MARY
'I'm so happy.' I told him, our foreheads touching. 'So am I. I was afraid that you would say no, that we were moving too fast or something.' 'Francis, I would never miss an opportunity to spend time together.' It hit me like a truck, 'How were we going to tell our parents?' Catherine wouldn't like it, that's for sure. My mom would probably be too drunk to care, but the Valois' would not be happy. 'Mary, you do realize that we are both 18, right? We can do what we want.' 'I know, but I just want your parents to like me.' 'Well then, let's go.' He stood up and extended his hand. 'Let's get this over with.'
The first thought I had when we pulled into his driveway was I have not missed this place at all. I loved Francis, but his family was not for me. We walked in holding hands, and Francis called out 'Bash! Mom Dad!' Catherine came downstairs first and gave Francis a hug. 'Oh Francis, we've missed you so much. Mary.' 'Mrs. Valois, always a pleasure.' I heard her mutter under her breath 'I would say the same, but it wouldn't be true.' It was going to be a long day. We all sat down at the table, and Francis said 'So guys, we have some news.' Catherine's smile dropped, 'Oh God, Francis. Is she pregnant?' Why does everyone think that when we say we have news? 'No, mom. She's not pregnant. We are moving in together.' Catherine's face read like an open book. 'Francis, I think that might be worse.' 'Mom.' Francis said in a warning tone. 'Be nice.' I'm very lucky that she loves her son, because otherwise she would be a lot worse. We all broke away and Francis went to talk to Bash and that left me to talk to Catherine, not that I would.
FRANCIS
I walked up to Bash's room, and told him that I needed to talk to him. I shut the door and whispered, 'Ok, this needs to be quiet, and you can't tell anyone, not even Kenna.' Bash stood up, worried. 'Francis, is she actually pregnant? Because congratulations.' 'No, why-. Ok, I'm going to propose to Mary.' 'Really?' he gave me a pat on the arm. 'What are you going to do? When are you going to do it?' I chuckled, 'Tonight, if she'll let me. I'm going to take her back to the restaurant that we had our first date at. I've requested a private, candlelight dinner, and violins, it's going to be so romantic, Bash. Then, at the end of it all, I'm just going to propose.' I'm sure at this point that I was grinning like an idiot, but I was so happy, and I knew that I wanted to be with Mary for the rest of my life.
We left my house and I could tell that it was hard for her. My mom doesn't like her, and I know that hurt her. 'Hey, it's over. We can just go home now, and be ourselves.' She nodded. We were going to start the moving process tomorrow, so for now, Mary's house was home. We hung out at her house in sweatpants and eating ice cream, laughing when we got ice cream on our noses. At around six, I asked the question that would determine everything. 'Do you want to go to dinner tonight?' She was a little surprised, because going out wasn't really our thing. 'Sure, we haven't gone out in a while, have we? Should I get dressed up?' 'Probably. But you would look beautiful in anything.' I gave her a quick kiss as she walked up the stairs to get ready. Tonight was the night that everything would change.
MARY
I was a little caught off guard when Francis asked if we should go out, but I was excited. We hadn't been out on a formal dinner in a while, and it's nice to go out. I picked a black formfitting dress with long sleeves, and curled my hair. I walked down the stairs, much like I did for prom, and saw him waiting in a tux at the bottom of the stairs. 'Well, don't you look handsome?' I kissed his cheek. He hadn't shaved in a while, and I loved the scruff that had developed on his face. 'Shall we go, beautiful?' I looked blushed, which happens far too often. 'We shall.'
We took a road that I didn't recognize and I had to ask 'Where are we going?' He stayed staring ahead, smiling, like he had for the past twenty minutes. 'You'll see.' It took me about five more minutes before I realized, and started smiling. 'We are going to the place we went for our first date, aren't we?' He looked at me. 'Damn. You're good.' I flipped my hair dramatically. 'So, what's the occasion?' 'Just going to dinner. There's no reason not to.' I didn't know what was up his sleeve, but I was fine with it, and I wasn't in the mood to sleuth.
We pulled into the parking spot and Francis came to open my door. 'Thank you.' I told him. The restaurant hadn't changed in the slightest. It still had lights strung across the roof, and the inside was just a quaint. 'Ah, Mr. Valois this way.' This set off a bell. He had been planning this for a while. We were brought to a private room with candles in the middle of the table. 'Oh, Francis. This is beautiful.' I ordered my food and drink, and we sat there holding hands. And the silence was enough.
FRANCIS
I was really nervous, more than I thought I would be. The main thing running through my head was what if she says no. She told me she would never miss an opportunity to spend time with me, but what if forever was too long? I'm sure she could feel my sweaty palms, and she was going to catch that something was up soon enough, but the plan would be in action by then. The violinists came in the room, and I knew that was my cue. I pulled my hands from hers, and stood up. 'Mary, when I was six, you were my best friend. I was so lost without you. Bash would come by my room everyday and ask me to play, and I would just look out the window, and wait for you to come back. When I realized we were in the same high school, I knew that it was my chance to have you back in my life. I tried to separate myself from you as much as possible, because I had for so long, but in the end I just couldn't. I'm so glad that I gave in. I love you so much, Mary Stuart.' I got down on my knee and pulled out the box that held my fate. 'Will you do me the honor of being my wife?'
MARY
I didn't know how to react. My emotions were on high alert, and they were on overload. I wanted to cry, to smile, to laugh, and I couldn't make sense of it all. 'Yes.' He breathed out, so relieved. 'Yes?' I nodded as he slid the ring on my finger, and my built-up tears fell. He stood up and I hugged him, and kissed him, and loved him. My fiancé. Things were moving fast, but I didn't mind. I loved Francis, and nothing needed to change.
We got back to my house, where piles and piles of boxes were in my room. Francis had packed up his things and I had mine and the truck was due to come tomorrow. The next morning, Francis woke up early, as usual, but so did I. As I got up I felt a wave of nausea crawl up my throat. I ran to the bathroom to throw up, and Francis came and moved back my hair. I brushed my teeth and freshened up as Francis came over and said 'Are you ok?' I nodded reluctantly because the feeling hadn't completely passed. 'I don't know what that was.' I said honestly. Nothing was going around, and it's not like I could be pregnant. The thought crossed my mind. Maybe I could be. I grabbed my phone and calculated when my period should be, which was five days ago. 'I'm just going to call the doctor.' I told him, he looked confused as I told the doctor all of my symptoms, and it clicked for him. 'Mary, you aren't.' 'I'm not sure yet, but the doctor will tell us.' The rest of the morning moved slowly as we packed the boxes into the truck and went to the doctors.
My leg was shaking as the nurse called me back, and I asked Francis if he wanted to come with me. 'If you want me there.' I did, and he walked back with me, holding my hand. 'So much has happened in the past few days. We got engaged, we are moving in together, and now there could be a baby.' He rubbed circles on the back of my hand. 'And I wouldn't change any of it for the world.' The doctor walked in to the room, and I told him my concerns. 'I've been throwing up, my emotions are going crazy, and I don't know what's going on.' She told me to lie on my back and she would check everything, and then she took my blood and told me that she would call us in a few days.
The rest of that day, I was on high alert. Any time a tone of any kind would go off, I would jump at it. We went back to the apartment and decided to start unboxing the boxes to kill some time. We ended up getting the TV ready and watching The Notebook before I heard the phone ring. I jumped up to answer it 'Hello, Mary, it's the doctor's office. We have your lab results.' I ushered Francis over and put the phone on speaker. 'You are not pregnant, Mary.' I didn't know how to react to this. Part of me wanted a baby, but the reality part of me knew we were too young, and this was a good thing. 'Ok, Thank you.' I said, with no particular emotion. 'Are you disappointed?' I asked Francis as soon as I hung up. 'When the time is right, Mary, we will have as many babies as you want. Besides, I don't think either of us are ready now anyways.' I twisted his words, 'But you would've been happy if it was positive.' He could tell I was getting upset, 'Mary, I would've been happy either way. One way, we get a baby, part you and part me. The other way, we can keep having fun and enjoy our new apartment, and no parents to interrupt anything.' He wiggled his eyebrows, and I laughed. Later that day, when I went to the bathroom, my period arrived to confirm what the doctor had told us, and after the argument Francis made earlier, I can't say that I was disappointed.
FRANCIS
I wanted a baby with Mary, of course, and what I said was true, but I was a little more disappointed than what I let on. To think of a precious little baby, a product over our love in this world made me so happy, but I do want a little more time to mess around and be us before that sort of responsibility. She came out and searched through the boxes before turning to me with a nervous look on her face. 'Francis, I might have forgotten something at the house.' 'What's that?' 'Um, well, I need some tampons.' Oh, God. 'Could you run to the store and get some for me? Please?' I really, really didn't want to do this. 'Sure. Can you write down the brand or something.' She looked so relieved. 'Absolutely.' She handed me a piece of paper with some words scribbled on it. 'I'll be right back.'
I got in my car and headed to the drug store, but I could already tell that it was not going to be fun. I stood in the woman's section for about twenty minutes before a woman came over. 'Sir, can I help you?' I jumped. 'Oh, yeah. Do you have this?' I showed her the piece of paper and she looked at me sympathetically. She picked them off of the shelf almost immediately and handed it to me. 'Thanks.' I was checking out and I saw a whole stack of chocolate bars next to the cashier. 'Could I have one of those, and some roses too?'
I unlocked the door to find Mary sprawled out on the couch in her sweatpants. 'Thank you so much.' She said as she turned around, and I presented her with the flowers and chocolate. 'Awww, Francis, you didn't have to do that.' She gave me a kiss. 'Anything for my fiancé.' I told her. 'I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that word.'