"Stacy honey, you're gonna hyperventilate." Mrs. Davis said approaching Stacy as she looked out the front door of the Davis home.
"I'm sorry mom. I'm just really nervous." she said turning around as Roger, RJ and Joey sat in front of the television watching football.
"Why are you nervous sweetie? They accept you for who you are, right?" she asked playing with Stacy's hair.
"I know, it's just I'm nervous about you guys meeting them. I mean, you have been my mother for all these years and now you're about to meet mom. I just want everyone to like each other." she said looking over at her.
"Stacy Marie Davis, you listen to me. Everything is gonna be fine. Just sit down and relax. And when they get here, that television goes off. Do you hear me boys?" she said leading Stacy to the couch pointing at the boys.
"Yes mom." Roger said looking up.
"Yes mom." Joey said looking up.
"Yes grams." RJ said looking up.
"Good. Now Roger, come comfort your wife before she has a nervous breakdown." she said as Stacy looked up at her.
"I'm fine mom. I'm just a bit nervous. I'll be OK." she laughed as Roger got up and went to the couch.
"Baby, mom's right. Everything's gonna be great. Richie and Joey are gonna fight over who the better football team is, my mom and your mom are gonna fight over who can make the better quiche and Jenn, Ree and Janet are gonna fight over who can spoil RJ the most. It'll be like one big happy family." he joked as she looked up at him.
"Not helping Roger." she laughed leaning into him as they heard a car pull into the Davis driveway.
"They're here. Stacy honey, I love you. Roger, don't be a jerk." Mrs. Davis said pointing at him as she opened the front door and everyone stood in the living room.
"I love you too mom." she smiled as she and Roger stood up.
"I love you Stace." Roger smiled looking down at her.
"I love you too Roger." she smiled leaning up to kiss him as they approached the door.
"Hi, I'm Marion Davis." Mrs. Davis smiled as she stepped outside the house.
"Hi, I'm Tamara Bukovinsky." Mrs. Bukovinsky smiled holding her hand out to shake Mrs. Davis' hand.
"We're family." Mrs. Davis smiled reaching out to hug Mrs. Bukovinsky.
"You should have seen them when they first came in here. They were so cute. Roger was always so protective of Stacy." Mrs. Davis smiled looking across the dining room table from Mrs. Bukovinsky.
"I can tell. I'm so happy that Stacy has people who love her the way all of you do." Mrs. Bukovinsky smiled looking over at Stacy.
"And we do love her. Stacy is my daughter. We've all been through a lot together. You should have seen them the day they found out they were gonna have RJ. Poor girl was so tired. Roger was so scared that she might be sick or something. She came down to me after she got up from her nap. Roger was still laying down and she was so upset that there might be something wrong with her. I asked her if there might be a possibility that she could be pregnant. So I went out and picked up a test for her. When I got back, she and Roger were sitting at the table in the kitchen and he was holding her in his arms. She was crying and so scared that she was gonna pass her HIV on to the baby. When they found out RJ was negative, that was the happiest day of all of our lives. We partied like we won the lottery." she smiled looking over at Stacy and Roger who were holding hands on the table.
"Yeah, that was a pretty great day." Stacy smiled looking up at RJ.
"I wanna hear about when Roger proposed to Stacy." Jenn smiled looking over at them. "I bet it was really romantic." she smiled looking over at them.
"Not really. I mean, the first time..." Stacy started before Mrs. Bukovinsky interrupted her.
"The first time? How many times did you propose?" she asked laughing.
"Just twice. Once in old apartment and again when I gave her my mom's engagement ring." he smiled looking down at Stacy as they remembered being alone in their old apartment.
"Roger, can I ask you something?" she asked from the bedroom doorway.
"Sure Baby, anything." he asked sitting on the couch to put on his boots.
"Do you want to move in with me? I mean, you've been here every night for over a year, why don't you officially move in with me?" she asked holding the doorway.
"I would love to officially move in with you." he said smiling back at her.
"Yeah?" she asked approaching him.
"Yeah, I will."he said pulling her onto the couch with him to kiss her.
"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, let's go to dinner." she said running her fingers through his hair.
"Baby, will you marry me?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"What?" she asked half laughing.
"Marry me Stace." he asked again smiling at her.
"Are you serious Roger?" she asked holding on to his gaze.
"Very serious. I love you Stacy and I want to marry you." he said sweeping her hair behind her ear.
"I love you too Roger. Yes, I will." she told him excitedly as she threw her arms around his neck.
"I'm sorry I don't have a ring for you. But I'm gonna get one. I want you to have one." he told her holding her head in his hands.
"That's OK Roger. I don't need a ring. I'm not one of those crazy girls who needs a ring to prove you love me. I know you do." she said as he leaned in to kiss her tenderly.
"I do love you Stacy and you deserve a ring. I wil get you a ring. I promise." he whispered before kissing her again.
"I know. I love you too Roger." she said laying her head on his chest.
"And then they got here and Roger had just told me that they were engaged and they were positive. Roger's father and I had always discussed giving Roger the ring he had given me when we first got engaged so, I gave him my ring to give to Stacy." she smiled looking over at Mrs. Bukovinsky.
"Roger, I wanted to give you something. Actually I want you to give it to Stacy." she said handing him a small box sitting on the kitchen table.
"Mom, it's the ring dad gave you." he said looking at the ring.
"Yes it is. Now I want you to give it to Stacy. It belongs to her. You might have to have it resized, because Stacy is smaller than I used to be, but it's hers now." she said wiping the tear from her eye.
"Mom, are you sure? I mean, this is the engagement ring dad gave you." he asked quietly admiring the ring.
"I'm sure Roger. It was always meant for you. Now you have someone you love and who loves you to give it to." she said as tears escaped her eyes.
"Now you?" he said laughing as he hugged his mother.
"Sorry. You have your hand full today with the women you love today, huh?" she said beginning to laugh as she wiped her eyes.
"Looks like. Thanks mom. I love you." he said kissing her head.
"I love you too Roger. Just be happy sweetie, OK? That's all I ask." she said smiling up at him.
"I am happy mom. Don't worry." he said smiling back at her as Stacy came into the room. Roger hid the ring in his pocket.
"I'm really sorry about that Mrs. Davis. I just didn't expect your reaction when Roger and I told you that I'm positive." she told her sitting next to Roger again.
"That's OK. Roger explained everything to me. I understand. As long as you two are happy, I'm happy. I'm just sorry your family wasn't more understanding." she said reaching over to caress Stacy's arm.
"Me too, Mrs. Davis." she said as Roger smiled down at her.
"Stacy, I want to give you something." he started taking the ring box out of his pocket. "Stacy Marie Bukovinsky, will you marry me?" he asked opening the box and handing it to Stacy.
"Roger, this is gorgeous. Where did you get this?" she asked smiling down at it.
"My dad gave it to my mom and now I'm giving it to you. So will you?" he asked as Mrs. Davis' eyes filled up with tears again.
"Of course I will. I love you so much Roger." she said throwing her arms around his neck to hold him.
"Let me put this on you." he said smiling at her.
"Oh right, sorry." she said as he slipped it on her finger. It was a little big, but Mrs. Davis gave her a ring guard until they could get it sized for her. "I love it. Thank you Mrs. Davis." she said hugging Mrs. Davis.
"Oh sweetie, after Roger was born me and his father used to talk about giving that ring to Roger to give to some special girl he was gonna marry. That ring was always yours. We just didn't know until today." she said caressing Stacy's hair.
"Thank you so much Marion, really. You really took care of my girl all these years." Mrs. Bukovinsky said looking over at her with tears in her eyes.
"Tammy, she's our girl too." Mrs. Davis smiled looking over at Stacy and Roger who were looking lovingly at one another.