Linna and Josh's present time
"And that's how it all started." Ayame said and finished her beer.
Linna sat silently thinking over the story she was just told.
"Mom I know you don't approve of this but I really do love Lilly." Ayame said.
"No its ok." Linna said. "I've known for eight months now but its just a little shocking."
"Well if that's a shock this is gonna kill you." Ayame said and walked into her room.
Linn's face was blank when Ayame walked back into the living room.
"What can be more shocking then finding out you're a lesbian?" Linna asked.
"This." Ayame said and showed Linna and Josh a small diamond ring. "I've been saving for this for the past two months."
"Oh my god is this what I think this is?" Linna asked.
"I'm gonna ask her to marry me." Ayame said.
"Are you sure about this?" Linna said sounding worried.
"I'm very sure." Ayame said with a smile.
Linna sat with a worried expression for a moment then it turned to a smile. Linna stood up and hugged Ayame.
"I wish you the best." Linna said starting to cry.
"Are you crying because your happy or sad?" Ayame asked.
"I'm happy." Linna cried. "Your in love enough to want to get married."
Josh was sitting on the couch smiling form ear to ear.
"Well?" Linna asked looking back at him.
"I didn't want to interrupt." Josh said and stood up and hugged both of them.
"I just hope she'll say yes." Ayame said with fear setting in.
"She will." Josh said.
"It scars the hell out of me." Ayame said.
"You should have seem me purpose to your mother." Josh said. "I had to have all our friends there with me so I wouldn't back out."
"And so I'd say yes." Linna joked.
"And so you'd say yes." Josh laughed.
"I don't even know what to say." Ayame said sitting on the couch.
"Well when are you planning to ask her?" Linna asked.
"Wednesday night." Ayame said. "We have a date and I'm planning to ask her at dinner."
"Well you have five days to think of something." Josh said and got three more beers.
"I'm gonna go to bed my arm is starting to hurt." Ayame said.
"Good night." Josh and Linna said as Ayame walked down the hallway.
Ayame changed into her nightgown and got into bed.
'I really hope she says yes.' She thought and fell asleep.
Linna and Josh sat on the couch drinking beer and talking about all that has happened today for almost three more hours. After they were too drunk to talk anymore they stumbled into the bedroom and fell asleep with their clothes on.
Five days later
Ayame stepped back from the mirror and did a spin letting her red dress spin around her. She dabbed her favorites perfume on her neck and walked into the living room.
"Wow." Josh said.
"Your gonna kill her dressing like that." Linna laughed.
"I'm hopping to it will help her to say yes." Ayame said.
"Ayame." Josh said. "If she really loves you she'd say yes if you were warring Jens and a T-shirt."
"Yea I know." Ayame said. "I'm just nerves."
Ayame and Linna were going through some jewelry when Lilly knocked on the door.
"Oh my God she's here." Ayame said and went white.
"Just act normal or she'll know something is up." Linna said as they walked in to the living room.
Josh had let Lilly in and they were standing in the kitchen talking about the plans for the night. Josh had a big smile on his face when Ayame and Linna walked in. He went straight faced before either saw him.
"Wow you look great." Lilly said and gave her a hug.
"Thanks you to." Ayame said.
Lilly was dressed in a blue skirt with a white top. Josh laughed when they hugged.
"I don't know if I should smile or salute you." He said. "Oh hell I'll do both." With a smile on his face he snapped a salute to the two young women.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ayame asked.
"Red white and blue." Josh said.
"That was unintentional." Lilly said and smiled. "Ok let's go."
"Oh and don't wait up for me." Ayame said as they walked out.
"Oh this is gonna be good." Josh said as soon as the door was closed.
"What are you talking about?" Linna asked.
"Lilly is planning to propose to Ayame tonight." Josh laughed.
"Wanna spy on them?" Linna asked with a evil look.
"Oh hell yea I do." Josh said and smiled.
They ran down the hall and into the bedroom and changed into all black clothes and ran out the door.
"Luckily I asked where they were going." Josh said as he jumped into the car.
Ayame and Lilly we in Priss's car and driving to the Tokyo bay restaurant and bar. Both of them were silent the whole ride there thinking of how they were gonna propose. Lilly had Priss's words running through her head as they pulled into the parking lot.
"If she says yes your whole life is gonna change. Are you sure your ready for that?" Priss asked.
'Yea I'm sure.' Lilly told herself as she looked at Ayame.
They pulled right up to the restaurant and got out.
"I hope they have good food." Ayame said trying to act normal.
'Good she has no idea.' Lilly thought. "I hop they do too or I'm gonna get me a cheese burger."
'She's completely oblivious perfect.' Ayame thought. "I'll go with you."
They walked in and were taken to the table Ayame had reserved for them and handed a menu.
Linna and Josh pulled into the driveway right about the time Ayame and Lilly were sitting at the table.
"There's the car." Linna said.
"Ok let's park in the back of the parking lot." Josh said and turned around.
They found a spot in the back corner and got out. They walked rather quickly up to the restaurant and walked in.
"Good evening two for dinner?" The waiter asked.
"Yes." Linna said. "Umm can I make a request?"
"Certainly." The waiter replied.
"Two young women entered a few minutes ago one warring red and the other white and blue." Linna said. "We'd like to be seated so we can see them but they can't see us."
"Do you know them?" The waiter asked.
"The one in red is our daughter." Linna said. "She is gonna propose to the other girl and we found out the other girl is gonna do the same and we had to watch."
"Very well I know of a perfect spot." The waited said and walked them to a table with a plant separating them.
Ayame and Lilly were on one side of the plant and Josh and Linna were on the other listening.
"So how is work going?" Ayame asked.
"Training as hard as ever." Lilly said. "Mr. Mason wants up to be better by the next time the knight sabers attack."
"Sound's like fun." Ayame said.
There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted for almost a minute. The waiter walked up with some apaticers and set the plate on the table.
"Have you decided?" He asked.
"Umm yea I'll have the Fish and Chips with a beer please." Lilly said.
"I'll have the same." Ayame said and handed him the menu.
"I will return with that in a few moments." The waiter said and walked away.
The silence continued.
"This isn't good." Linna whispered.
"It's ok I wasn't talking either." Josh said.
"They better start talking soon or their gonna back out." Linna said.
"What's the chance of both of them backing out?" Josh asked.
"Well not good but still its possible." Linna said.
"Umm." Lilly said.
"Umm what?" Ayame asked getting jumpy.
"Nothing." Lilly said and patted the ring in her pocket. 'I can't do this.' She thought.
'I need to do something or I'm gonna chicken out.' Ayame thought. "Umm Lilly." She said reaching into her pocket.
"This is it." Linna squeaked.
"Yea?" Lilly asked looking up at her.
"You know I love you right." Ayame said as she pulled out the ring.
"I love you too." Lilly said starting to get suspicious.
"Well I have a question I want to ask you." Ayame said.
Linna was almost jumping out of her chair listening to them.
"What?" Lilly asked.
"This is the hardest question I've ever had." Ayame smiled.
"Don't make me wait." Lilly said guessing the question.
"No never mind." Ayame said and put the ring back in her pocket.
"Ok that's it." Linna said and took out her phone.
"What are you doing?" Josh asked.
"Giving her a nudge in the right direction." Linna said as she dialed.
Ayame was trying to think of the words when her cell phone rang.
'Oh saved by the bell.' She thought and reached into her purse.
"Hello." She said.
"Coward." Linna said.
"What are you talking about?" Ayame asked.
"We're sitting behind the plant that's next to you." Linna said.
"You're kidding." Ayame said looking at the plant.
"Trust me on this just ask." Linna said and hung up.
"Who was that?" Lilly asked.
"Someone I have to kill." Ayame said.
Ayame let out a sigh and stood up.
"What's up?" Lilly asked.
"Nothing." Ayame said reaching in her pocket. "The question I want to ask you will change my life forever." She said and walked over to Lilly.
She took Lilly by the hand and got down on one knee.
"Are you doing what I think your doing?" Lilly asked.
"Lilly Hope McNickle." Ayame said pulling out the ring. "Will you marry me?"
Lilly couldn't believe she was spared from asking her.
"I." Lilly said. "Yes yes I will." She blurted out making many of the people in the room look at them.
Ayame put the ring on her finger and hugged her.
"Now I really love you." She said with a sob.
"I have only one condition." Lilly said.
"Name it." Ayame said leaning back.
"Well now that you asked its not gonna be the same but." Lilly said and pulled the ring from her pocket.
"Oh I don't believe it." Ayame said and smiled.
Lilly took Ayame's hand and slipped the ring on.
"I was gonna ask you but I chickened out." She said.
"Well I'm glad one of us could." Ayame said and kissed her then sat in her seat again.
Linna was about to tip her chair over with excitement. Ayame leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"I did it now go home." She said.
"What?!" Lilly asked.
"We're not leaving yet but we'll go to the other side." Linna said from the other side of the plant.
"Oh I see." Lilly laughed.
"It was her idea." Josh said throwing Linna to the wolves.
"You went along." Linna said as they stood up."
The waiter walked up to Ayame and Lilly's table with a bottle of their best Champaign and two glasses.
"We didn't order this." Lilly said.
"It's from the couple over there." The waiter said and pointed to two women in the corner.
"Hey it's Sue Ann and Ayekwon." Ayame said and waved.
"Let's go say hi." Lilly said was stood up.
Would you like me to get some more glasses?" The waiter asked.
"Yes please." Lilly said and walked over to them. "So what are you two doing here?"
"We're out on our first date." Sue Ann said.
"Oh really?" Lilly laughed. "And from the way you acted the other day on the bus I thought you were afraid of lesbians."
"No not at all." Sue Ann said. "I was trying to get the courage up to ask Ayekwon out."
"Congratulation's you two." Ayekwon said.
"Thanks." Ayame said and smiled.
The waiter walked up with two more glasses and poured the champagne and set the bottle down.
"Your dinner is ready." He said.
"Thank you." Ayame said.
Sue Ann raised her glass.
"To the two of you. May your life's together be filled with happiness." She said.
"Here here." Ayekwon said and raised her glass.
"And here's the the two of you." Lilly said. "May you be as happy together as we have been."
"I'll drink to that." Ayame said and raised her glass.
They all tapped their glasses and drank to each other. Lilly and Ayame walked back to their table carrying the bottle and sat down. Their dinners were sitting on the table waiting for them and they began eating.
"Oh man that was good." Ayame said leaning back.
"What was better the food or the champagne?" Lilly asked.
"Equally as good." Ayame said.
"I see Sue Ann and Ayekwon left." Lilly said.
"Humm I guess so." Ayame said.
"So my bride to be where to next?" Lilly asked.
"I'm up for anything." Ayame said.
"Your house or mine?" Lilly asked with a smile.
"Mine." Ayame said and stood up.
She walked across the room to where her parents were sitting.
"Congratulations." Josh said as she walked up.
"Stay out for a few hours." Ayame said and walked away.
"Dooon't worry." Josh said and shuttered.
"Are you ready?" Ayame asked walking up to Lilly who was paying the bill.
"Yea let's go." Lilly said and they walked out of the restaurant hand in hand side by side and heart to heart.