Awkward

“Ow!” I yelled throughout the condo.

I heard Brooke giggling as she entered the room, “What’d ya do this time?”

The giant plastic, glass, and metal balls hit the carpeted floor in the living room as I moved off the step stool, “Those damn ornaments…”

“Stop blaming inanimate objects Jonny,” she walked up to me, “You’re just clumsy, remember?”

I narrowed my eyes at her, “Why do you want to hang them off the ceiling again?”

“It looks pretty,” she gave me a cute smile, “When did you become such a Grinch?”

“When you started making me decorate this place like Candy Land,” I looked around our shared condo, “Since when did you become so Christmasy?”

“Since I met you,” she stood on her tip toes to kiss me, “I decided Christmas wasn’t so bad.”

“Mmm,” I hummed against her lips, “Good year, wasn’t it?”

“The next year was better,” she replied.

“I did start that year out on a good note, didn’t I?”

“A very good note,” her tiny hands rubbed my stomach, “Making me go to some crowded club for New Years’ Eve, losing me on purpose, and then finding me ten seconds before midnight…you were pretty creative back then.”

I raised an eyebrow, “And I’m not now?”

“I haven’t seen it lately,” she poked my side.

I nodded down at one of the glass balls that had fallen and shattered on the floor, “You sure about that?”

Brooke’s eyes got huge. She looked at me and then back down to the mess on the floor. “Jon…”

She slowly bent down to pick up the reason for my creativity. I beat her to it though, settling myself on one knee. My heart was pounding through my chest and I knew I would stutter over a word or two, but this was the plan, my insecurities were the reasons she loved me and it would
make this that much more sincere.

I picked up the ring, dropped it once, and then tried again. a nervous laugh escaped my lips, “Brooke…” I stopped for a breath, “Will you m…ma…will you marry me?” I tried looking into her eyes.

She shook her head, as if to say no, and I gulped, “You did this on purpose?”

I bit my lip, “Yeah.”

She looked up and I saw a tear drop from her eyes, “Jonny,” she breathed as she looked down at me, “I…I…” she dropped down to her knees, took my face in her hands and kissed me.

I kissed her right back, dropping the ring again, and wrapping my arms around her. The kiss deepened so I moved us to lie on the floor…but I hit my head on the step stool and ruined the moment, “Fuck,” I groaned.

She giggled, putting her hand on my head, “That wasn’t on purpose, was it?”

“No,” I started to laugh.

Brooke dropped her head to my shoulder, “You’re serious?”

“They do call me Captain Serious,” I propped myself on my elbow.

“Ask me again,” she bit her lip.

I chuckled, hoping I wouldn’t foul this one up too. I felt around for the ring and then realized it was poking my back, I was lying on it. I sat up, grabbed it, and pulled Brooke onto my lap so she was sitting sideways, “Brooke,” I took her left hand and held it, “Will you marry me?”

She looked at the ring for a second and then back at me, “We would have a lifetime of stupid accidents to have together, a lifetime of bruises to kiss away, a lifetime of laughing at each other,” I smiled, “Our whole lives, together. I have every intention of making the rest of our lives perfect and making an ass out of myself at least a million more times.”

Brooke kissed my cheek and then nuzzled into me, “I can’t wait,” she whispered in my ear.

I slipped the ring on her finger and then kissed her forehead, “Me either.”