4. Public Display
Satisfied with her inspection of the ring, Bones handed it to the clerk. The titanium band with black diamonds suited him perfectly. It was quality without being ostentatious. She still couldn't believe that she was really going to do it. She was going to ask Booth to marry her. She couldn't explain it and didn't even try to rationalize it, it just felt right. She had asked all of their family to meet them later that evening at the Founding Fathers.
After everything with Pelant and their lost summer, they needed break and she had suggested they have a date. Booth had been easy to convince. She had called Wendell and the other interns and told them in no uncertain terms that they were to present at eight p.m. She had also convinced Cam, Hodgins and Angela that they were all past due for a little fun. Sweets hadn't been too difficult either. Since his break-up with Daisy, he spent most of his nights moping in her living room on her couch in front of her TV. That is when he wasn't sneaking baths in the large whirlpool tub in the master bath.
Regardless, everyone had agreed and she could barely contain her excitement. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. Realistically, she knew the chance of Booth rejecting her proposal were slim to none. She was confident that he loved her and wanted to marry her, but what if he did say no? She couldn't help but wonder if this is what he had felt like both times he had proposed in the past. She could finally see why he had been so devastated when faced with rejection. It was a very hard thing to do, putting your metaphorical heart on the line.
She tucked the rings in her coat pocket and made her way back to her office to change into the black Roxie dress. Booth had suggested he meet her at the bar and she wanted him to be a little dazzled. It sounded so simple, all she had to do was find the right moment. She imagined him sitting with his back against the bar facing all of their friends surrounding them. She would get down on one knee, open the ring box, and recite the speech that she had been rehearsing for days.
"When we first met, there was this spark. I felt it too. It scared me and that's why I didn't go home with you that night outside that pool hall. You were different and I wasn't equipped to deal with it. When we first met, I was a just a shell, my most meaningful relationships were with the dead, but you taught me how to live and to not give in to fear. You have also taught me how to laugh and to love. You are the love of my life and my best friend Booth. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my husband?"
As she entered the lab she could see Cam clasping her hands and whispering a triumphant "Yes". She imagined Angela's double fist pump and squeal. She could hear Hodgins' expressive "Dude.", and Sweets would drop to the floor in a dead faint. Much like he had the day they had announced their relationship and subsequent pregnancy. It was going to be a perfect night.