Chapter 55

With a sheepish grin AJ admitted, "Well, I did come to you for advice."

"Advice about what, AJ?"

"Since you've had experience with telling the children that you and Victor were getting married…"

"Yes?" she encouraged.

"I need help with what to say to tell Allison that Taya and I are engaged."

"WHAT?!" she squealed and leapt to her feet. Hugging him tightly Harriett said, "Oh I'm so happy for you! Tell me everything and don't leave ANYTHING out!"

"Well, I took her to the Starlight Room that you recommended and then had a room reserved for us at the hotel. When we got to the room I proposed."

"Why did you wait till you got to a room? Why not do it in the restaurant?" she asked and would have asked more until she noticed the blush on his cheeks. AJ Chegwidden was embarrassed! She had made him blush! Wait a minute, she hadn't said anything that could have made him blush, it must have been something he had done… And then the light dawned, Harriett could be forgiven for being just a bit slow about things that day because of all that was on her mind, but once she realized what was going on she wasn't going to let it go! "Did you have champagne and flowers in the room?"

"Yes, I did…"

Before he could go on, she was interrogating him once again, "And did you go down on one knee to ask her?"

"Yes, Harriett."

"What did you say? And what did she say? Tell me everything!"

"I asked her, she said yes, and you don't need to know the rest!" he assured her.

"Ooooh, just what time was it when you left the room AJ Chegwidden!"

"Suffice to say that it was no longer last night. But I came over here to ask you questions not the other way around, Harriett Rob…Galindez!" AJ was mortified that he had made that mistake after all the years the two of them had been married, but the way she was questioning him reminded him so much of the way that Bud used to talk two hundred words per minute, that it had just slipped out.

"Its okay, AJ. There are times when I am signing something that I still start to sign Roberts. Don't worry about it. Now when do you want to tell Allison and how can I help?"

"We are planning telling her tomorrow evening at dinner. I thought it would be good to tell her with Taya there."

"That might not be such a great idea, unless they've spent a good amount of time together and are getting along well. Do they like each other?"

"It was a bit rough at first, but they're fine now, in fact the two of them are shopping for school things right now."

"Then it should be easy. I would just tell her that you have fallen in love again and want someone to share your life with. That Taya being in your life will just give Allison one more person to love her too. I'm sure that will be fine."

"Thank you Harriett, that reassures me tremendously. Were your children fine with Victor from the first?"

"Well, I'm sure it's different with boys and the twins were so young that they took to anyone at that age so it was easy all around. Don't worry though; if Allison likes her well enough to go shopping with Taya then I'm sure that everything will work out. Now when are you going to let us meet this lovely lady?"

"How do you know she is lovely?"

"Would you go out with any other kind of lady?" she teased.

"You make me sound very shallow if you think I would only date someone good looking!" AJ stated just a bit hurt at her insinuation.

"AJ Chegwidden! I simply meant that she must have a lovely personality for you to fall in love with her so quickly! After all you have only been dating her a short time! How would I know what she looked like?!"

To be continued…..