Chapter Two
Keefe had lots of time, so he went back to the past. Specifically, last week. Edaline and Foster went shopping in Atlantis, so he'd gone over to Havenfield to askーno, begーGrady for his blessing. He knew that Grady greatly disapproved of Sokeefe. He would prefer Sophitz or Sodex. Of course he knew. Foster had told him that after the incident where he "betrayed" his friends and left to join the Neverseen, Grady had called him "That Boy."
*Flashback*
He walked into Havenfield. He had arrived before Foster and Edaline, so he hid until they were gone. Once they had leaped away, he'd entered. One of the gnomes had alerted Grady to his being there, so he was sitting in the entryway, with a steely look in his eyes. Keefe gulped. This was not going to be easy. But he'd always known that, hadn't he? Duh.
"Hello, Lord Ruewen."
Grady nodded.
"Um, I came here to, umー" He mentally rehearsed what he was going to say. "I came here to ask for your blessing if I was to marry FosーSophie, I mean."
Grady glared at him harder. He appeared to be thinking it over. Keefe was starting to sweat. It was as though Grady was taking extra long just to make him nervous.
"Well," he said, making Keefe jump, "I've very carefully thought this over, and I'm saying this against my better judgment. I see how happy Sophie is around you. I remember how sad she was after she'd turned down Fitz. And you healed her. You made her happy again, made her the Sophie she once was. So, still against my better judgment, you have my blessing to marry her, and treat her right, boy!"
Keefe was so relieved. "Thank you so much, Lord Ruー"
"If I'm going to be your father-in-law," he said the word like it was cooked animal, "you're going to call me Grady."
"Sure thing. I am so happy. Thankyouthankyouthankyou. I'll, um, leave you to do whatever you do when Sophie and Edaline are gone. Goodbye."
And he walked out the front doors and leaped back to Candleshade.
*Present time*
Keefe's mind drifted to when Fitz proposed to Foster. She had turned him down flat, saying that he wasn't letting her be independent enough; that by not protecting her, he was protecting her. Sometimes Fitz could be just UGGH.
Keefe's Imparter buzzed, and he accepted the call. (I don't actually know how they do the "Imparter thing" so I'm improvising.)
"Wassup, Foster?"
Sophie rolled her eyes. "I'm just wanted to tell you that Grady and Edaline want me to help out with the new flaredon, so I'll be a little bit late."
"Sure. And I got something special planned, so don't take too long!"
"Okay. Love you; bye!" Her image winked out.
Keefe started wondering how to propose. Humorously, emotionally, seriously? He decided on a multi-step proposal. First, tell Foster how much she meant to him and how much he loved her. Second, say, "I don't want you to be Foster to me anymore." Then he would bend down on one knee and say, "I want you to be my wife."
And then she would faint because he was so awesome and hot and she was tire of waiting for him to ask her. Then they would have a big wedding with no Lord Cassy-grumpy-pants.
He decided to stop making plans for the future and make sure there was one. He stepped onto the vortinator and went to the leapmaster, and called out "Crystalline Lake!"