Tony was down on one knee holding a ring box in his hand.
"Tony? What…" She was surprised and a little confused.
"Thirteen years ago, you opened this door and I fell in love. I fell in love with your mind. Your brilliant and captivating mind that amazes me every day. I fell in love with your heart. Your beautiful and warm heart that welcomed me-a loudmouth pain in the ass guy from Brooklyn and his little girl into her home. And last but certainly not least I fell in love with your soul. Because we are soulmates Angela. We have been since that night at Kissing Rock. And I know everyone thinks that our story started here at this door but we both know that isn't true. It started that moonlit night with Anthony and Ingrid, two young children who shared their first kiss with each other and were then kept apart for twenty years but then were reunited in the most bizarre and loving way. Angela, since the day you opened this door, I felt a pull towards you, and I never could figure out why. It wasn't until we realized it was us at kissing rock did it finally make sense to me." He took a deep breath and continued.
"And I know there have been many ups and downs in our journey. And I know I am responsible for a lot of the downs. But all that is in the past and we have been to hell and back and now all I want is for us to be in heaven-not literally of course!" He laughed and she did too while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Angela, I love you. You are everything to me. My best friend. My heart. My rock. My soulmate. You encouraged me to go to college because you believed in me. And when I got the job offer in Iowa you encouraged me to take it-even though it meant we would be a part because you knew it would be good for my career. And then you sacrificed your happiness by leaving and coming back here. And we are finally together and all I want to do is spend the rest of my life with you by my side. You were the first girl that I kissed, and I want to go on kissing you for the rest of our lives."
He opened the ring box revealing an oval shaped diamond engagement ring.
"Angela Katherine Robinson Bower will you make me the happiest man in the world- no in the universe- and marry me?"
Angela tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't believe this was actually happening! She looked down at him. His handsome and adorable face looked back at her with so much love she nearly melted.
'You don't think these things. You feel them.'
Yes, you don't think these things.
You feel them.
And what she felt now was pure and unadulterated love.
"YES!" she shouted and sank down to her knees and threw her arms around him.
"YES?" He asked her.
"YES! A thousand. No, a million times yes Tony!"
He laughed and took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.
"Oh Tony, it's beautiful."
"No you are beautiful" he whispered before capturing her lips in his. And in the doorway where they were reunited after twenty years since their night at kissing rock they shared a kiss so heartfelt and passionate it wasn't like anything they had shared before with other people or even with each other.
"Tony?" she said when they finally parted.
"Yeah?" he whispered trailing kisses down her cheek.
"I think that was longer than 57 seconds."
Tony laughed. "I think so too. And I also think we're getting our clothes dirty."
Angela smiled. "I don't mind. I would get my fanciest dress dirty to hear that amazing and beautiful proposal again." she sniffled.
He wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. He offered her his hand and she slipped it in his and he pulled her up and into his arms.
"I love you." he said soberly, his eyes looking deep into hers.
"I love you." she said, her eyes conveying all the love she had for him.
They walked into the house, and he shut the door behind him. She held the ring out and smiled that smile that had captured his heart since the first time he saw it.
"Oh Tony! I can't believe this!"
He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear: "Well believe it Amore Mio because we are getting married."
Angela blushed at the Amore Mio She loved it when he spoke Italian to her. She felt so loved and cherished. She turned around and captured his lips in hers.
"So, I take it we are in agreement?" he laughed when they parted.
"You have my full and complete cooperation." she winked at him.
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Well, that sounds intriguing." In one fell swoop he picked her up and started carrying her up the stairs.
"Now let's see if you really mean it!"
Her laughter tinkled like wind chimes all the way up the stairs.
A FEW DAYS LATER:
Angela was at home trying to get some work done but she couldn't concentrate. Every time she would write something down, she would notice her engagement ring and stop to admire it. Then she would remember Tony's heartfelt proposal and the incredible night they had shared and well all that concentrating went out the window.
"Oh well, maybe I'll go watch some tv because I certainly am not going to get any work done!" She stood up and walked around her desk and opened and closed the door behind her. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch and turned the tv on. She started channel surfing.
DING DONG!
Angela threw the remote on the coffee table and got up and opened the door.
It was Joanne.
"Joanne! What do you want?" Angela asked, still not forgetting how she, Diane, and Pam had treated Renata.
"Angela! May I come in? I have something very important to tell you!"
Angela rolled her eyes but stepped aside so she could enter.
Joanne made herself at home by plopping on the couch.
Angela remained standing with her arms crossed.
"Okay Joanne, what is so important that you have to tell me?"
Joanne looked around the room. "Is Tony here?"
"No, he had a late class."
Joanne laughed. "Oh really? That is what he told you? And you actually believed him?" she shook her head in amazement.
"Of course, I believe him! Why shouldn't I?!"
"Angela, Angela, Angela! Are you really that naive?"
"Joanne, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Well, you did hear that Renata- you know that incompetent waitress from the Country Club is having an affair with an older man, didn't you?"
"Yes, I heard, I also heard that you, Pam, and Diane harassed her about it. "
"So?" Joanne asked.
"So? So what? Look Joanne, this is ridiculous!"
"Angela?! Do I have to spell it out for you?!"
"Spell what out?!"
"It's Tony!"
"What's Tony?!"
"Tony is the older man Renata is having the affair with!"
"YOU GET YOUR SKINNY ASS OFF OUR COUCH AND GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR HOUSE BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT…NOW!"