Part 22
Caitlin waved goodbye to her friends as she headed into her apartment building. She knew that Barry was up to something. If she was right then today was going to be one of the happiest days of her life. She glanced back in the parking lot and noticed Nora's car in the lot. Barry was planning something very special. While he could cook, it was mostly breakfast and pasta. But if he asked his mom for help then he was making one of her favorite meals. She headed up to their third floor apartment. As she reached the top of the stairs she saw Nora leaving the apartment. They passed in the hallway.
"You look like you enjoyed the your day Caitlin." Said Nora
"I did. Barry is going to propose tonight isn't he?" asked Nora
Nara smiled knowing that it was no use hiding anything from the young woman.
"I told him you were smart enough to figure his plan out."
"Don't worry I am going to say yes. He could have asked at any time and I would have said yes. I just wanted to wait until after I finished med school to have the wedding."
"I know. You should know I have considered you family for a long time."
"I know mom."
Nora smiled hearing Caitlin call her mom.
"Well you don't keep him waiting. Barry is nervous enough as it is."
"I won't."
Caitlin hugged her soon to be mother in law and headed into her apartment. When she entered she found it lit only by candle light. The small dinning room table was set for two. There were white roses all over the apartment. She placed her purse and keys down on the table next to the door. She smiled when Barry came out of the bedroom he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a red tie and red pocket square.
"Hi handsome." Said Caitlin
"Hi beautiful. May I show you to the table?" said Barry
"Of course. I ran into your mom in the hallway."
"Uh yeah I wanted to make tonight special. So I asked her to help me make dinner."
"Barry, any meal is special with you."
"I know but I want tonight to be extra special."
Caitlin smiled taking her seat. Barry then went into the kitchen and carried out two plates. Placing one in front of Caitlin she saw that it had grilled lemon chicken with roasted garlic red skinned potatoes and honey glazed carrots.
"This looks really good Barry." Said Caitlin
"I hope it tastes as good as it looks." Said Barry
Caitlin took a bite of her chicken and smiled. Then she tasted the potatoes and carrots.
"Everything is perfect."
Barry smiled. Caitlin took a sip of her white wine smiling at her boyfriend and best friend. They spent the meal just silently enjoying each others company. But Caitlin could see that Barry was getting really nervous. Even though he had nothing to worry about. She was going to say yes whenever he got around to asking her. Once they finished dinner Barry cleared the dishes and brought out desert. Barry placed a perfect looking piece of strawberry shortcake. After taking a bite of the desert she noticed the light of one of the candles shinning off something in the whipped cream. She used her fork to pick up the ring only to find Barry kneeling next to her taking a napkin to clean the ring off.
"Caitlin Danielle Snow will you make me the happiest man alive and agree to spend the rest of your life with me? To be not only the best friend I have ever had, but to be my partner, my life mate, my lover and mother of any children to come our way? Will you marry me?" asked Barry
"Of course I will marry you Bartholomew Henry Allen. I thought that you would never ask!"
Caitlin then knocked him over as she wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss him. When they broke for some much needed air Caitlin smiled as Barry placed the half Karat diamond ring on her hand. She loved it. The diamond was a princess cut and the ban itself was white gold. She could also see a small blue sapphire and red ruby next to the diamond.
"So you like the ring?" asked Barry
"I don't like it Barry. I love it. It's perfect. You do know that you didn't have to wait until I finished med school to ask me. I only said I wanted to wait to actually get married until I finished school."
"I know. It's just I wanted to have the ring before I asked and I had to special order it. This is a one of a kind ring. No one else has one even a little like it."
"You didn't need to do that. Barry, if you had given me a plain old ring like everyone else has I wouldn't have cared. All I care about is that I will be spending the rest of my life with the only man I have ever loved. The man that has been my best friend since I was a scared shy five year old."
"Maybe you started as a scared shy kid. But I seem to remember you trying to take on Tony Woodward more than once."
"Well he was nothing but a pain in the ass bully. Just like that annoying Lexie LaRoche."
"I think they dated for a while back in high school. But Lexie just kind dropped out of school at one point."
"Well if the gossip in the girls bathroom and locker room was right she would have a ten year old kid about now. From the gossip I heard she got pregnant. She was linked to several of the guys on the football team. Not just Tony. I think Ronnie and Eddie and a couple others were the only ones she wasn't linked to be sleeping with."
"Well Eddie was dating Iris, who he did marry after she graduated college, and Ronnie was with you until he died."
"I know. He did love me you know? Even though he knew that my heart belonged to someone else."
"Yeah I know. I never told you but that night he died. He pulled me aside while you were in the bathroom. He made me promise him that I would always be there for you. That I would protect you. You know of course I agreed. He also made me promise to make sure you didn't grieve him forever if anything happened to him. I don't know it was like he knew that he would die."
"Barry, Iris's dad showed me the traffic camera videos and the footage of the accident from the businesses near the accident scene. The car that hit us would have hit head on more on the passenger side of the car. Barry he turned the car so he would take the blunt of the impact. He saved my life."
"He was a hero."
"That is what Joe told me."
"Cait, as much as I hate that Ronnie died. I am glad that you didn't die that night. My world would have ended."
"My world would end if I lost you. I love you more then life itself. Now Mr. Allen how about we go celebrate the fact that I just agreed to marry you in our bedroom?"
Barry just grinned swept Caitlin up into his arms and carried her to their bed.