What?!” Everyone but Eric yells now.
“Oh come on, ya’all know Marc isn’t the brightest crayon in the box!” Eric yells.

I look over to Jared and Jordan for some help because Eric wasn’t helping the cause, but they sat there holding their beers with my dad. Those two were never any help though. I look at Tanya, who gets up to answer the door. I turn back to face my mother, who throws the box at me. “Do you really think I’m going to help pay for this one?”

“Don’t worry mom, he just signed that lovely contract, he’s got in all under control,” Eric smiles while patting my back.
“Oh and does Gina know about that?”
“Not at the moment,” I mumble.
“And how do you think she’s going to take that one?” My mother asks.
“Can we focus on the other issue that is not involving my contract at the moment,” I begin but my mother cuts me off.
“She’s not going to want to marry you Marc when she finds out.”
“Oh and you know this mom?” Eric yells at her.
“Eric, she wants to go to law school, she’s not going to want to move to a new city were she knows no one.”
“MOM SHE LOVES ME! SHE’LL DO IT!” I yell.
“MOM TAKE A CHILL!” Eric yells at her.
“ERIC MICHAEL AND MARC THOMAS STAAL THIS DISCUSSION IS OVER!”
“Hi favorite family!”

We all turn our heads to see Sydney holding Parker and standing next to Jared and Tanya. I’m trying to guess how much of this argument she heard and what she’s going to tell Gina. “Mrs. Staal,” she smiles as she walks over to us. “Gina will…most likely move to New York for your son.”

“Most likely?” Eric, Mom, and I all say in unison.
“Yeah…most likely, I mean, she loves Marc.”
“Please, Gina did not come back here for a good few years because of my son.”
“Well keep in mind Gina did do some growing up…and by the way Marc, you’re reservation is in fifthteen minutes.”
“SHIT! I HAVE TO GO!”
“BEHAVE!” Everyone yells.
“AND GOOD LUCK!” Eric and Sydney yell as I bolt out the door.

I thought about what my mother had to say about Gina, my contract, and her moving to New York. Syd said she’d most likely move to New York because she loves me, but then again, Gina did slam a door in my face and told me not to talk to her. She was older now, wiser, and wanted a lot with her life. I knew that her moving to New York would be a challenge for her, but she’d love it, even if she were lonely sometimes. I pulled up to the house and sat in my car, looking at the Tiffanys box. I threw it in the glove compartment and shut the car off. I was going to properly propose and that would be that.