Donald and Abby

Then one day she was there, standing at the back door, holding an infant seat with a pink blanket thrown over it.

Quickly, I rushed over to let her in. Thank God, I had shaved and showered that day.

"Welcome back. Come in! How are you? Tell me how it went!"

"I'm a little beat now, and sitting has to be done delicately. My mother says the delivery and birth were normal," she said pulling her fingers through her hair. "I guess it went pretty quick. About three hours from when I really went into labor until I delivered. Would you like to see her?"

Uncovering the carrier, she revealed a beautiful little girl. Her features were tiny and delicate and she had her mother's lustrous black hair. "She was 7 lbs, 6 ounces, and 21 inches long. Her name is Eileen Rose."

I stopped. "I've never mentioned my wife's name to you. How did you know?"

"Your sister Laurie told me," she said.

"Oh. You weren't supposed to find out about that." I said quietly.

"That's not all I found out. I'd like to talk to you Donald."

"Oh. Sure" I mumbled. I could feel embarrassment and shame stealing over me. This would be the formal end of our relationship; I could feel it coming. Woodenly, I motioned her toward the chair, while I sat in the sofa. Ignoring me, she came over and sat in my lap. Placing her arms around my shoulders, she leaned in close to me and began. Confusion swept through me. I didn't understand.

"I'll just come right out and say it," she said. "I love you Donald. I love you with all my heart. I needed the last two weeks to be certain, but I'm totally sure. I know you love me too. I've seen it in your eyes, and in the things you do for me... Donald Wilson, will you marry me?"

I was stunned. "I don't know what to say."

"I think the best thing to say is yes!" she said plainly.

"Sweetie, I don't think I'm a great choice for you. I'm a lot older than you; I'll die while you are still relatively young. I'm not good looking, and I'm not much of a catch. I think you could do a lot better than a broken down old lech like me. Look at how we met."

"And just WHAT is that supposed to mean!" she said tersely. Her face started to color.

"I didn't mean that. I wasn't talking about you; you were in a desperate situation. I was talking about me. I was just..." I trailed off.

"You were just lonely," she said lovingly. "I remember a lonely man desperate for someone to love and care for. That's what I saw. A man who was so loving and kind yet so fragile he was afraid to try to find someone. You were so nice..." she said her eyes brimming with tears. "Even though you were paying me, you never once judged me. You were a perfect gentleman and you treated me like a lady that night."

"I still think," I continued blithely.

Without pausing, she carried on. "I see a kind man that has looked out for me, a man who got me a job working in his business but was so upright he didn't even tell me it was his business. I see a man who helped me to get a much better car than I could afford. I know Moe is your brother-in-law. Hal let it slip when he saw the tag on the back of the car. I'm guessing you paid for part of that car. I can't forget about the apartment either. You let me stay there for free! You even bought me groceries when I moved in!"

"I see a man that has relentlessly, after every snow storm this winter, shoveled the walk and the stairs so that I'd be safe. These are the things that I see. I could look a hundred years and I KNOW that I'll never find a man that will care for me and love me more than you do. I would be insane not to love you. So, I'm asking you again: Donald Wilson, will you marry me?"

"You're sure it's what you want?" I said hesitantly.

"I'm totally sure you're what I want," she breathed.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. I love you. I've loved you since we met, but you knew that huh?"

"Yes," she murmured, "I knew that."

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