"Well, that IS what your father did to me the first time he called me his donkey!" Porter protested.
Clay slowly sitting up, eyeing Sarah, not sure he should get to his feet, suggested to his mother, "Maybe you should tell them the whole story before AJ rearranges my face. After Paraguay it's only being held together with bondo and bailing wire."
Porter suggested that they should all sit down to hear the story. Once it had been explained that Neville had sent her flowers with a mistaken Russian translation, everyone had a good laugh and they began to discuss plans for the wedding.
A knock at the door interrupted them and Porter moved to open the door. The hotel had sent up their florist with the flowers she had special ordered before leaving home and one of its shop owners with many things for the bride-to-be to choose from for her special day. Little did Sarah and Clay know, but Clay's college buddy had instructed the vendors not to accept payment from them. The hotel would pick up the tab on this one, as a way of wishing them the best of luck in the future.
As the shop owner laid out the selections for Sarah, Porter turned to Clay and handed him a ring box. "I had it cleaned and sized just like you asked, son."
"Thank you, mother," Clay said taking the box from his mother. He turned, walked over to Sarah, and going down on one knee reached out for her left hand.
Sarah looked down, a bit startled, at him until she saw the ring box in his hand and realized what he was about to do.
"Sarah, I have loved you for so long, and I never dared to dream that this day would come," he said taking the ring out of the box and then slipped it on her finger, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Never truly comfortable in overly romantic moments, Sarah didn't really know how to react, especially since AJ and Porter were in the room with them. So she retreated back to her usual response when confronted with an uncomfortable situation, sarcasm. "Well…I thought that WAS what we were here for, Clay,"
"Mac, have pity on the man and answer him," AJ said.
Realizing that she really was safe in this loving environment, Sarah's eyes softened as she looked at the man on his knee waiting patiently for her answer. Going down onto her knees in front of him she looked deeply into his eyes and said, "I want nothing more than to be your wife, and to share my life with you."
Drawing her into his arms, Clay kissed her reverently. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into his embrace. It took AJ's not-so-discreet cough to bring them back into the room.
When they were again on their feet, Porter said to Sarah, "My dear, before you start choosing everything, I wanted to give you something I brought for your special day. I know you'll be getting many new things, so that will be covered. This can be your something old, something borrowed, and something blue, all in one." She handed Sarah a white handkerchief with navy blue embroidery on it.
There were three initials in fancy script in one corner and as Sarah turned the handkerchief to read them, AJ exclaimed, "What are you doing with my handkerchief!"
"I don't know what you mean, AJ," Porter said confused, "I've had that handkerchief for over thirty years."
Reaching in his back pocket, AJ pulled out a handkerchief that was an exact match to the one Sarah was holding in her hand.
"How could that be? Dad brought that handkerchief home from Vietnam," asked Clay.
"He got it from the SEAL that saved his life. He used it as a tourniquet when Neville was shot in the leg." Looking up at AJ, Porter asked, "You were a SEAL weren't you? You were the one that saved his life?"
"Oh my God…my sister was named after you!" Clay exclaimed.
"I didn't know you had a sister," Sarah interjected.
"I never told him my name, how could that be?" asked AJ.
"They didn't actually name her after you, they named her using the initials on the handkerchief," replied Clay.
"Why haven't I met your sister, Clay?" asked Mac.
To be continued…