The Misadventures of Kade and Celine

Celine styled her hair three different ways before Kade returned from Mrs. Redfoot’s apartment. Finally she settled for pinning it back from her face with a pretty clip and pins and letting it fall down her back. Kade had mentioned once that he liked her hair down. She was touching up her lipstick and appraising the fringed sapphire blue dress she’d put on when he came home and trotted up the stairs.

“What do you think?” she asked. “The dress is new.”

“I think that’s one lucky dress.”

Celine smiled, lacing her fingers with his as they walked downstairs. “You’re sure that you’re up for this?” she asked. “I know you don’t feel great right after the full moon, and you don’t need to exhaust yourself for me. We can stay home if you want, I won’t be disappointed.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he repeated. “I feel better today and I really want to take you to the carnival.”

Celine smiled and leaned on him as they walked. “How did you find out about this carnival, anyway?” she asked.

“The flyer just…happened to catch my eye,” he said. “I know how much you like them, and I thought it might be nice to go to one where no goblins are trying to abduct you.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that would be nice. That carnival wasn’t so bad though, kidnapping attempt aside.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“It was your first time trying funnel cake. And you rode on the carousel with me even though you were embarrassed.”

“I wasn’t really that embarrassed. I just figured I’d look dumb admitting that I kinda wanted to ride it.”

“I knew it,” Celine laughed. She looked up at him a little shyly. “And you so gallantly rescued me from the aforementioned goblin,” she added. “And you didn’t even like me yet.”

Kade smirked. “I liked you plenty, Celine. I just wasn’t going to admit to it at the time because I was such a blob. I never expected a second look from you.”

“You were not a blob,” Celine insisted. “I never thought you were a blob.”

“Not even when you thought I was rude and sleazy?” he teased.

“I still always thought you were handsome,” Celine confessed, blushing slightly. He smiled at that.

Kade took her for funnel cake first, and then they went through the funhouse, were tossed around on the tilt-a-whirl, and this time Kade rode the carousel with her three times before winning her a stuffed manticore. Celine kept it tucked tightly under her arm as they approached the Ferris wheel.

“Don’t worry, you can hold onto my arm if you want,” Kade said, nudging her shoulder as they waited their turn.

“Or anything else of yours?” she teased, remembering their last ferris wheel ride. Kade winked and she bumped him back. Normally Celine was the nervous one when it came to the Ferris wheel, heights always having scared her a little. But now Kade seemed to grow nervous as he helped her into their cart. She could feel him bouncing his knee anxiously and she touched his hand.

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting weird lately.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just…I have something I need to say to you. And I’ve been trying to for a while, but it’s never been the right moment.” He took a deep breath, his free hand stuffed in his pocket.

“I’m not great at this,” he said. “And I really hope I don’t mess it up.” He turned slightly, looking into her eyes as the ride began to move. She had never seen him look so rattled.

“Celine…I love you. You’re sweet and amazing and you make me want to be as good a person as you think I am. I can’t imagine my life without you, I don’t even want to try. So I wanted to…to ask you…”

Celine watched him as he drew something out of his pocket. He held it out to her and opened the tiny box.

“I wanted to ask you if you’d do me the immense honor of marrying me?”

It took Celine several seconds to comprehend that he was offering her a ring, and what he had asked her. Then her whole body started tingling warmly and she didn’t even notice that they had reached the highest point of the ride. Her stomach was full of butterflies for an entirely different reason this time. She lifted her gaze from the ring to Kade’s pale, nervous face. She realized suddenly that she hadn’t actually answered him yet, she was so choked with emotion. He looked ready to faint.

Celine’s face broke into a smile so sunny she hoped it didn’t blind someone, throwing her arms around Kade and kissing him so long that he might still pass out simply from lack of air. She drew back just slightly.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “I love you too and yes I will marry you and I love you.”

Kade looked tremendously relieved, giving her one of his crooked smiles. She was still clinging to him as he slipped the ring onto her finger and she was smiling so hard her face was starting to hurt. She kissed him again.

“So this is why you’ve seemed so distracted,” she realized.

“I’ve had the ring for a month,” he admitted, looking sheepish. “Things just seemed to keep going wrong and ruining the moment.”

“Nothing could ruin this moment.” She beamed at him adoringly. “But I’m glad you picked the Ferris wheel to do it,” she added softly.

“I’m glad you said yes.”

“I can’t believe you were so nervous.” She stared at the ring twinkling cheerily on her finger, holding onto Kade with her other hand and feeling dizzy and warm. “As if I would ever say anything other than yes.”