Maria sat in the booth waiting for Michael. He had told her to meet him
there, and then the two of them would go to the restaurant. He had to work,
and wouldn't be able to get cleaned up and pick her up from the Valenti
house, and still have them there in time for their reservations. She
glanced towards the wall and saw a picture the Parkers had put up three
years earlier. It was a picture of Alex and Liz not long after he had
returned from 'Switzerland'. They had made a copy of it for everyone at the
same time, and they all kept it on their mantles, or whatever equivalent
they had.
Maria sat and thought about all the changes that had happened since Alex had died. First with Liz leaving, then her own disappearance, it had been a rough first year. They only good things that year were Isabel's wedding, and Ava returning with little Maxie. The next year had been easier, they finally told their parents the truth, and Amy and Jim had gotten married that Christmas. She moved in the Valenti house, and she and Kyle were still fighting like brother and sister. Which, looking back, they always had done. Deep down they both knew that Amy and Jim would get married one day.
The next two years were wonderful with the exception of Liz's case being closed. Michael got a steady job at another security company, Max started law school, Isabel was modeling, Ava earned her teaching certificate, Kyle was playing baseball in collage, and the Parker's had made her assistant manager. They had told her that if she wanted, they were going to leave the Crashdown to her. She, of course, readily agreed. Then last year that terrible accident happened.
They still wondered about it, it was so similar to Alex's, and on the same day. Yesterday they had continued the ritual started five years earlier, that had changed slightly last year to include Jessie in a new way. They left flowers on their graves, and Isabel told them a bit about their life over the past years, they took turns each year talking. Only Michael, Kyle, Isabel, Max, and herself ever talked though; but this year they let Isabel talk, even though it technically had been Michael's turn.
"Hey, are you ready?"
Maria glanced up, as she was pulled out of her thoughts, to see Michael standing next to her.
"Yeah." Maria said grabbing her purse.
"Hang on a second." Michael said sitting down across from her.
"I thought we had reservations to make." Maria said slightly confused, but she sat her purse down anyways.
"I wanted to talk for a few minutes before we went."
"Okay." Maria said relishing in the chance to just talk with him.
"Alright, so how are you, really?" Michael asked taking her hands.
"I'm alright. Yesterday was rough, but it is getting easier every year." She said softly.
"I know, my biggest fear is that I might lose you like Iz lost them." He said quietly, slowly he pulled his hands away and looked her in the eye. "Maria, I have a question for you and I want you to give me the first answer that enters your head. Promise?"
"Alright, promise. Shoo." Maria told him wondering what he was so worried about asking her.
Michael slid out of his seat and knelt on one knee next to her. Pulling a small ring out of his pocket he looked up at her. "Maria DeLuca, six years ago, we shared our first kiss in this restaurant. Over the years our lives have seemed to often include this place so I thought it fitting to ask this here. Maria, I have loved you for years, and only you. You are everything to me. Wherever you are, is where I belong, you are my home. Maria, will you marry me?"
Maria looked at him and the small gold and diamond solitary he held. She glanced at the photo of Alex and Liz trying to fight the tears in her eyes, somehow she knew that they were there. She turned her eyes back to him and saw the Parker's standing at the doorway to the back. She immediately knew that they had known about this. Looking Michael in the eye she whispered the only thing that entered her mind. "Yes."
Michael smiled as he stood up and pulled her into his arms. Neither of them noticed the other patrons clapping as he slid the ring on her finger.
Maria looked around finally noticing the other customers. She smiled at them then turned to Michael, "What do you say we go to dinner Spaceboy."
"That's a wonderful idea. But lets go out the back." He said taking her hand. The two of them went passed the Parker's as everyone clapped once more then returned to their meals. No one noticed the black cat slink out the front door.
Maria sat and thought about all the changes that had happened since Alex had died. First with Liz leaving, then her own disappearance, it had been a rough first year. They only good things that year were Isabel's wedding, and Ava returning with little Maxie. The next year had been easier, they finally told their parents the truth, and Amy and Jim had gotten married that Christmas. She moved in the Valenti house, and she and Kyle were still fighting like brother and sister. Which, looking back, they always had done. Deep down they both knew that Amy and Jim would get married one day.
The next two years were wonderful with the exception of Liz's case being closed. Michael got a steady job at another security company, Max started law school, Isabel was modeling, Ava earned her teaching certificate, Kyle was playing baseball in collage, and the Parker's had made her assistant manager. They had told her that if she wanted, they were going to leave the Crashdown to her. She, of course, readily agreed. Then last year that terrible accident happened.
They still wondered about it, it was so similar to Alex's, and on the same day. Yesterday they had continued the ritual started five years earlier, that had changed slightly last year to include Jessie in a new way. They left flowers on their graves, and Isabel told them a bit about their life over the past years, they took turns each year talking. Only Michael, Kyle, Isabel, Max, and herself ever talked though; but this year they let Isabel talk, even though it technically had been Michael's turn.
"Hey, are you ready?"
Maria glanced up, as she was pulled out of her thoughts, to see Michael standing next to her.
"Yeah." Maria said grabbing her purse.
"Hang on a second." Michael said sitting down across from her.
"I thought we had reservations to make." Maria said slightly confused, but she sat her purse down anyways.
"I wanted to talk for a few minutes before we went."
"Okay." Maria said relishing in the chance to just talk with him.
"Alright, so how are you, really?" Michael asked taking her hands.
"I'm alright. Yesterday was rough, but it is getting easier every year." She said softly.
"I know, my biggest fear is that I might lose you like Iz lost them." He said quietly, slowly he pulled his hands away and looked her in the eye. "Maria, I have a question for you and I want you to give me the first answer that enters your head. Promise?"
"Alright, promise. Shoo." Maria told him wondering what he was so worried about asking her.
Michael slid out of his seat and knelt on one knee next to her. Pulling a small ring out of his pocket he looked up at her. "Maria DeLuca, six years ago, we shared our first kiss in this restaurant. Over the years our lives have seemed to often include this place so I thought it fitting to ask this here. Maria, I have loved you for years, and only you. You are everything to me. Wherever you are, is where I belong, you are my home. Maria, will you marry me?"
Maria looked at him and the small gold and diamond solitary he held. She glanced at the photo of Alex and Liz trying to fight the tears in her eyes, somehow she knew that they were there. She turned her eyes back to him and saw the Parker's standing at the doorway to the back. She immediately knew that they had known about this. Looking Michael in the eye she whispered the only thing that entered her mind. "Yes."
Michael smiled as he stood up and pulled her into his arms. Neither of them noticed the other patrons clapping as he slid the ring on her finger.
Maria looked around finally noticing the other customers. She smiled at them then turned to Michael, "What do you say we go to dinner Spaceboy."
"That's a wonderful idea. But lets go out the back." He said taking her hand. The two of them went passed the Parker's as everyone clapped once more then returned to their meals. No one noticed the black cat slink out the front door.