Day 287
"Alphonse you are huge." Cosima pets the fluffy tuxedo cat, scratching him behind his ears. He is easily bigger than his mother already. And certainly ate enough premium cat food to show it. Kiki was snoozing on the couch and it seemed almost normal.
"He is not fat. He is… very fluffy. Volumineux peut-être. Mais il est beau! " Delphine counters, her voice ringing out from the bathroom. Delphine had gotten a couple stupidly expensive collars. Alphonse's even had a bowtie. It made the cats look even more spoiled than reality. She glances around at the large carpeted cat condo and the rounded cat shelves Delphine had insisted on installing above their couch. It's official, they were cat ladies now. The cats even had wrapped Christmas presents. It was all kind of weird.
"He is." Cosima looks at the half-grown cat. She suspects he is going to be a rather large cat. Delphine was right, he was both bulky and large. She wondered what the vet would think of him next time they were in. If Alphonse was simply fat or if Kiki had been slutting around with a Maine Coon and they were going to end up with a 20 pound cat. Either way, since both cats were now sterilized with their vaccines up to date it wasn't like they'd be bringing either cat back any time soon.
Cosima looks over the kitchen. Delphine had spent all day making her a few dishes, trying to make Christmas Eve special, even in lockdown. They'd put on music, instrumental covers of Christmas carols. And tried to make something of this.
"Full provincial lockdown." Cosima comments glumly. They knew it was coming. Everyone did. Felix had left and gone to stay with his mom and sister, probably wise. Cosima thinks. To have the company.
"At least there is a vaccine, chérie." Delphine points out. "And it looks very promising." They start dinner. And perhaps it is ridiculous for two of them, cloth napkins and prosecco and a meal made specially for tonight.
"And neither of us will be eligible to receive it until what, late spring? Summer? Whenever low risk adults in their 20s and 30s are up for it." Cosima estimates based on the prioritization schema they'd seen. They weren't elderly, or healthcare workers, or essential service providers. They were far down the list.
"At least." Delphine looks up, running some sort of calculations in her head. "That is my best guess anyway."
"I guess we might as well jump when we get the chance. I know you want to go home… visit France. Take me to Lille, and Paris…" Cosima drones on, regarding her girlfriend affectionately. That has been the dream. They'd managed to socialize outside, during the summer and early fall. She managed to introduce Delphine to a few of her friends and accidentally two of her exes. And it had gone well. Being able to go the France, to see where Delphine was from. That appealed immensely.
"I want to do that. Hopefully we can in the summer." Delphine tells her wistfully. "So what do you want to watch tonight?"
"Something Christmasy." Cosima offers between bites of garlic mash potatoes and barbecue tempeh. At least dinner was a hit.
"What did your family watch?" Delphine asks.
"What did yours?" Cosima counters
"We went to mass and then ate a ridiculous amount of food." Delphine mumbles, cuddling into her girlfriend.
"Are you up for It's a Wonderful Life or Muppets Christmas Carol?" Cosima asks.
"You choose, ma chérie." Delphine lays a soft kiss against the curve of her ear.
"Let's go with Muppets." Cosima giggles, snuggling into her girlfriend on the couch.
They both enjoy the silliness of the movie more than they want to admit at first, but finally when the credits are rolling Delphine shifts, throwing off the cozy red throw blanket.
"What is it?" Cosima stretches on the couch, giggly at the sight of her girlfriend on all fours approaching the Christmas tree. She looks up to find Kiki snoozing on one of the above couch perches. It feels good, almost normal considering. Christmas Eve with Delphine. She wonders just how many years this feeling will last. Wonders if the isolation has intensified their bond as well as their courtship.
"I have a surprise for you." Delphine speaks very slowly, moving towards the two far-too-expensive stockings she'd laid under their small artificial pre-lit tree. They hadn't had many ornaments. Cosima hadn't had much use for Christmas since she'd outgrown believing in Santa Claus and her family had done little more than mail a gift every year since she'd moved out.
"What is it?" Cosima tilts her head playfully. Delphine had outdone herself. For whatever reasons she couldn't be entirely sure.
"It is a surprise." Delphine informs her continuing to dig for whatever she is after.
"It's not Christmas Day yet." Cosima teases, as Delphine shoves her hand into the stocking to produce a small ring box.
"Cosima…" Delphine breathes, dropping to one knee next to the couch. Suddenly it becomes far too clear what is happening. Her heart skips a beat and she is taken aback. She wasn't expecting this. Couldn't have anticipated this. When the hell did Delphine find time to buy a ring?!
"Oh… oh wow. Umm holy shit." Cosima blinks. The ring box opens, the ring has a round cut ruby flanked by two tiny diamonds. The band is yellow gold. "Is this… what I think it is?"
"Will you marry me?" Delphine asks softly. "I… I know it's soon… but the last nine months have been the best of my life… I have you! And… I need to…"
"Yes." Cosima's mind runs a mile a minute but she needs to get that answer out. "Yes. The answer is yes. I will marry you, Delphine." There cannot be any other answer. This… this was always going to happen, Cosima rationalizes. Sooner or later, she would have married Delphine. She knows it in her soul. Knows it deeply.
She's wrapped up in Delphine's long arms near instant. Kissed deeply before she's even had a chance to put the ring on. Holy shit. Cosima thinks to herself on repeat. Holy shit.
"I want everyone to know what you mean to me." Delphine tells her when they pull apart. "I don't want anyone to think I am not serious. I want you to know. I want everyone to know."
"You blew the budget." Cosima laughs finally, looking down at the ring which mysteriously fits her finger near perfectly.
"It's… it's not a Christmas present really. I kept in budget with your presents." Delphine promises. "This is extra."
"So… I will have to propose to you later." Cosima decides. Surely they should both get to. Maybe it could even be fun. Though she has every intention of making Delphine wait a while.
"What? No!" Delphine objects. "I already proposed to you. It's done."
"Says who?" Cosima counters. "There are no rules. Plus… you should get one too." Cosima admires the ring. It is pretty perfect. Pretty amazing. And she can picture it on her hand for a long time.
"Alright. I'll be waiting." Delphine smiles at her, leaning in for another kiss.