The Tegan Chronicles

Too Busy for Love 5

Tegan took her into the master bedroom which was at the first door upstairs. The closet was a large walk-in closet with another door that matched the one downstairs adjoining the closets of both master bedrooms. The walls of the master bedroom were a light mocha color. So far each room had very inviting earthy colors on the walls. The master bath was a very light moss green, it had two sinks and a toilet that were separate from the free standing shower and small whirlpool tub.

"They couldn't have put in a tub for two?"

"We could fit in there." Tegan smiled. "Ready to move on?"

Janet nodded and followed Tegan down the hall to the bedroom on the same side as the master suite. "Someone forgot to finish painting this house. I don't think it's going to sell this way."

"Maybe if the price is right?"

Janet watched Tegan's hand slip back into her pocket. It was a subconscious move.

"Ok, so it's a bedroom." Janet shrugged her shoulders.

Tegan showed her the bathroom at the end of the hall, a simple full bath, much like the one Cassie used at home, maybe a tad bigger. "And this is the other bedroom."

Janet walked in and looked around quickly. It had a nice closet, but again the walls weren't painted. "Ok."

"That's it, ok?"

"Yes." Janet looked around the empty house. "I'm hungry."

Tegan nodded.

She waited until Janet was sitting on the quilt in the dinning room before she pulled out the salads she'd made, a mix of wild greens with walnuts, apples and chicken breast on top. She handed the raspberry vinaigrette to Janet and pulled out a can of Canada Dry. "I hope Ginger Ale is ok?"

"It's fine."

Tegan's cell phone rang and she pulled it out. "Sorry. - Kiser."

"Hey Kiser, are you at the house?"

"Yes sir."

Janet's attention perked up.

"Did she say yes? Did you ask?"

"No sir."

"You didn't ask, or she said no?"

"Colonel, can this wait until later?"

"Sure Kiser, good luck."

"Thank you sir."

Janet looked on with interest. She'd never known Tegan to put aside work for anything. At least she assumed it was work, why else would Jack be calling. "The world doesn't need saving?"

"No, just a little corner of it." She smiled lightly, thinking it was her corner.

Janet looked over to see Tegan's salad still covered.

Her eyes followed Janet's and she reached over and grabbed her guitar. "I need to ask you something, but I want you to know that no matter your answer, it won't change how I feel about you. So, before I ask you, I need to let you know how I feel and Ingrid Michaelson put it into words better than I ever could."

She started strumming her guitar.

"What if we stop having a ball?
What if the paint chips from the wall?
What if there's always cups in the sink?
And what if I'm not what you think I am?

What if I fall further than you?
What if you dream of somebody new?
What if I never let you win, and chase you with a rolling pin?
Well what if I do?

Cause I am giving up on making passes

And I am giving up on half empty glasses

And I am giving up on greener grasses.
I am giving up.

What if (Cassie) comes home after nine?
What it your eyes close before mine?
What if you lose yourself sometimes?

Then I'll be the one to find you safe in my heart.

Cause I am giving up on making passes

And I am giving up on half empty glasses

And I am giving up on greener grasses.
I am giving...

Oh oh, I am giving up for you.
Oh oh, I am giving up."

"I know that sometimes you get jealous Janet." Again her hand found its way into her pocket. "But no one does to me what you do. I need you in my life more than I need the air that I breathe.

"Again, no pressure. But you asked what was so special about this house, and I want to tell you. One it was built with you, or rather with us in mind. Two, if we need to kept up the affront for military regs, we can come and go through our own entrances. And three…" Her hand twitched nervously in her pocket. "There isn't a three. All I know is, I love you, and I don't want this house to come between us. So I hope that you will be honest with your answer, and not say what you think I want to hear."

Janet watched a shaky hand pull out of the brown leather pocket, in it was a plain white rectangular jewelry box. It wasn't a ring, part of her was relieved.

"I can't really ask you for a commitment of marriage, we both know that. If they would change the law, I would do it tomorrow. I would…" She locked eyes with Janet. "Give up my job for you."

"I won't let you do that."

"I know. So, I came up with this plan, albeit a presumptuous and completely idiotic plan, to build us a house. One that we could live out our happily ever after in, despite what the outside world wants or thinks. Now, as much as I would like to just give you this house, I can't. The government has this thing about taxing things like that through the nose, so I'm going to sell it to you, for ten dollars. The government can't complain, I'm selling you a piece of paper and a set of keys that just happens to have half a duplex attached to it.

"Janet, will you accept what's in this box and live happily ever after with me?" There she'd done it. She'd gotten past the hard part. The ball was in Janet's court.

Sixty seconds, three minutes, eight minutes, twelve minutes.

Tegan looked at her watch. "I know I said earlier you didn't have to answer tonight. And again no pressure, but please Janet say something. Anything?"

Another ten minutes of silence passed before Tegan stood and walked out. Janet quietly reached over to the box that was still lying there on the floor and she pulled the lid off; inside was a small silver nondescript keychain attached to a house key. Engraved on the key chain was "Always and Forever." Janet picked it up and held it in her hand, after a few minutes she stood.