AN: does anyone read these notes? I hope you're still enjoying this, this is more than I wrote for my English coursework jeez! Anyway I feel this one may be a bit dire as it has literally come straight from my head. (sorry). Also I can't help feeling that some of my northern-ness is slightly rubbing off on how they speak?

9. An honest woman.

Tom sat at his desk in front of his year 8 English class, teaching similes and metaphors. 'a simile', he had explained 'is when something is as or like another thing, where as a metaphor is when a writer writes about something as though it is another thing'.

The students were now in groups coming up with their own similes and metaphor. Meanwhile tom opened the top drawer of his desk and reached right to the back. He took out the small box and rolled it around in his hands. Thinking carefully about what he was going to do with it. The ring inside was modest, he knew Nikki wouldn't want anything too flashy, that wasn't her style. It was a simple gold band with three diamonds, 2 smaller ones and one bigger one in the middle. He had bought it weeks ago, before he even knew Nikki was pregnant, he couldn't have risked the possibility of rejection back then, the prospect of a child had brought them closer for sure.

It was lunch time and josh was sitting in the canteen with Lauren and Finn, they were discussing the day's gossip that was by now all around the school, 'Miss Boston's pregnant and Mr Clarkson is the dad'. Josh didn't mind too much, but when Barry Barry's unmistakable scouse accent bellowed from the back of the canteen, Josh did feel slightly embarrassed by the whole thing, 'Woah, don't you have to have sex to get pregnant?! Your dad and Boston, that's nasty!' Josh stood up to retaliate, but Lauren pushed him back down.

'Do one Barry Barry' she used his full name accentuating the ridiculousness as well as flicking him a rude hand gesture for good measure.

'nice one' remarked josh as Lauren sat back down.

'nah, he needs taking down a peg or two, anyway this is too exiting, a baby!' she squeaked.

'yeah its cool that they're happy' Finn chimed in.

Josh felt his pocket vibrate, he took out his phone, '1 message-Dad' the screen read, josh opened it. 'Come 2 my room now' for an English teacher, Tom was lazy when it came to texting. Josh wondered what could be so important for his father to text him during school? Couldn't it wait for home?

'guys I'm just off to meet my dad, he wants to see me apparently so I'll see you in history yeah?'

Lauren and Finn nodded as josh made his way out of the canteen and started up the stairs to the English classrooms. When he got to Tom's room he found him perched on the edge of his desk, expectant of Josh's arrival. Josh took a perch on one of the front row desks waiting for his dad to speak.

'Hey, you wanted to see me? What's this about?'

'yeah, I um, I just wanted your opinion, I mean you don't have to say anything but I was thinking of asking Nikki to marry me' Tom spoke slowly and calmly, waiting for Josh's reaction.

'Are you serious?!' Josh beamed, 'Dad that's amazing, when are you going to ask her?'

Almost taken aback by his son's reaction, tom replied 'Oh, Im not sure yet..I want to ask her as soon as possible, It has to be a bit romantic though doesn't it?'

'Dad you're asking her to marry you, isn't that romantic enough?'

Tom nodded, sometimes he thought Josh understood more about relationships and women than he did himself. 'I dunno.. I suppose'.

'You should ask her tonight' suggested josh. 'cook a nice dinner or something, spag bol?'

Tom could sense a plan coming together, 'I like your thinking Joshie boy! I made her spag bol on our first night in, that's settled!'

Josh left his delighted father, who still couldn't quite believe his own son's reaction, and made his way to history where he kept Tom's secret.

The couple trudged through the door upon arriving home, Josh had beaten them and was already playing x-box in the lounge. Tom and Nikki threw off their coats and shoes and dumped their bags at the door before collapsing on sofa after a long day. Nikki nestled her face into Tom's shirt. He put his arm around her and looked down at her face, gazing lovingly into her eyes. Their eyes met, they were almost the same shade of blue however their moment was cut short by Josh.

'I'm still here y'know' he chimed in.

'Sorry, right what's for tea? I'll cook' said Tom although he already knew what he was going too cook.

'Ooooh, im not sure what I fancy' Nikki contemplated her options but josh interjected

'How about spag bol?' he said with a smirk and a glint in his eye.

Tom smiled back, 'Good call Josh'.

'Yeah ok' agreed Nikki.

Tom made his way into the kitchen, looked at the ring and began to chop some onions for his bolognese'.

Josh decided to take his tea up to his room, making the excuse that he had 'so much coursework to do' He winked at his father who had caught on to his thinking and agreed'.

Tom and Nikki sat at the table and chatted about their day that had started with the big announcement.

'God, their faces', Laughed Tom.

'I know, replied Nikki as she recounted her conversation with Audrey, 'she was saying I should be careful what I eat because babies develop a taste for what their mother ate whilst they were in the womb or something, so I should eat healthily to prevent our baby becoming obese, I couldn't get away! I was 10 minutes late for my first class!'

'Oh well, at least baby will know a good spag bol when he has one' chuckled tom

'He? That's a bit presumptuous don't you think?'

'yeah I suppose it was, sorry'

'This is a pretty good spag bol though'.

When they had finished eating Nikki cleared the plates and put them in the dishwasher. Then sat back down to finish her drink, Tom had bought shloer, the non-alcoholic wine, she appreciated the gesture but it was barely palatable.

Tom took Nikki's hand and kissed it, this was it. He put the little box on the table. Without him even having to open it she knew. When he revealed the ring inside she began to cry.

'Hey' he said soothingly 'what you doing that for?'

'I don't know, maybe its my hormones, sorry, I just.. You caught me off guard, I love you'

'so will you marry me then'

'yeah'

He pulled her up out of her seat and slid the ring gently on to her finger before kissing her hand again and drawing her into a tight cuddle.

'I suppose I should have asked your parents, y'know, for your hand in marriage and all that' he said after a moment of silence where they just appreciated each other's touch.

'Bit late for that now isn't it, I'd better ring them anyway, they should probably know about this' she gestured to her stomach.

'Invite them over for dinner, might as well kill two birds with one stone'

'Hmmm, I don't know Tom, its going to take more than a spag bol to win over my mother, no offence' she added

'None taken' said Tom and he pulled his fiancé back into his arms.