Shane McInerny walked into the dead letter office of the Denver branch of the US postal service to see her boyfriend of a year, Oliver O'Toole, sitting at his desk with his head buried in his hands.
"Hey, Oliver. Everything ok?" she asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, fine. I'm just thinking," he replied.
"About what?"
"Nothing, nothing. How was your meeting with the linguistics professor? Did you find out anything new about the letter?"
"Well, she thinks that the language isn't a language at all, but some sort of code. Unfortunately, you would need a key to break the code and it doesn't seem to fit any of the codes that the cryptozoology professor that she consulted thought it could possibly be, so I believe we're at a dead end for now."
"Well, we can't solve them all immediately, right?"
Shane sighed. "That's true."
Oliver smiled at her. "Oh, before I forget… about dinner tonight - is it ok if I drop you off at home and pick you back up around 6:30? I have a few errands to run before dinner."
"Sure, that sounds fine. Let me go run this box over to Certified Letters and then we can go."
Shane brought the box to Certified Letters and on her way back ran into Hazel, who wished her a good weekend. She then walked back into the DLO to see Oliver, Rita, and Norman whispering together. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing," Oliver replied. "Just having a short team meeting before we disband for the weekend. I caught Norman and Rita up to speed on that coded letter, and now Rita was just saying that she and Norman have tickets to the opera."
"She was?" Norman chimed in. Rita and Oliver shot him a look. "She was! She was. We're going tonight. Then we're going to the park tomorrow."
"That's great," Shane replied. "You two have fun. Oliver, are you about ready to go?"
"Yes, one moment, just let me grab my jacket."
Shane grabbed her purse, wished Rita and Norman a good weekend, and shut down her laptop and packed it away as Oliver also prepared to leave for the weekend.
The drive home was quiet as usual, although Shane thought she could sense some tension in Oliver. I guess he'd tell me if anything was bothering him, Shane thought, but didn't press the matter.
"I'll be back to pick you up around 6:30," Oliver said, kissing Shane's hand before dropping her off in front of her house.
"Ok, see you then," Shane replied, giving Oliver a kiss on the cheek before getting out of his car and making her way up her steps and into her house.
Shane took a shower, washed, blow-dried, & styled her hair before getting dressed for her date with Oliver. She had just finished getting ready when her doorbell rang. Right on time, she thought.
She answered the door to Oliver looking very dapper in a tailored black suit with a blue tie & pocket square that matched the black & blue dress that Shane was wearing.
"You look exquisite," Oliver said.
"Thank you," Shane replied, blushing slightly. Even after a year of officially being together, Oliver still made her feel like he was seeing her in a new light every time he looked at her.
"Are you ready to go?" Oliver asked.
Shane nodded and made sure she had her keys and purse before closing her door.
They had dinner at a quiet steakhouse in Downtown Denver. After dinner Oliver took Shane to a small jazz club that Oliver's father, Joe, had recommended. They had just gotten back to Oliver's car and were about to leave the club when Oliver asked, "Do you mind if we stop by the DLO for a minute on the way home? There's something there I forgot to grab on my way out."
"Sure," Shane replied.
A few minutes later they arrived at the post office and went into the DLO. Instead of being completely dark as Shane expected, there were electronic candles that had been strategically placed in order to give the office a warm glow. A bouquet of yellow roses was on Oliver's desk with Shane's name on the card. Shane walked over and said, "Oliver, they're beautiful." She reached for the card but before she could read it, Oliver took her hands in his. He cleared his throat then took a deep breath.
"Theresa Capadiamonti once said that there are no accidents, only opportunities in disguise. I didn't know it at the time, but it was no accident that you were behind me in line for coffee the day we met. Then the moment you stepped here into the Dead Letter Office later that morning as the result of a transfer mix-up, my life changed forever.
You've challenged me to be a better person, to be more open, to be more honest with myself and with those around me. You've taught me to love again when I once thought that was impossible. You gave me hope when I was hopeless and faith when I was struggling. You have stood by my side through some of the worst moments in my life, and have been the cause of some of the best. My life is infinitely better with you in it, and I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of it with you.
And so, I'm asking you, Shane McInerney, in the place where our journey began..."
Shane gasped as Oliver got down on one knee and pulled a small ring box out of his jacket pocket, opening it to reveal a beautiful antique sapphire and diamond engagement ring. "...Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Shane's face bloomed into a smile. "Oh Oliver..." she breathed."Yes... yes, of course I'll marry you."
Oliver grinned and stood up, sliding the ring onto Shane's finger. He gave her a tender kiss and pulled her into an embrace. "I love you, Shane," he whispered into her ear.
Shane sniffled. "I love you too, Oliver. I always will." She admired the ring on her left hand. "Oliver, this is such a beautiful ring."
"It was my grandmother's," Oliver replied. "She and my grandfather were happily married for over 50 years. I was hoping it would bring us the same."
Shane smiled tearfully and gave Oliver a long, slow kiss. "I hope so too."
Oliver wiped away a tear on Shane's face with his thumb. "Now you can read the card on the flowers."
Shane picked up the card and opened it.
To the future Mr. & Mrs. O'Toole: Congratulations! Love, Rita and Norman
Shane laughed. "No wonder they were being all secretive and weird today!"