Chapter 40: The Proposal
SCENE: GREY SLOAN MEMORIAL
(Amber walks down the hallway depressed after not hearing from Andrew in two days and taking the night shift to add to it. She looks at her phone and sees no notifications to her despair. Amber continues walking down the hall numbly until Levi comes running toward her out of breath)
Amber: Whoa, what happened to you? Did they bring back the Seattle Marathon?
Levi: (Pants) Sorry I just-I need you right now or not me Chee needs you right now.
Amber: (Angry) What did he do this time?
Levi: Um he might have possibly, accidently switched the surgical charts for a kidney transplant and a splenectomy almost costing a patient a good spleen and giving a good kidney to someone who didn't need it.
Amber: (Frustrated) I am going to kill him where is he and where is the nearest blunt object?
Levi: He-He's in the locker room getting reprimanded by the chief and she wants you there so you can explain how this happened under your watch.
Amber: And it keeps getting better, Chee messes up and I have to take the wrap for it can this week get any worse?!
(Amber groans and stomps toward the locker room in anger with Levi following behind her. She opens the door and enters the room expecting to find Bailey and Chee but stops when she sees Andrew standing in the middle of the room in a blue suit and orange tie with a path of candles on the floor leading toward him with red rose petals scattered on the floor. She looks at Andrew in silent shock while he grins at her expression)
Andrew: Hey. I thought I would ask you something important before I left and I wanted it to be a surprise. Schmitt helped set this up and now would be the time for him to leave us alone.
(Amber turns to Levi in shock who simply grins at her before leaving. Amber turns to Andrew and gets over most of her shock walking slowly toward him and standing in front of him)
Amber: What are you doing here? What is all this?
Andrew: I have gone over how to do this a million times for the past two years and I thought a fancy restaurant like I originally planned would do the trick. But then I realized you don't care about fancy you don't care about pizazz or any of that crap. All you care about is knowing that I am here from the beginning to the end and that's why I'm here. I'm here at the place where we started.
Amber: (Wide eyes) …What is this?
Andrew: (Holds her left hand) Amber I know you think there's someone better for me out there that would make me forget about you but you need to know that will never be possible. You're the most amazing woman I have ever met. You're not just beautiful, you're brilliant and kind and strong willed. Your wrong thinking you don't deserve me because the truth is I don't deserve you but I'm gonna work hard to. You told me to take time and think about whether I want to be in your life or not. But the thing is I don't need time because I've known what I wanted since the day I met you. And this is what I want.
(Andrew kneels down on one knee causing Amber to gasp and look at him in disbelief)
Andrew: I listened to your voicemail and I feel the same way you do, I always have. You told me you were all in and so am I. I've never known what it was like to want to be with someone every second of every day until I met you.
Amber: (Swallows) Andrew Deluca I want this with you so bad but you need to think about what your gonna do next because…I'm doing the work and going to therapy but I can't promise I'm not gonna do things that make you see me as a burden. I ran when this happened to you and-
Andrew: Yeah, you did run but you came back. You came back to me because you and I are innegabile. We're undeniable and nothing gets in the way of that, not mental illness, not our families no one and nothing makes me question that you are the one for me. You're not a burden, you're not an anchor dragging me down. You are my lifeline and I want to be yours too. I don't want to spend another minute wondering why I didn't do this sooner and why I let my nonna's ring burn a hole in my pocket for this long.
(Andrew pulls out the white leather box out of his jacket pocket and opens it revealing his grandmother's ring inside. Amber smiles at Andrew and feels tears in her eyes from joy and love)
Andrew: (Smiles) Amber Stevie Karev…I love you; I am in love with you, you're the love of my life. Will you marry me?
Amber: (Smiles) …Yes.
Andrew: (Shocked and smiling) Yes?
Amber: (Kneels down to him and laughs in joy) Yes you idiot I'll marry you.
(Amber and Andrew kiss each other kneeling on the floor. Amber pulls back and Andrew puts the ring on her finger. Amber looks at it with tears streaming down her cheeks in awe of it)
Amber: (Sniffles) Oh it's beautiful, it's exactly what I hoped for.
Andrew: (Tears in his eyes from joy) She didn't care about diamonds she just cared about the man giving it to her. She wore it every day for 60 years.
Amber: (Voice breaking as she grins) So will I.
(Amber kisses Andrew and embraces him)
Levi: (Outside the door) Can we come in yet, we're dying out here!
(Amber and Andrew chuckle and break apart before standing up)
Amber: Come in!
(Levi quickly comes in with Alex and Jo also waiting in anticipation)
Amber: (Smiles and holds up her hand) We're engaged!
(Levi and Jo yell out in joy with Alex smiling and clapping)
Levi: (Smiles and laughs) It's about damn time!
Alex: (Smiling) I'll say congratulations kid. Look at you, you're all grown up now.
Amber: (Smiles at him) Oh Alex.
(Alex and Amber hug)
Alex: (Pulls back and looks at Andrew) Hey you've always had my blessing as long as you take care of my sister.
Andrew: (Shakes his hand) Always.
Amber: (Smiles) He never stops.
(Amber and Andrew kiss starting this long overdue chapter in their relationship)
THAT'S RIGHT AMBER AND DELUCA ARE FINALLY ENGAGED! I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW LONG I'VE WAITED TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER AND SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS BUT I DID AND IT FEELS GREAT. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE HAPPY AND ARE GETTING EXCITED FOR THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS, REVIEWS ARE WELCOME.