Things That Happen in Absence of a List

"You left the list on the countertop."

"Oh yeah…you can take these bags from me, John. It's really awkward trying to open the door and carry them at the same time. Thanks for the help."

John Bates immediately reached out to grab the two bags in Anna's left hand. He was rewarded with a eye roll and an irritated sigh. Unable to hide his smirk, he set the bags on the floor in the entryway and took the three bags that were in her right hand as well.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "I've got them."

"Of course you do."

He bent with a grunt to grab all five bags and lift them off the floor. Staggering a little, he made his way into their tiny kitchen and carefully lowered them to the counter, making sure not to cover the grocery list, covered in his precision handwriting, that Anna had left behind when she had run to the grocery to "pick up a few things for dinner."

"You know," he said as she began putting things into the cupboards, "you wouldn't have gotten half so much if you'd remembered to take the list."

She pulled her head out of the cupboard and hefted a tin of beans in her hand thoughtfully, as if determining the ideal trajectory from the can to his forehead. After a few moments, and a side eye glare, she continued putting tins away

"I saw a few more things we needed," she replied. "And I'm sure I got everything on the list."

"Did you get the olive oil?" he asked immediately.

"Yes, I got the olive oil…the extra virgin, before you ask."

"And did you remember that we need more bar soap?"

"Yes. They had it on special, so I got extra," she replied, eyes narrowing as John kept rummaging through the bags.

"And did you get—"

"John! You make the same list at the end of every month. I could bloody well recite it in my sleep," she finally snapped, turning to face him with her hands on her hips.

"Alright…alright," he admitted. "But what's all the rest of this…?"

"Things we needed!"

John was a bit taken aback at the bite in Anna's response and stared at her, holding the bag. Anna huffed out a frustrated breath and took it from him.

"I'll get the rest," she offered.

"No, I can help," he replied. "Why don't you go sit down for a bit. I'll make us some tea once I get it all put away"

He reached into the last bag and pulled out another, smaller bag. Anna immediately swiped it from his hand.

"This is mine," she informed him. "And, no, it wasn't on the list."

At that, she left him standing baffled in the kitchen and went through to their bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her. John winced at the noise and finished putting the rest of the groceries away, wondering again at how irritated Anna seemed to be lately.

"She wouldn't usually mind a bit of teasing about the shopping," he muttered to himself as he examined the bottle of her favorite wine he had been hoping to open that night. Last week, Anna had seemed enthusiastic about a romantic evening in to celebrate Leap Day, saying that an extra day to spend with him was worth something a little special. Now…well, now he wasn't so certain that the wine would even get opened, much less that there wold be anything "special" going on in their flat.

Holding a cup of tea, he knocked hesitantly on the door to their bedroom. Usually he would just walk right in, but he wasn't convinced there wasn't another tin of beans in that paper bag she'd hurried off with, and he didn't want to take any chances seeing the mood she was in.

"Anna? Love? I've got some tea, if you're ready for it."

"Just a minute," came her muffled response.

Feeling like a chump, he stood, holding the steaming cup of tea in his hands, for another three minutes, actually. When the door was opened, he was startled and spilled a bit on his hand.

Anna brushed right past him and went straight to the sofa in the living room. He watched her stare across the room for a moment before heaving a sigh.

"Oh, you're welcome for the tea, Anna. No trouble at all."

She looked over at him as if she wasn't expecting to see him standing at the doorway to their bedroom with tea dripping off of his hand, and gave him a tiny smile.

"I'm sorry, John. Really."

He just raised an eyebrow at her until she patted the sofa next to her in an invitation to join her. He brought the tea over and sat it on the coffee table before sitting gingerly next to her.

"Anna.."

"John…"

John took a deep breath and motioned for her to go ahead.

"I've been out of sorts lately," she began, "and I know you've noticed…"

John nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed. And I shouldn't have kept on about the list." Anna opened her mouth to reply but he continued. "I know you don't need a list to keep you on target at the grocery like I do. I just thought it was something we teased each other about."

"I don't need a list, but we do tease each other about it. And I usually enjoy it," she assured him with a smile. "You know how much I like wandering around the aisles, getting inspiration for meals and finding new things to try?"

"That's the best part about shopping with you," he said with a grin. "You find all of the odd, new things and throw them into the cart, and I take out half of them and sneak them back onto the shelves when you're not looking."

"I still manage to make you try new things, John Bates!"

"All the time," he agreed, draping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. She pretended to pull away, then relaxed into his side and slipped her arm across his stomach. "And I truly don't mind things that happen in absence of a list."

"Hmmm. Well, I was wandering through the grocery today and found myself in the pharmacy section…"

"What for?"

"Multivitamins. We talked about that, remember?"

"You talked about it. I think I'll stick with food, thanks."

She gave him a little swat on his chest. "Honestly. Sometimes I don't think you know what's good for you."

"I know you're good for me."

"Sweet talker. You're still going to take the multivitamins. But that wasn't what caught my eye."

"What was it then?" he asked, "Some new type of organic, free range shampoo made with the tender bits of pomegranates that had thrown themselves from a tree in a fit of despondency, somehow making them perfect for split ends?" When Anna didn't reply right away, he turned to look at her, taking in her bitten lip and eyes that couldn't meet his. "Anna?"

She took a deep breath. "I…well, I picked up a pregnancy test."

Her eyes flickered up to his face, which was frighteningly blank. He stared at her without blinking.

"That's what was in the brown paper bag," she continued with trepidation. "And that's what I was doing in the loo. Waiting for the results."

John's mouth fell open, and some sounds emerged from his throat, but they bore no resemblance to actual words. Under other circumstances, Anna would have found it hysterically funny.

"Would you like to know the results?" she finally asked. He shut his mouth and nodded slowly. "Negative. They were negative."

"Negative," he repeated slowly.

"I'm not pregnant," she said, turning away for a moment.

"You're not pregnant," he echoed.

"Is that all you have to say? Are you going to play the repeat game all night?" she demanded. "Because I don't even know right now what I expected, or even wanted from that test—"

John held her closer to him as she tried to pull away and stand up. She struggled against him for a moment, then allowed him to hold her. He rocked her against his chest.

"I have absolutely no idea what to say, Anna," he murmured into her hair. "In all the time I've been in love with you, it's never come up."

"I just…I don't know," she muttered into his chest. "I thought it might explain my moodiness, and I was just stood there in the pharmacy aisle, holding it, wondering if I was…wondering if wanted to be…wondering what you'd think…and you know what I do when I'm faced with something altogether new at the grocery and I don't have a list…"

"You chuck it in the cart, of course," he replied, smiling as he stroked her back.

They sat in comfortable silence, thinking their own thoughts. Anna pulled her face back enough to look up into John's eyes.

"What do you think you would have thought?" she asked quietly. "If it had been positive, I mean."

"I love you," he replied.

"Yes, I know," she said with a little smile. "But what would you have thought?"

"That I love you," he repeated. "I have thought about how much I love and I'd have probably just said that. We'd have gone on from there, I imagine."

She gazed into his earnest eyes and lifted her hand to brush against his cheek.

"Then I'm glad I bought it," she said firmly.

"I'm glad you forgot the list, then," he replied, lowering his lips to hers for a gentle kiss. "Do you think it something we might want to talk about though? Before you find yourself without a list in the middle of the pharmacy aisle again?"

"Yeah. We might want to do that. Sometime."

"Well, are you still in the mood to celebrate Leap Day?"

"The day I wasn't pregnant? Why not," she replied with a chuckle.

"I'll get the wine!"

"You go ahead," she replied in an absent tone.

John went through to the kitchen and opened the bottle. As he took the glasses down, he paused, holding on to the edge the counter as a slew of emotions, some of them contradictory, rushed through him. When he heard Anna's footsteps behind him, he a smile stretched across his face and he began pouring the wine.

"What sort of things do you do to celebrate Leap Day?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied from behind him. "It seems like a good time to create our own traditions."

"Like not being pregnant every four years?" he teased, hoping she was in a mood to enjoy it. To his relief, she laughed.

"Let's write that one down in a book somewhere."

"Sounds good to me," he replied, turning to offer her a glass. She took it from his hands and looked at him speculatively.

"Actually…I do know of one Leap Day custom…"

"What would that be?" he asked.

"Would you want to marry me?"

"What?"

"It's a Leap Day custom that the woman proposes instead of the man."

"You're asking me to marry you?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

He stared at her, once again unable to make his brain and mouth work in tandem. She waited, cradling the glass of wine in her hands, chewing on her lip again. His sudden smirk made her heart leap in her chest.

"Well…that's not much of a proposal," he said, smiling broadly, "You didn't even get down on one knee."

Anna promptly placed her wine glass on the counter top and knelt in front of him, grabbing his hands.

"John Bates, I can't think of any silly begger I like having arguments about grocery lists with more than you. And there's no one in the world I'd rather be pregnant with…or not…every four years other than you. I love you and I have from that time I ran my shopping trolley into yours at Tesco. Will you marry me, make new traditions with me, and talk about children with me?"

John's smile had only grown when she knelt down and there were crinkles around his eyes by the time she'd finished and looked up at him with a cheeky, adoring expression. As soon as she was done, he pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

"Was that a proper proposal?" she asked as he lifted her off the floor.

"I couldn't have done it better myself," he replied in a suddenly husky voice. He blinked back tears and lowered her down enough for him to take her face in his hands and kiss her endlessly.

"Is that a yes, then?" she asked, tears sparkling on her own lashes.

"I'll have to think about it. Accepting a proposal wasn't on my list of things to do today—"

"John!"

"Yes, I'll marry you, Anna Smith. To hell with the list!"

"I'll let you do all the wedding arrangements. That should give you plenty of lists to work with."

"That's not fair!" he protested.

"Hey, I did the hard work of proposing…"