Brennan awoke refreshed and acutely aware that she was alone in Booth's bed. She found it odd that he wasn't there considering their conversation the previous night, but decided that perhaps he got up with Parker as she had the morning before. She stretched and got up, stopping at the bathroom before descending the stairs.

Instead of a bustling kitchen, however, she discovered a note in the middle of the kitchen's island with her name written in Booth's familiar scrawl. It explained that he had attempted to wake her earlier, but she had turned over and gone back to sleep. He and Parker were at Mass and would return by noon and she was free to help herself to the donuts he had picked up early that morning. His last message was rather cryptic and told her only that there was something for her on top of the files in the living room.

Yawning, she opened the box of donuts that lay on the counter and selected a Boston cream one before pouring herself a cup of coffee that Booth had kept warming for her in the urn. She sat down at the island and ate in silence, considering how last night's events had unfolded. Unless she was mistaken, she had all but proposed marriage to Booth and he had accepted. She found that she didn't regret making the offer- she knew that it was something Booth truly wanted- but hoped that she had not rushed into things or made an unwise decision in the process.

Dabbing her mouth with a napkin she took her mug of coffee and decided to investigate what Booth had left for her in the living room. There was another note waiting for her when she got there.

Traditionally, I'd get down on one knee to give you this. But I figured since you were the one who proposed, you can decide when you want to wear it.

I Love you,

Seeley

Beneath where the note had been, she found a small box that she knew could contain only one thing. She took the box in her hand and stared at it for several minutes before getting up from the couch and hastily going back up to the bedroom. With little thought to what she was doing, she got dressed as quickly as she could, all the time clinging to the box with one hand or the other. She was fully dressed and about to grab her keys when she realized that they would do her no good as Booth had driven her here and she had no car.

Sitting back down on the bed she realized that she had no notion as to where she would go if she did have a car. Her first choice would have been Booth, but he was too close to the situation, obviously. Angela was her next choice, but she and Hodgins had set off on a weekend excursion and Brennan did not wish to disturb them. Trembling, she reached for the phone and called the only other person she could think of.

"Tempe!" Max Keenan's overly cheerful voice greeted her, "How are you, Sweetheart?"

"I don't know, Dad," she admitted, "I'm just not sure what to do."

"Where are you?" his voice was now laced with concern, "Are you all right?"

"I'm at Booth's" she said softly, "I'm not injured, simply confused."

"Just give me his address and I'll be over as quick as I can," he told her.

She did and he reiterated that he would be there shortly and they hung up. Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. She was waiting in the entryway for him and opened the door within seconds of his knock. Flustered and feeling as if she were a young girl again she fell into his arms.

"Hey, baby," Max soothed, "What's wrong?"

She allowed him to lead her back to the living room and they sat down, "I don't know. I- I feel as if the world is changing around so fast that I'm losing my equilibrium."

"Look," Max tilted her chin, "I'm sure Booth will be a great dad. Look how good he is with Parker and he's a stand-up guy too so I'm sure he'll do the right thing by you."

That was enough to wake her from her stupor and she pulled back from him, "I'm not pregnant, Dad! What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know," Max shrugged with a grin, "You were talking about the world changing and you losing your equilibrium so I assumed-"

"Wrongly," she told him, frowning, "And why would you think that Booth and I have a sexual relationship?"

"You don't?" he looked confused.

"Well we do," she admitted, "But only just recently and I hadn't called to inform you about it."

"Okay, you're going to have to start spelling things out more clearly for me, Honey, 'cause I am really lost now," Max told her, "How long have you and Booth been dating?"

"A week," she said, "Though we've only been sleeping together since Tuesday morning."

"Good to know," he chuckled, though she had the distinct impression that was not his true meaning, "So why am I here? And why isn't Booth here?"

"Booth is with Parker at Mass, which he tried to wake me for but I was asleep," she began, "I was asleep because we were up late last night and during the course of our discussion I told Booth that I would consent to marrying him if he wanted that. I, of course, still hold that marriage is an antiquated ritual and archaic at several different levels, however I realize that Booth would be more satisfied in a legally binding monogamous relationship.

"Angela told me that love is a verb and therefore requires action. Marriage to Booth is the action I choose to take in order to demonstrate my love for him and show my sincerity in wanting to pursue a long-term relationship."

"So you proposed to Booth and he said yes," Max interpreted.

"Correct," she nodded, "However, this morning I awoke to find that he had left this," she produced the box, holding it in the palm of her hand."

"What's in it?"

"I presume that it is some sort of engagement ring," she said, "Which means that Booth has been contemplating a marriage proposal for quite some time now and it leaves me uneasy as he knows my stance on marriage."

"A stance which you've already compromised by proposing to him first," Max pointed out, "Have you even opened the box to make sure it's not earrings or something else?"

"I sincerely doubt that earrings would have come with this," she held out Booth's note for him to read.

"Nope," Max shook his head once he'd read the note, "Seems like there's a ring in there to me."

He reached over and gently took the box from her hand and pried the lid open. The open lid was facing her so she still could not see inside even if she had wanted to.

"Temperance," her father said tenderly, "I think your Booth loves you very much. I think you were thrown off because he's obviously had this for some time. Maybe he bought it last week, maybe last month, maybe years ago- and that's bothering you because you only got to that point last night. But it doesn't matter because he never asked; he waited for you to bring it up and I'm sure you floored him when you did.

"You not says that you get to decide when to put it on, not him. I think that's why he left it here for you when he wasn't around. He is doing everything in his power to make sure that this is your decision too. That's a good man, Tempe. Booth is a good man."

"He is," she nodded, then she looked into her father's eyes, "Would you put it on me? I'm not sure I will if you don't."

"You would," he kissed her forehead gently, "You love him too."

"I truly believe that I do."

She felt more than watched him take her left hand and slip the ring against the distal phalanx of her fourth digit, over two interphalangeal joints, until it came to rest on the proximal phalanx. Slowly, she looked down. There was no golden ring, as she had expected and no diamond solitaire either, but instead there were two sliver dolphins in motion, supporting a beautiful turquoise stone between them.

She realized instantly that this was no family heirloom, or the ring that Rebecca had rejected when he'd proposed to her. This ring, no matter how long ago it was purchased, was for one woman and one woman only- her.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"The perfect engagement ring for my little girl," Max agreed, pulling her into his embrace.

She embraced him in return and thanked him. Just as he was standing to excuse himself she heard a key slip into the lock at the front door. Booth was home.