Roxanna smiled gently as she finished up on the last of the charts she needed to fill out before signing the shift over to Zav. When she had agreed to cover the end of the shift for Serena, she had been anticipating a slow few hours, since there wasn't normally a lot happening on AAU, unless there was a major incident. But there had been more patients than she had anticipated, and she only hoped that Serena was enjoying the pictures that were being taken. Her phone jangled cheerily, and Roxanna picked it up, looking at the display to see that Serena had sent her a picture.
I said yes, by the way! was the text accompanying the image of Bernie and Serena kissing, a delicate gold band with a small diamond in the center, and she chuckled a little as she tapped out her reply before slipping her phone back into her pocket and refocused on her work. "Are you ready to leave, Ms MacMillan?"
She looked up to see that Zav was peeking his head in the door, an affable expression on his face, and she nodded as she signed her name on the bottom of the last the chart. "I am. I hope that you had a good day. I'd wish you a slow shift, but seeing as how it's been busier than I expected, I won't curse you."
He chuckled as she got to her feet, heading over to the door where he stood. "Well, here's hoping the night shift doesn't run into any issues that might require you or Hanssen coming back." She tilted her head to one side as Zav patted her arm kindly. "What?"
"You're being a little too nice. Is there something that I should know?" she asked suspiciously. The lingering paranoia was a direct result of John's actions and her long recovery, she knew, but even with therapy, it was the first thing she fell back on when it looked like she was going to be in for a shock. Zav shook his head a little bit, his smile faltering on his lips for a moment before he drew in a deep breath and shrugged. "Then why would you hope that neither Henrik nor myself would be called back here?"
"Because emergencies suck, especially after you've put in a long day already. Have a good evening."
There was still something that he was holding back, and Roxanna knew that she would have to just let it go, since she probably would never drag the full truth from him. "I'll try, Zav. And if there are any issues, make certain you don't call Serena, either. I doubt she would be happy with you, especially after the picture she texted me." Dipping her head a little, she made her way over to the lift and pressed the up button. There weren't many people on the lift, which suited her just fine, and she hummed under her breath a little as she made her way up to Henrik's office.
He was just unlocking the door as she was stepping out of the lift and Roxanna jogged over to his side, wrapping her arm around his waist as he pushed the door open. "Did your shift run as smoothly as mine did?" he asked sardonically, and she nodded. "Excellent. So I'm assuming that you are also ready to head out to eat."
"Yes. What are we picking up tonight?"
"Nothing," he replied as he grabbed her coat and held it out. Roxanna slipped her arms into it, allowing him to smooth the garment over her back as she tried to figure out what they were going to eat if they weren't stopping for takeaway. "I have reservations for us at Trattoria Stella this evening, so there's no need for us to pick up anything."
She nodded as she turned around, watching him slip into his coat before taking hold of his arm as he led them from the office and back over to the lift. "That's a little fancy for us, Henrik. What's the occasion?" she asked lowly as they stepped inside the lift and Henrik pressed the button for the ground floor.
There was a long pause as Henrik cleared his throat a little and then looked down into her face. "I felt like we could do with a nice evening out. We've been so busy with work and getting accustomed to living together these last few months that I feel like we've forgotten to take time to just be together."
There was a slight pink tinge to the tips of his ears, and Roxanna smiled a little as she took hold of his hand and squeezed it softly. "But you've been ever so gallant in making certain that I was all right in my recovery, and that we fit well together. And we do fit so very well together, wouldn't you say, Henrik?"
The red on his ears bled down to colour his face, and he gave a jerky nod as she chuckled a little. Raising herself up on her tiptoes, Roxanna brushed her lips against his cheek, knowing that it would be a bit too much for her to full on kiss him while they were at work. As the doors opened on the ground floor, she stepped closer to him, feeling him adjust how he was holding her hand so that their fingers were threaded together as they went out into the car park. Even a year later, she still had issues when it came to being there, and he knew the exact way to comfort her, always. That was part of the reason that she loved him so. That emotion had stolen up on her so quickly, though it had taken her a while to acknowledge that fact, but as soon as she had haltingly told Henrik her heart, it was as if they just gelled in a way that she hadn't experienced since she had first fallen in love with David.
"Here, let me," Henrik said as they stopped at his Volvo. She nodded as she stepped back a little, allowing him to open the door for her. And then, as she went to sit down, he stopped her, cupping her chin with his hand before kissing her gently. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she whispered before stroking his cheek lightly. He gave her a gentle look as he helped her take a seat in the passenger side before he went over and slid behind the wheel. As Henrik drove, Roxanna couldn't help but turn her body so that she could watch him, that feeling of being out of the loop coming back in full force. "Did Serena tell you her good news?" she asked, trying to gauge how to tell him if Serena hadn't.
"She did text me, yes. And I'm so glad that she and Ms Wolfe have found their happiness at last. It gives one hope that true love can indeed overcome all obstacles, and that happiness can be in our grasp." His words were sweet and tender, and she nodded as she blinked back tears, finding her heart reciprocating the emotions that he was giving her.
After they had reached the restaurant, Roxanna waited for Henrik to come around to her side of the car, still lost in thought. There was something so handsome about the way he looked, so tall and stern, and she sighed a little as she extended her hand, letting him gently tug her out of the vehicle and to his side, allowing her to sling her arm around his waist as they walked in tandem to the restaurant.
Despite the number of people mingling in the entrance, Henrik strode up to the maître d, nodding to the man a little, and then they were being led back to a secluded table. Roxanna immediately thought back to Zav's words before she left, and the look that Donna had given her, and things started to fall into place. Perhaps Serena wouldn't be the only one who said yes, she mused as she allowed Henrik to pull her chair out for her before taking a seat. It was only after the menu had been set in front of her that she allowed herself to study her lover closely. There were small tells that spoke of his nervousness - the way that he fiddled with the cutlery, the fact that his ears were still flushed red, the way his eyes never quite met hers for longer than a few seconds, the clatter of his water glass against his butter plate as he went to set it on the table. All of this added up to a seriously distracted Henrik, and she wondered what that meant for their future.
Their server came back and stood quietly to their side, obviously awaiting their order, and Roxanna went to say what she wanted when Henrik reached across the table, touching her hand lightly. "May I? If I'm wrong, you can say so, but I don't think I will be."
She nodded and turned her arm over so that she could hold onto his hand in that moment, listening to him order their entire meal along with a bottle of pinot noir. "That was spot on," she said as the server disappeared from view. "Though I shouldn't be surprised that you know me so well, should I? You always pay attention to the smallest of details, and file them away in your mind."
"Yes, and in this case, my heart. You've always had a little room in my heart." His hand tightened around hers, as if he had revealed too much, and she nodded as she tried to small up at their server as she poured their wine. "Thank you," Henrik said as he let go of her hand and picked up the wine glass, swirling the liquid around a little before taking a small sip. "This is a great vintage."
Roxanna followed his lead, letting the wine tumble around in her mouth before she swallowed. "It is. I hope Connie didn't give you too much grief covering for Bernie."
"No, she didn't, which was a surprise. I think she was just grateful for the extra hands, honestly. It was a zoo in there today, and I don't know how she deals with that chaos every shift she works. But it did help keep my mind off certain things, so I am grateful for that."
She smiled and took another sip of wine, now even more certain that she'd be sharing good news with Serena later that evening. "You do have a good point there. You can't dwell on things that wind you up when you have to focus on patients first and foremost." He nodded in reply, clearing his throat a little as he adjusted his tie. "So, I was thinking. This is going to be our first, true, Christmas together. Last year, we were focused on my recovery too much to celebrate, even as friends. I know we can't go anywhere, but I want this to be a special holiday for us. Would you mind if we bought a real tree? And if I decorated the house?"
"That would be fine, darling." He gave her a small wink before taking a deep breath. "I've always found it difficult to decorate for one, even though I love the spirit of the season."
"I understand," she replied as their server brought their starters. The food was delicious, and she ate with gusto, listening to him let out a hum of delight at the taste of his own starter. "We have to eat here more often, Henrik. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy their food."
He gave her a small nod as he swallowed the bite he was currently working on. "I agree, Roxanna." She sighed a little at the way her name rolled off his tongue, a verbal caress that she wished she could revel in for all time. Somehow, he always managed to paint a pretty picture of her, and that was the one thing she wanted to hold onto when the days were hard, or the nightmares came. "Darling, where did you go?" he asked after their server had placed their main course down on the table.
She looked up at him suddenly, giving him a soft smile as she blinked back tears. "My thoughts were just wandering a little too far away from me." He reached out and caressed her hand gently, and Roxanna blinked a little more fiercely as she pursed her lips together. "I'm sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry." His hand tightened around hers, as if imparting some of his strength to her. She nodded a little before picking up her fork and digging into the lasagna, relishing the way the flavors burst in her mouth, taking her focus off her maudlin thoughts and bringing it round to the delicious food. Henrik followed suit, and again, they lapsed into a tender silence as they ate.
It took Roxanna a moment to realise that something was different when their server brought over a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice, and Henrik chuckled a little as he shrugged. "Henrik…"
"I have a small inkling that you knew this was coming, and yet you're still taken by surprise?" She shrugged a little as a wide smile split her lips, happiness bubbling up into her chest from the pit of her stomach. "I still live in awe of the fact that I am privileged enough to see that gorgeous expression on your face. You are min solstråle, Roxanna, you drive away the shadows of my sorrow. I know, we still have bad days, that they'll always come, but with you by my side, those bad days aren't nearly as bad as they were before. And though I know we don't need to be married to spend the rest of our lives together, I would love it if you would do me the tremendous honour of becoming my wife." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring box, holding it out on the palm of his hand.
Taking hold of the box, Roxanna opened it to see a vintage diamond ring resting in a bed of blue velvet. The centre stone was flagged by baguette diamonds, and there was a delicate filigree scrollwork around the band. The first tears started to slip down her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Was this…?"
"My mother's ring, yes. I thought it would be perfect resting on your finger. May I?"
Roxanna nodded as she handed the box back to him, letting her left hand hover over the table as she watched him pull the ring free. They took a deep breath in tandem as he took hold of her hand and slid the ring home on her finger. To her astonishment, it fit almost perfectly, the fact that it was a tad bit loose working in her favor, since that meant it would be easier to remove before she went into surgery. "I love you, Henrik," she murmured as she rose from her seat and leaned over the table. He met her halfway, kissing her tenderly as he stroked her hair.
"I love you, too, Roxanna," he whispered as he sat back down. Roxanna flushed with pleasure as she sat down, unable to stop looking at her ring, trying to catch facets in the light to let it sparkle a little more. "I never expected you to be distracted by shiny objects," he said with a chuckle, and she shrugged a little.
"I have to take a picture of this, and send it to Serena," she murmured offhandedly, and that was the moment their server appeared at the table once more, giving them a joyous smile.
"I can help you out with that. The cutest picture when showing off the ring is of the happy couple kissing while she holds up the hand with the ring on it," she said helpfully, and Roxanna gave Henrik a questioning look, hoping that he would agree. He dipped his chin just a smidge, and she gave him a wink before leaning over the table once more, meeting him halfway as she held up her left hand. "Perfect! I wish you both nothing but the best in your future together," she said as she handed Roxanna her phone back. "And I'll return with your requested dessert, sir."
"Thank you," Henrik said as he picked up the bottle of champagne and opened it, pouring the bubbly liquid into the flutes their server had dropped off. Roxanna took the flute he held out, clinking their glasses together before taking a small sip, the bubbles going up her nose and making her giggle. "Hold that," Henrik murmured as he brought up his phone and took a few shots of her. In that moment, she felt so loved and in love, that she was certain there was no hint of sadness anywhere in the world. Setting aside the flute, she opened her text messages, and sent the picture their server had taken along to her, along with the text, I said yes, too! And for the rest of her life, she knew that she would always be saying yes to Henrik and the love he had brought into her life.