Part 10
With This Ring

Leaning back into the countless pyre of pillows stacked behind her, Maria felt her body collapse through the phases of tiredness and exhaustion into complete numbness.  Her new home surrounded her claustrophobically, the muted grey walls of the bedroom she had only last week seen as a fabulous place to spend an afternoon suddenly resembling the starkest confines of a prison cell as she reminded herself that this was all she would be seeing for months.

Bed rest… complete bed rest.  What a stupid idea.

Sure that there wasn't a worse way to spend the final months of her pregnancy, she cursed the day her doctor had ordered her not to place her feet on the floor except for absolutely 'necessary' trips to the bathroom, as if any bathroom trip while you were pregnant wasn't 'necessary'.  She was convinced that it was something thought up by an evil physician years ago, more than likely a man, and no woman ordered to follow such a regime had ever dared to break protocol to test its validity.

And neither would she.

Required or not, she was determined to have a healthy baby even if she had to stand on her head for the entire third trimester; the arguments she could dream up as to why staying in bed all day was completely unnecessary were just mindless games to pass the time—seeing as how there was little else to do.

Tears pricked at her eyes for the tenth time that day as she looked around again at the selection of 'things to do' she actually had available to her.  Her hospital stay had only been a day long, but Michael had managed to completely transfer the essence of her apartment into his bedroom in the short time.  Her laptop rested on a swiveling bedside table at her side, complete with an Internet connection and full power accessibility.  A mini-fridge replaced the nightstand that used to rest by the bedside, containing a selection of her favorite drinks and snacks, all in handy, disposable packages, all perfect for her 'condition'.  Stacks of novels and magazines scoured from her own shelves, along with a mix from Tess, Liz, and Isabel, covered the tiny refrigerator, next to a remote control that manipulated both the television and stereo, not to mention DVD player, that he had transferred to the room.  There was nothing else she could possibly ask for.

Except freedom.

Unaware that the threat of tears had been realized as huge droplets dripped steadily down her cheeks, Maria picked up one of the nameless novels resting by her side and flipped open to a random page.  The words seemed to blur together, the plot incomprehensible as she struggled to make herself care about the drama unfolding within the pages.

"You'd have more luck if you turned it over."

Deaf to the words of her boyfriend, Maria knew nothing of his presence until a hand reached into her view to grasp the book she held tightly, flipping it around to place the words right-side up before her eyes.

"Better?" he asked lightly, only then noticing the wetness on her cheeks as his eyes flitted up to hers.  "What's wrong?" he added softly, lowering himself to sit by her side on the bed as he reached out to wipe away her tears.

Shrugging, she shook her head slowly, unable to summon the energy even to acknowledge his question let alone actually formulate a response.

Watching her with concerned eyes, Michael felt his heart constrict in the familiar way only she seemed to be able to affect as he felt every tear she cried pierce his soul.  She was obviously miserable and all the novels in the world weren't going to erase the melancholy she was mired in.

"Hey," he whispered softly, his thumb running over her slick cheek as he forced her eyes to his.  "I know it's hard."

"Not hard," she replied just as softly, flitting her eyes anywhere but on his gaze as she fought to stop crying.  "Scary."

"Come here," he said roughly, switching positions to sit beside her on the mattress.  Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her into his chest, noting the stiffness in her body as her light cries became louder, the increase in volume accompanying a relaxation of her muscles as she leaned on him heavily.

"It's okay," he murmured into her hair, rubbing his hand lightly against her arm as he bit back his own tears at watching her collapse.  "We'll get through it together."

"But what if… what if I…"

"Stop that," he said forcefully, pushing her away from him to stare into her wide eyes.  "Nothing is going to happen, I'm going to make sure of it."

"You can't know that," she persisted, shaking her head defiantly at him.  "What if I'm not good enough?  What if it happens again?"

"Maria, this is not your fault."

"I know," she said softly, her eyes glazing over as she contemplated what everyone had been telling her for days.  Staring at her hands, she pierced her lips together firmly before adding, "It's yours."

"What?"

His mouth dropping open as he felt her verbal slap in the face, Michael felt himself retreat into protective mode before the familiar glint in her eye caught his attention and he released the giant breath he had been holding.

"You are the worst, you know that?" he teased lightly.

"What?" she asked innocently, smiling through her tears as she wiped at them ashamedly.  She did feel depressed over her situation, but just sitting with him made her realize that she wasn't alone in the adventure, and she couldn't resist the chance to tease him.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in this position."

"Oh really," he countered.  "I believe you made this decision all on your own little miss."

"Little Miss?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at his new nickname for her.  "Decision or no, it takes two to tango a baby into existence, CSG."

"CSG?  What?"

Shrugging, she sat back against the mountain of pillows behind her, smiling as she silently dared him to figure it out.

"CS… CS…" he murmured.  "Oh Lord, coffee shop guy?  You should talk HTC."

Michael scooted off the bed as Maria stuck her tongue out at him, still laughing as he exited the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" she called after him.  "I thought we were in this together."

"We are, but someone needs to boil the water around this place."

"Boil water?  For tea?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe later," he responded, stepping back into the room carrying a huge bowl in front of him.

"Whoa, super cup of tea," she observed.

"Shh," he said quickly, walking steadily to the bed to lay the bowl down beside her.  "It's not tea, unless you want 20 cups.  I thought you'd like a bath."

"A bath?" she asked, shock evident in her voice.

"Yeah," he said softly, shrugging as he blushed slightly.  "I just figured they always relaxed you before, so…"

"Thank you," she said happily, reaching up to beckon him towards her with her arms.  "For everything," she added softly against his cheek.

"Always," he said quietly, pulling back to stare into her eyes deeply.  'This is it,' he chanted silently.  'Ask her.'

Her breath caught in her throat at the serious look in his eyes, an almost desperate pleading as he searched her gaze for the answer to an unasked question.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"I… I, uh… nothing," he said softly, allowing the moment to pass between them in favor of creating an even more perfect one that evening.  "We only have an hour so if you want to get clean," he prodded, clearing his throat roughly.

"Why an hour?"

"It's Sunday isn't it?  You have that Toe Nail Group thing."

"The Pedicure Club?" Maria asked incredulously.  "But they never called…"

"I called them," Michael offered, shrugging his shoulders as she stared at him in awe.  "I figured it'd be good for you to just… you know…"

Her grin splitting from ear to ear, Maria leaned forward to throw her arms around the man who so selflessly cared for her.  "I am really lucky," she whispered softly, stealing a kiss from his mouth even as he prepared to respond.

"Oh yeah?" he mumbled between kisses.  "And why is that?"

"Because you love me," she said happily, her voice rising on love to squeal excitedly.

Laughing, Michael continued the kiss for another moment before breaking free and confirming her belief.  "Yes, I do," he smiled genuinely.

"Okay," she said quickly, discarding the seriousness of the moment for dramatic effect as she collapsed back on the pillows.  "I am your willing pawn, do with me what you will."

"Oh Lord," Michael growled, standing to pick up the basin of water and place it on the floor.  All thoughts of her bath aside, he crawled up on the bed beside her and attacked her neck furiously.  She might be bedridden but she was far from being an invalid, and besides… having her resting in one place just made her more accessible, most decidedly a good thing.

~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, Michael was just stepping out of the shower when the phone ringing pierced the quiet of their apartment and he heard Maria's quiet murmurings into the receiver.

"They're here," she called as soon as she hung up.  "You better get dressed before Tess finds you!"

Laughing as he exited the bathroom, Michael dried his hair lightly with a towel as he walked towards the closet.  "I don't think she'd make a move with you in the room," he teased.

"You don't know Tess."

Rolling his eyes, Michael dressed quickly and planted a quick kiss on her lips before hurrying to answer the door when they knocked a few moments later.

"Ladies," he greeted them, stepping back to make room for them to pass.

"Michael," Liz said kindly.

"Centerfold," Tess added.

Ignoring the veiled compliment/insult, Michael pointed towards the hallway.  "Last door on the right," he instructed.

"How is she?" Liz asked, shooting him a sympathetic smile as she stepped in to give him a quick hug.

Deferring his discomfort at the gesture, Michael shrugged and smiled lightly.  "She's pretty good, a bit down, but…"

"Don't worry," Tess interrupted, stepping up to push Michael towards the door.  "We're here now, all is wondrous."  Grabbing his jacket from the closet, she thrust it into his hands as she twisted the door knob.  "Besides, don't you have somewhere to be," she prompted.

"But… I…" Michael stammered, stepping backwards awkwardly as Tess grabbed the first pair of shoes she found and shoved them into his hands.

"You look fine," she purred, answering the completely wrong question before shutting the door on his surprised face.

"Tess!" Liz squealed as the blonde turn to lean against the solid wood triumphantly.  "Maybe he wanted to say goodbye."

"He sees her 24/7," she responded mindlessly.

"Okay," Liz started, moving to follow Tess as she pushed off from the door to search for the bedroom.  "But do you have to tell him he's gorgeous every time you see him?"

"Chill, I'm just stroking his ego, it's harmless."

"Well, what does Kyle think?"

"Kyle doesn't care, besides, he gets stroked enough."

"Okay good," Liz said quickly, catching herself as she suddenly realized the exact meaning behind the other girl's words.  "Oh!" she exclaimed, pressing her hand to her mouth in complete shock.

Listening to their banter, Maria smiled as they entered, Tess ducking protectively while Liz continued to hit her over the head with her purse.

"You… are… the… worst!" she finished.

"And she knows it," Maria chimed in.

"Will you stop…" Tess mumbled, swatting her arms at Liz's continued beating before looking up to see Maria and stopping suddenly.  Liz collided with her back as the blonde's mouth dropped open and she stared at the room.  "Holy f-uck!" she exclaimed.  "Why didn't he set you up on a gymnastics mat?"

Glancing around her at the expansive king-sized bed she was displayed on, Maria shrugged helplessly, "He likes a lot of room?"

"I'll say.  Bet it came in handing for practicing back-flips!"

"Tess!"

Now it was both girls who expressed their disgust at the more forward among them, Tess just shrugging nonchalantly as she climbed up beside Maria on the bed.

"Whatever," she said casually.  "How are you?"

"Yes," Liz gasped, taking the open space on the other side of the bedridden girl before clasping her hands tightly around Maria's.  "I'm sorry I couldn't get to the hospital.  I went with Max on his business trip…"

"I know, I know," Maria said smiling.  "I knew where you were before it happened.  No big, really.  Besides, I had Big Bad Tess running interference for me."

"Oh, with Michael?  I heard.  Spill."

"Not much to spill, he just found out, freaked a little… honestly, wouldn't you?  I mean…"  Maria let her voice trail off as she watched Liz search her eyes.  "It… it was…" she stammered, struggling to express her true emotions even to her oldest friend.

"Unexpected?" Liz prompted.

"Yeah," Maria breathed.  "But oh God, so amazingly wonderful."

"Really?"

"Yes," Maria gushed, alternating between both girls as she retold the story for the hundredth time.  "I mean, it just doesn't happen, the chances…"

"One in a million," Tess mused quietly.

"In a million," Maria echoed.

Silent for a moment, Liz watched her best friend's face carefully, seeing no signs of trepidation at the news, only a contented peace with her new circumstances.

"You are really happy," she observed, no question implied in her words.

"I am," Maria said softly, her eyes wet as she reminisced about the revelation once again.

"Maria, that's…" Liz started, unable to finish as emotion choked her voice and she had to settle for leaning in to hug her best friend.

"Okay," Tess said loudly.  "Enough of the mushy-mush.  We have some toes to do and I don't plan on being here all day."

Laughing to cover her embarrassment, Liz pulled away from Maria to see that she also had tears dripping from her eyes.  "She just doesn't want to be here when Michael gets home," she explained.

"Oh, why?" Maria asked.

"No reason," Tess said firmly, shooting a deathly glare at Liz.

The brunette only shrugged, laughing as she watched Tess expertly change the subject into the perfect shade of pink to match Maria's flower print pajamas and sat back quietly to observe the scene before her.

She'd been there when Maria had first made this decision almost a year ago, watching as she struggled with finding a clinic, helping as she computed the inevitable costs, supporting her, albeit rather reluctantly at first, when she decided to go the free route.  And through all of the challenges, she'd watched as Maria somehow managed to choose a guy that her life was already intertwined with, or soon would be.  The chances… it just blew the top off her scientific brain.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Protesting that he was missing the opening minutes of what was arguably the most important non-playoff basketball game in history, Kyle yanked open the door to his house forcibly, almost losing his grip on the handle when he saw Michael standing there.

"She finally kick you out?"

"Why do I even bother?" Michael grumbled, shaking his head as he planted his feet firmly on the front step.

"What is it?" Kyle asked, in a slightly softer tone.

"Are you seriously still having a problem with this, because I'm sure Maria would make an exception and get out of bed to kick your a-ss."

Stepping back abruptly, Kyle silently signaled to Michael to enter his home.

Accepting the offer with the same verbal display, Michael stepped into the house he had visited only once before with Maria and looked around quickly as he felt his nerves bubble to the surface.

"So…" Kyle prodded, moving past him towards the kitchen.  "You want a beer?"

"Sure."

"Bud, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well we've only got Heineken," he continued, stepping back into the hallway holding two green bottles.

"My second fav," Michael replied coolly, accepting the offered beverage before following Kyle into the nearby living room.

He watched as Maria's brother retook his seat on the couch, settling back into the sports program while Michael stood by dumbly.  A full minute passed before he summoned the courage to walk across the room and hit the power switch.

"Hey!" Kyle exclaimed.  "I was watching that."

"Not any more."

"What do you…"

"Listen," Michael interrupted, taking a seat in a chair facing the sofa, staring down the slightly enraged man until he calmed slightly and sat back to take a long swig of his beer.  "I came because I wanted to ask you something."

"About…"

"About Maria."

Chewing his lip slowly, Michael felt his nerves once more rise up to tingle throughout his appendages and took a slow mouthful of his drink before settling his eyes back across the room.  "I just wanted to talk about what… what we just found out."

"Oh right, you fathering my niece or nephew before you even knew my sister.  I still haven't figured out how were going to explain that one to the family," Kyle muttered, thinking of the freak-out Amy Valenti would have when Maria tried to broach this subject with her.  "Just wait 'til you meet her mother, man," he continued, shaking his head as he cautioned Michael.  "You think Maria's a firecracker?"

"I can't wait," Michael replied softly.

Eyeing each other cautiously, the two men contemplated the new relationship building between them.  Kyle knew he'd have to accept Michael as part of his life now, and for a quick second, wondered why he'd ever had a problem with him anyway.  Michael on the other hand, sighed inwardly as he realized that while things seemed pretty good between him and Maria's family, there was yet another mountain to cross before he'd consider it smooth sailing.

"Uh, listen," Michael mumbled gruffly, smoothing his hands along his jeans to dispel the quick sweat that had broken out there.  "I'd like to ask you something, and if you could, I'd appreciate you keeping an open mind."

Kyle only narrowed his eyes at the man sitting before him, his new resolve to be nice fading quickly as his guard snapped back into place.

"Maria really looks up to you, as hard as that may physically be," Michael said, smirking as he watched the tips of Kyle's ears redden an extra shade.  "Sorry," he offered almost immediately, holding up his hand in a sign of peace as he cleared his throat and drummed up the nerve to state his true purpose to the man before him.  "I just… well, since it'd mean so much to her, and since I only want to do what makes her happy… I want to let you know that I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Kyle's expression darkened as he heard the true intent behind Michael's words.  "Why?  You weren't going to do it before?  What, you think she can't raise a child by herself?"

Gritting his teeth as he struggled to keep his boiling emotions in check, Michael paused before he formulated a response.  "Not true," he said slowly.  "I was actually going to ask her the night she ended up in the hospital, but Jo made a surprise appearance and sort of stalled things.  And it's not because I think she needs anyone, hell, I'm probably the one that needs her," Michael paused as he wondered if his words were having any effect on his potential brother-in-law.  "I love her… it's that simple."

Kyle stared stonily at the man before him, working his jaw as he contemplated the proposal Michael put forth.  "So you're like what… asking for my permission?"

"No, I'm telling you what I'm going to do."

The heavy silence continued for an indeterminate moment before a smile finally graced Kyle's features as he nodded and stood from his seat.  Uncurling one arm to extend a hand towards Michael, he hoped an apology was evident in his words as he offered, "That's decent man."

Michael matched the gesture, accepting the handshake with the relief that at least one obstacle had been taken care of; now he just had to do the easy part, ask Maria.

"So listen," he continued slowly, warily gauging Kyle's readiness to accept the new familial situation so quickly.  "About what I wanted to ask you…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Michael entered his bedroom a few hours later, Maria was sleeping quietly on the bed, her freshly painted toes glistening in the late afternoon sunlight that streamed across them.  Stopping just before her, he smiled as he stared down at her beauty, the delicate features he had fallen in love with before he ever knew her name, the swollen expanse of her stomach carrying their unborn child, the soft frown gracing her face as sleep locked her mind in the throes of some unknown misery.

"No more frowns," he whispered, dropping to her side to reach out and touch her face lightly.  "No more…"

Watching her slowly float up through the dreamscape layers as she returned to consciousness, he steeled himself for the evening he had planned, for the task he had already put off for four agonizing days.  Nerves popped in his stomach, sending rivulets of adrenaline tearing through his veins as he felt a light wave of nausea threaten his composure.  Sure that he would ruin the whole event with his fear, he watched as her eyes opened, two clear rays of shimmering love shooting out directly into his heart… and all fear ceased to exist.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning into capture her yawning lips laughingly.  "Good sleep?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured, closing her eyes as she purred and rolled to slide her cheek along the pillow.

"Good, cause we've got dinner plans."

"Dinner?" she questioned, her eyes popping open again.

"Yeah, courtesy of Vesuvio's."

"Oh, yummy!  But… I didn't think they delivered."

"They don't," he replied vaguely, standing from the bed as he moved across the room to the closet now housing her clothes.  "You want to get changed?"

"Into what?" she asked dumbly.  "I haven't been dressed in days."

"I know, all the more reason, think of it as a Wednesday night date, only on Sunday."

Laughing, Maria shook her head at her boyfriend, wondering what had gotten into him suddenly, but more than willing to play along if it meant Italian food for her.  "Fine, get my black pants and… and I think there's a green top there that I haven't worn yet, the lacy one."

"Okay, umm," Michael mumbled, staring blindly into the array of clothes that Tess had set up in the closet.  "I wouldn't exactly call her organized," he muttered, hearing Maria's giggle from somewhere behind him.  Eventually finding a green top with the tags still attached, he grabbed the first pair of black pants he saw and retreated from the closet.  "These?" he asked, holding them out to her.

"Yep, and I need a new bra, and underwear, and my make-up, and a brush…"

"We aren't actually going anywhere," he muttered, moving to the dresser to search through one of the new drawers devoted to her.  "This?" he asked, holding up a white bra that looked as though her entire head would fit in it.

"No!" Maria shrieked, laughing.  "That's a breast-feeding bra!"

"You mean…" Michael asked, staring at the contraption in his hands.  "They are going to…"

"Yes," she continued, laughing even harder.  "They will be that big," she confirmed.

"Score," he said softly, whistling beneath his breath as he turned back to the drawer and ignored Maria's audible sigh from behind him.

Searching a bit longer, he finally found a matching black bra and underwear set that met her approval and moved to gather the requisite items from the bathroom.  Dumping it all on the bed, he stared at the pile, shaking his head at what was required for her to get ready for an evening out—and she wasn't even leaving the bed!

"So, I'll help?" he offered.

"You will not," she scoffed.  "No offense, personally I'd love to have you dress me," she teased, reaching out to caress his hand softly as she offered him a smile.  "I want to surprise you, show you I can still be glamorous."

"Oh babe, you are glamorous now," he replied, leaning in to try to kiss her.

She stopped him, holding her top away from her body as she exclaimed, "In these?  I haven't changed in two days!  You haven't seen glam, Mr. CSG."

Shaking his head, Michael settled for pecking her on the cheek as he watched her already start to delve into the task in front of her.  Stepping back, he smiled as he closed the door behind him, leaning on it for a moment before looking up at the expectant faces of the three 'servers' for the evening staring at him

"It's a go," he said softly.  "Just give me a few minutes to throw up and I'll be ready."

Moving into the bathroom, Michael heard soft snickers from behind him as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.  'Will you marry me?'  The words looped through his brain as if he was afraid he'd forget them without repetition.

"It's not like you haven't said them before," he muttered roughly as he grimaced towards the mirror.  Boring holes into himself with reflected eyes, he worked his jaw as he inhaled deeply and blinked once, twice, finally closing his eyes against the memory of the last time he had prepared for this act.  Remembering that night, remembering the years it brought, the happiness, the sadness, the joy, and the utter devastation, he opened his eyes again slowly and met the newly resolved man standing before him.  That adventure stood out in such stark contrast to the one he faced now that he wanted to kick himself for even comparing the two.

This wasn't the same; this was new, this was different… this was right.

"No," he whispered.  "No I haven't."

It wasn't the first time he had asked someone to marry him, but it was the first time he had proposed.  Leaning heavily on the sink, he sighed and let his mind race with the exquisite possibilities the evening could bring; HTC was about to become Mrs. CSG—he couldn't wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Michael reentered the room twenty minutes later, Maria was sitting up against the wooden headboard, her pajamas discarded in favor of the sleek black pants, with expandable waistline of course, and lacy green top.  What she had failed to mention about the shirt she choose was its blatant transparency and Michael felt himself sway on his feet as he stared at the black bra peeking out between the eyelets of fabric.

"You look… glamorous," he said softly.

"Why thank you," she said, returning his smile generously.  "You clean up pretty good yourself."

"I try," he sighed dramatically, crossing the room to walk around the far side of the bed.  "You ready for dinner?" he asked as he crawled up to sit beside her.

Moving to extract one of the countless pillows from behind her back, Maria gestured for him to lean against it as she shot him a quizzical look.  "I am, but I still don't get how you are working this."

"You'll see," he said while winking at her, turning towards the door as he called, "Oh Jeeves."

Maria followed his gaze, a questioning look on her face before she saw the door creak open and a tuxedo-clad Kyle enter.  "Oh Lord!" she exclaimed.

"Madame, it will be my pleasure to be your serv… ah hell," he said abruptly, smirking as his lame attempt at a British accent failed miserably.  "I'll be looking after you, cool?" he asked, using his normal everyday brotherly voice.

"Oh yes," Maria giggled.  "That'll be fine."

"Right, so champagne?"

"Ah…"

"It's the fake stuff," Michael reassured her quietly.

"Well then please," she replied.

"Ladies!" Kyle called, turning to look into the hallway.

Maria didn't think she could contain her laughter when her two best friends entered the room, dressed in female versions of Kyle's suit.  "Oh now this is too much," she sighed as she watched Tess approach the bed carrying a silver bucket with the promised bottle of sparkling cider that she loved.

Liz followed behind her, placing two champagne flutes on Maria's bedside table before stepping back to allow Tess to pour.  Handing a glass to each of them, she could barely hide the grin threatening to split across her features as she watched her friend's enjoyment of the situation.

As the pair clinked glasses lightly and took their first step, Kyle stepped in to announce the evening's menu to them, reading the complicated list from a cheat sheet concealed in his hand.  "Tonight we will be offering an appetizer of baby Arugula and Radicchio with flakes of Pecorino cheese, followed by your entrée, grilled shrimp and scallops with wild mushrooms, roasted garlic, and green onions, in a Pernod cream sauce, served on a bed of linguini, capped off with a delectable chocolate soufflé with hand-picked cloudberry glaze."

"Oh please, you are making me hungry," Maria said, placing her hands on her stomach as she salivated for the awaited food.

"Very well, ladies," Kyle commanded again.

Maria giggled as she watched Tess and Liz bow simultaneously and back out of the room.  Looking at Michael, she smiled as she reached up to pull his face into hers.  "I can't believe you did all this," she whispered, tickling his lips with hers lightly before leaning in to fully give herself over to him.

"It was nothing," he replied breathlessly.

"No… it's everything," she said quietly, smiling as she stared into his eyes and said a silent thank you that he was ever placed on this earth to love her.

Their appetizers arrived a moment later, followed in rapid succession by the entrée and dessert.  Finishing the last bite of her soufflé, Maria leaned back into her pillows heavily and sighed contentedly.  "I don't think I have been that full since… well," she said thoughtfully.  "Since Wednesday I guess."

Smiling at Michael, she reached out to rub her thumb lightly over the back of his hand.  "Wednesday was a good day," she added.

"Yes it was," he confirmed, leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips before moving towards her stomach and paying equal attention to the newest member of their family residing there.  Resting his hand on her abdomen, he caressed her skin through the scant material and smiled as he stole the courage to ask his next question from the tiny baby.

Leaning his ear against her belly, he pretended to listen to a non-existent voice from deep within her before asking, "What's that?  You want me to ask your Mommy something?"

Looking up at Maria, he saw her smiling down at him, her eyes sparking with a questioning excitement as she watched him interact with their unborn child.  Turning back to her stomach, he rubbed it lightly.  "Okay," he murmured.  "You think she'll say yes?"

Waiting for a response only he heard, he smiled and stretched his arm along his side and into his pocket to clasp around the tiny velvet box once more holding the ring that would promise them to each other.  Pulling it out unseen by her, he kissed his baby once more and pushed off to stand up from the bed.

"Where are you…" she started, watching as he walked around the room to approach her from the other side of the large bed.  Questioning at first, she felt her breath catch in her throat as he stopped by her side, his right hand concealed behind his back before nervously clearing his throat and dropping to the floor… on one knee.

"Michael," she whispered, knowledge of what he was doubtlessly doing rushing into her without warning.

Grimacing through the nerves flooding his being, he reached out with his left hand to hold hers gently, brushing his thumb across her knuckles as he fought to keep the slim hold he kept on his resolve to push forward.  "I…" he started, smirking as he chewed his lip roughly and inhaled deeply to calm himself.  "I used to think I could come up with words to express how I felt if I just tried hard enough, but this… with you… not only do I have every emotion possible running through me," he said lamely, shaking his head as he realized he was babbling on without even remotely approaching his point.  "But you are like the Goddess of the Thesaurus… whatever I say is just…"

He stopped, staring at her hand instead of her eyes as he wondered when the agony would end and he would actually find it in himself to say what he meant.

Softly, without detaching her left hand from his, Maria raised her right to smooth along his cheek, her gesture soothing as she watched him raise his eyes to hers once more.  Her heart drummed against her rib cage as she saw a kaleidoscope of emotions play across his face.  Holding her breath, she watched as he seemed to take new strength from her and calm slightly, taking a deep breath as he continued.

"Maria," he started again softly.  "I never believed in fate, never really thought that our lives were already planned out for us and that we were just living them, until I met you," he offered, smiling as she squeezed his hand in reassurance.  "I think… I think now I know that there really is a destiny for everyone, and mine is with you."

"Michael," she whispered softly, tears that she didn't want to shed glistening in her eyes.

He felt his own chest constrict as he fought through the wave of emotion flooding him, looking away quickly as her gaze suddenly became too penetrating for him to stand.  "I…" he started, staking his head as he raised his eyes once more to her.  "I love you.  I think that maybe I always loved you, I just had to wait to find you."

Maria stared intently at the man she loved with all her heart as he placed his on display before her.  Breathing was no longer an option as she waited for him to finish his plea, unnecessary as it was as she already heard her answer to his unspoken question resounding through her head.

Slowly moving his arm out from behind him, Michael raised his hand towards her, the tiny box resting innocently in his palm.  Detaching his left hand from hers, he placed his fingers atop the lid, pulling it open against the slight creaking of miniature hinges.

Whatever breath was left in her lungs escaped her body as the sight of the platinum band with a solitary diamond perched precariously on its lip greeted her.  "Oh," she gasped softly, her eyes locked on the ring for an extended moment.

Not daring to take a breath himself, Michael waited until her gaze finally rose to meet his before he reached out and plucked the ring from its resting place between the ivory cushions.  Cradling it carefully between two fingers, he placed the box aside and reached for her left hand again, raising it gently with his own.  Moving the ring to hover over her finger, he cleared his throat before speaking.

Staring at her, his eyes dropped for a quick moment as the gravity of what he was about to do washed over him.  Grinning as he realized how wonderful gravity could feel, he looked up to securely catch her gaze as he continued, "Will you marry me?"

Tears begging to fall, she blinked rapidly as she stared into the depths of his amber eyes and felt every emotion he wrestled with pass through her.  Glancing down at the band poised above her finger, she felt an instant rush of belonging surge through her.  This was right, perfect… destined.  "I… I…" she stammered, smiling softly as she raised her eyes to his again. "Yes."

Trembling, Michael repeated her response weakly, "Yes?"

"Yes!" she said more firmly, lowering her eyes to her hand as she silently urged him to place the ring on her finger.  "Oh God," she gushed, watching it melt into her hand seamlessly.  "It's beautiful!"

"You're beautiful," he replied, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze with his free hand.  "I love you," he whispered, leaning in to place his lips delicately upon hers, pouring the overflowing joy and lingering nerves into the gesture as she returned it with full force.

"I love you," she responded in kind, finally detaching her hand from his as she wrapped her arms around his neck firmly.  Feeling his body quiver within her hold, she let her tears fall free, crying in front of him for the second time that day, this time not of sadness, but of indescribable bliss.