Days of Black and Gold

“Sid said it was important that I be home by now,” I said, holding the phone against my head with my shoulder and unlocking the door with my free hand. “He would have told me if we were having dinner with Mario.”

“Maybe his parents are in town again.”

“Please do not joke about that, Vero,” I groaned, pushing the door open and entering the house.

“Plus, we are flying out for Halifax tomorrow night. It doesn’t make sense that they would come down here, since we are staying there for the few days off over Christmas.”

“Maybe he just wants a night to have you all to himself.”

“I sure hope so,” I mumbled, taking off my jacket. “I could use a night to just relax.”

“I bet,” she agreed. “You’ve been pretty busy lately.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, gazing around the dimmed room I noticed that Sidney was nowhere in sight. “Uh, I have to go.”

“Have a good time!”

“Thanks,” I murmured, hanging up and strolling toward the kitchen. “Sid? Sidney, are you home?”

“In the spare room!”

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself as I waddled down the hall in the direction of his voice. “What are you doing in…” My voice trailed off at the sight of three freshly painted, light gray walls and one pastel yellow and white striped wall. “Sidney, this, I mean, wow, I’m speechless. Did you do this all while I was out?”

“I had some help,” he confessed, walking over to me and giving me a quick peck on the lips. “I was hoping I’d have more done.”

“I love it,” I grinned, looking around the room.

“Did Greg and Charles get off alright?”

“Yeah, but they didn’t really want to go.”

“I liked them a lot, but I’m happy it’s just the two of us again.”

“Me, too,” I chuckled. “Is there anything I can help you with in here?”

“No!” He exclaimed. “You aren’t allowed to help with this.”

“I might be pregnant, Sidney, but I am more than capable of helping.”

“It’s not that I don’t want your help,” he back tracked. “This is my gift to you.”

“Alright,” I surrendered. “What else do you have planned for the room?”

“Give me a second,” he smiled, hurrying out of the room.

I took a quick picture of the room and sent it to Veronique.

“Margot?”

“Sidney,” I said, turning to face him. The seriousness that had fallen on his features worried me. “Are you okay?”

He drew in a deep breath and took my hand in his. “When I met you one year ago, I knew you were someone I needed to get to know better. I was elated when you gave me your number. I’m pretty sure everyone on the team had made a comment about my goofy grin throughout the rest of that game.

“Then, you kept answering my calls and texts, and I got to know you. I’m so glad I got up the nerve to ask you out, and I wouldn’t change the past year for anything.”

I stared at the man, mind blank as he continued to speak.

“You are one of the strongest, smartest, most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Through all of the surprises that have been thrown at us, I’m relieved and delighted that you have been the one by my side. So, tonight I am asking you to be by my side for the rest of our lives.”

He quickly dropped to his knee, pulled out a deep red velvet box, popped it open and looked up into my eyes. “Margot Fayne, will you marry me?”

My vision blurred for a brief moment as the words circled in my brain. “Holy shit,” I blurted, as tears welled in my eyes. “Yes.” I covered my mouth and nodded as the droplets slid down my cheeks. “Yes, of course.”

“Thank God,” Sidney breathed, standing up and slipping the double halo, cushion cut ring onto my left hand. “I’m not going to lie, I thought you were going to say it was too soon.”

“Come here,” I giggled, pulling him into me and placing a hand on either side of his face. I pushed myself onto my tiptoes and kissed him, passionately. “I love you, Sidney.”

“I love you, Margot.” He smiled down at me as he held me in his arms. “Did you ever think that this is where we would be just one year after meeting?”

“The only thing I was thinking about one year ago was how I need to learn to control the words coming out of my mouth. I can’t believe you asked me out after I basically told you that you were rubbish.”

“Like I said back then, it was grounding. It was good for me to hear.”

“I’m relieved you didn’t take it to heart. I might not have pictured this when we met, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“Me neither,” Sidney whispered, kissing my lips. “I want to show you something.”

“No more surprise proposals, right?”

“Not tonight,” he chuckled, taking my hand and leading me into our bedroom. “I wanted to show you want else I want to do with the room.”

“I like the sound of that,” I expressed, squeezing his hand. “The ring is amazing, by the way.”

“I’m glad you like it. I’ve only ever seen you wear that one gold band, so I didn’t want to get anything too flashy. I had a really simple single diamond band picked out, but then I saw this one, and knew it was the one.”

“It’s perfect,” I assured him, sitting on the bed as he moved around the room.

“I had some help picking furniture.” He handed me a small notebook filled with printed pictures. “Greg and Charles have been extremely useful in all of this.”

“Cath has been helping too, right?”

“How did you know?”

“She’s been screening my calls,” I stated.

“Yeah, sorry about that. She was certain she would spill the beans.”

“These cribs are great, Sid!”

“Cath suggested the white ones, and then putting them against the yellow and white wall.”

“I like it.”

“On one of the walls, I’m going to have someone paint a few penguins.”

“Influence the kids early. I see what you’re doing.”

“That wasn’t what I was trying to do.”

“I know, Sidney. I was bugging you. I think the penguins would be adorable.”

“Dad wants to gift us the old rocking chair they used when I was a baby. I was thinking we could refinish it with a stain.”

“I can’t believe you’ve been doing all of this, and planned a proposal. Sidney, you are amazing.”

“When you love someone, it’s really not that hard.”

“I can’t believe how lucky I am,” I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder. “Are we just going to wait until Halifax to tell your family about the engagement?”

“Yeah, I mean, they knew I was proposing, so they might figure it out when we both get off the plane.”

“I’m assuming Pappy and Charles know.”

“I asked your mom for permission, too.”

“I’ll give her a call once we are in Halifax.”

“She will not be pleased about that,” Sidney laughed.

“I don’t care,” I shrugged. “Tonight is about you and me.”

“Actually, we have to be at Geno’s in about an hour.”

“Excuse me?”

“You remember. They asked us to come over last week, and we rain checked to today since Greg and Charles were in town.”

“Right,” I groaned. “Did he know you were proposing?”

“I told the team.”

“Vero already knew?”

“Likely,” he shrugged. “Marc tells her everything.”

“I was literally on the phone with her when I got home from the airport.”

“And she didn’t tell you?”

“I had no idea.”

“It’s probably for the best. If you had had time to think about it, you might have said no.”

“I don’t think there was any chance I would have said no.”