Chapter 197

I'm steady as rain, nothing ever changes in my heart.

"I can't believe they banished us," Alexis said as she carried two steaming mugs of tea to the table.

"I know!" Robin agreed. "I think they're just afraid we're going to see how colossally bad they are at assembling furniture and that we would laugh at them."

"We would never laugh at them," Alexis remarked.

Robin shook her head. "No, we wouldn't. We would point AND laugh."

"Exactly!"

Both women dissolved into a fit of giggles as they sat around the kitchen table. Patrick had asked for Eric's assistance to assemble the crib and change table in the nursery but insisted that Robin not watch. All offers of help or guidance from the two women were summarily rejected and so they retreated to the safety of the kitchen to wait for an invitation to see the finished product.

Robin looked at the pile of bridal magazines that Brenda had sent from Rome and took a deep breath. She had been engaged less than two weeks and already was being inundated with wedding suggestions from friends and colleagues.

"I'm tempted to tell Patrick we should elope in Vegas."

Alexis smiled. "And deny Brenda the opportunity to stage the wedding of the century? You're a brave one."

Nodding, Robin took a sip from her mug. "That's what I'm afraid of – I don't want the wedding of the century. I want the wedding to be meaningful and special. We've worked really hard to get here and what we have with each other is so incredibly exceptional that I don't want that to get lost in the hoopla of doves being released, balloon arches or a train that rivals Princess Diana's in length."

"Then I think that's what you tell people" she urged. "The day belongs to you and Patrick and it should be the day you want, not the day that every one else wants you to have."

"See – you're rational about this, what's wrong with everyone else? Maxie called and asked what kind of bachelorette party I wanted and how many strippers she should hire."

"Ewww," she replied, crinkling her nose.

"Exactly. This is why Vegas seems like a good option."

"You'd hate Vegas. You want the pretty white dress and you want the party, you just want it on your terms and there's nothing wrong with that."

Laughing, she nodded her head. "You're a good friend."

Noticing Robin rubbing her belly, Alexis smiled. "How is Lamaze class going?"

"Well, I take it as a good sign that after two birthing films, Patrick still hasn't passed out."

"He's going to be a great coach."

"He really is," she agreed softly. "I'm incredibly blessed Alexis."

They had run through, with Kelly, all the options available to them for labour and delivery and Patrick told her no matter what she wanted to do, he would support her. She had weighed the possibilities between a c-section and natural childbirth and while she was fully aware that vaginal delivery was the standard for someone with her profile, there was a small part of her that still worried. Lying in bed one night, wrapped in each other's arms, they had talked it through and Robin admitted that she wanted the opportunity to deliver her baby – she wanted to experience all of it – for better or for worse. The decision made, they immediately signed up for Lamaze classes.

She was amused at how seriously Patrick was taking the classes. He came to every class with a list of new questions and nearly drove the instructor to the point of exasperation with his need for explanations. Recognizing what was driving him, Robin reassured him there was simply no way he could fail her or their child and once she did so, he seemed to relax a little.

"This little one is going to be here before we know it."

"Have you picked out names?"

"Yes," she smiled happily. "We have a boy's name and a girl's name so I think we're ready."

"Any chance I can get a hint?" she asked teasingly.

Robin shook her head. "Not a chance. Patrick and I promised we wouldn't share with anyone until after the baby is born." Taking another drink of her tea, she cast a curious glance at her friend. "Speaking of sharing, how are things with Eric?"

The smile on Alexis' face was unmistakable. "Really good."

"You seem….peaceful," she observed. "Or at least as peaceful as you can get."

Knowing it was true, Alexis laughed. "While no one will ever accuse me of being serene, I am pretty happy. I've never…I've never been with someone who owns their crap the way he does – good or bad – and that has changed me, for the better I think."

Raising her mug, she clinked it against Alexis'. "Here's to us finding the men we deserve."

****
"Did you throw the instructions out?" Eric asked, looking at the crib pieces spread all over the floor.

"We don't need instructions," he replied confidently. "God Smitty, we're neurosurgeons! We put the brain back together."

"We do," he agreed. "Though I've never put a crib together and I was thinking some instructions would have been helpful."

"Smartass" he muttered, reaching for the screwdriver.

"Not just my ass that's smart," he shot back.

"You must be feeling better if you're snarking. How are things with Alexis?"

Grabbing hold of the railing and propping it up, Eric smiled. "Really good."

"Heard from Karen lately?" The murderous tone in his voice did not go unnoticed by his friend.

"Nope, not a peep and it would seem in all the chaos I've lost her address and phone number."

Casting a sly look in his friend's direction, he gave him a small smile. "Good."

"So, uh, listen…..I…..I'm going to ask her to marry me."

The screwdriver clanged against the hardwood as it slipped from Patrick's hand. "Alexis?"

"No, Karen," he deadpanned. "Are we sure you don't have a concussion?"

Sitting back on his heels, Patrick looked at Eric carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Patrick, I have never been as sure of anything in my life."

"I'm happy for you," he told him sincerely. "Really happy for you."

"Thanks," he replied, the apples of his cheek flushing slightly. "I wanted to get you a card that said 'thanks for having a meningioma and for being such an ass about it that you forced me to treat you otherwise I never would have met the woman I've fallen in love with' but apparently Hallmark doesn't make those, so I'll just say thanks."

With an exaggerated sigh, he rolled his eyes. "So long as you were able to benefit from my life threatening illness then it was all worthwhile."

Eric picked up a small baby pillow and chucked it at his head. "Now are we going to get this built, or what?"

Holding out his hand, Patrick called for the screw. "When are you going to ask her?"

"Tonight"

"Do you have a ring?"

Eric groaned. "Am I supposed to? I thought I could just give her my class pin."

"Jerk" Patrick shot back as they assembled the second railing.

"Asshole"

"Yeah, well, I'm Robin's asshole and that's all that matters."

"Are you going to continue to wax poetically on your love life or are we building this?" he laughed.

The two men worked side by side and after a few false starts finally managed to assemble the crib and the change table. They placed them in the room as Robin had suggested and then stood back to admire their work. For Patrick, the complete nursery seemed like one final confirmation that his life was moving in the direction it was meant to be going in. It was not lost on him, how close he came to never having this moment, or any of these moments. He looked to Eric and smiled; his friend had been his one constant in his life for so long and played a large role in getting him to where he was.

"Hey Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks"

Eric furrowed his brow. "It was just a crib and a change table"

Patrick shook his head. "For everything. For being my friend even when I made it hard and for saving my life."

Looking at his friend, Eric gave him an appreciative smile. "You've done the same for me and you're welcome."

"Awww," Robin called from the doorway, "look Alexis, they're having a moment."

"I've heard those pregnancy hormones can be catching."

The two men turned and glared at their respective partners as the women laughed loudly. Robin crossed the room, sliding her arms around Patrick's waist and hugging him tightly.

"This really feels like home," she beamed. "We're home."

****
Curled on the couch, wrapped in Eric's arms, Alexis moaned as he softly kissed her neck. He whispered tiny kisses over her ear and down to her shoulder.

"You're not even watching the movie" she chided him breathlessly.

Undeterred, he continued to kiss her. "Trust me, what I'm doing is soooo much better than the movie."

Tilting her head to the side, Alexis melted further against him, awash in his affections. "You're very distracting."

"I don't know," he replied teasingly. "You're the one who keeps telling me what a superior multitasker you are, are you saying you can't concentrate on two things at once."

"I hate you" she moaned. She turned to focus her attention fully on him but her efforts were distracted by the microwave dinging from the kitchen.

"Popcorn's ready," Eric said, getting quickly to his feet, leaving a frustrated Alexis in his wake.

Returning from the kitchen with a large bowl in hand, he settled in behind her before putting the bowl on her lap. Alexis blindly reached for her favourite snack, stopping only when her hand landed on something that bore no resemblance to popcorn. Looking down, she started to tremble as she saw a black velvet box sitting on top of a bed of popcorn.

Turning her head slowly, she looked at her boyfriend. "Wh-what is that?" she asked.

Grinning, he shrugged. "I'm no genius, I mean I'm only a neurosurgeon but I'm pretty sure they call it a box."

"Eric-"

Nuzzling her neck, he whispered against her ear, "Open it."

With tremulous hands she pried the box open and gasped loudly at the oval cut ruby set against a platinum band; there was no mistaking what the ring was. Turning in her seat, she faced him, holding the box in her hands.

"This looks like a ring and it's a beautiful ring but I'm not sure that you should feel like you have to give this to me, I mean this is a big step or at least I think it's a big step. I suppose I should let you tell me what the ring is before I assume anything because I'm assuming it's something and it could just be something else and then I'm going to feel foolish – well more foolish than I already feel which when you consider that in the grand scheme of things, it's hard to imagine me feeling more foolish but I think I'm getting there and well-"

Amused, Eric leaned in and silenced her with a kiss. "Breathe" he told her against her mouth. "And then breathe again."

Alexis took one ragged breath after another, her eyes locked on his and she waited.

Seeing her quiet and somewhat calmer, he began. "Alexis, I have spent a lot of time lately focused on what I don't have and what I have lost and that has blocked my view of what I do have. And what I have is you – which is a gift greater than I could have imagined. Your total acceptance of me and everything I come with has been the most amazing thing to happen to me. I love you. I love you with everything I have and I want to be family with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to simple and sexy and blissfully happy with you."

"Eric," she said, an air of disbelief in her tone, "what are you saying?"

"I'm saying when I think of my life, I think of you and how much better it is with you in it. I think of falling asleep with you in my arms and waking up the same way – I think of building a future with you. What I'm saying – what I'm asking is – will you marry me?"

Large, happy tears tumbled down her cheeks. She had not needed a marriage proposal – she was confident in their relationship but to hear him declare his love so freely – in a way no other man in her life had ever done – filled her heart to the brim. Swiping at her tears, she nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you."