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Chapter 34 - Pink or Blue?

CHAPTER 34

CARLY

If someone would've told me a year ago that I'd be engaged by the end of 2015, I wouldn't have believed them. It was definitely a crazy and beautiful year, and I was looking forward to the next one, and the fifty ones after that.

I tried to contain myself at least a little bit during the party at Buck's, keeping my left hand somewhat out of sight. I didn't want to be the center of attention right now, and I knew for a fact John didn't either.

Maisy was the only one I told about our engagement, but I had the suspicion that she already knew.

"You were in on it," I gasped when I caught her and John exchange knowing looks. "You and John were totally scheming together!" I giggled, imagining what those two goofballs could get up to when they started putting their minds together. It was a terrifying thought.

"I didn't know he was goin' to propose! He just wanted me to distract you for a couple hours! I didn't know what for!" Maisy gushed.

"I wasn't gonna tell ya, you would've told her!" John argued, chuckling.

"No I wouldn't have!" Maisy gasped.

"You probably would have," I laughed.

"Fine, maybe I would have accidentally given it away..." Maisy sighed, giving me another hug and surprising John by flinging herself at him too. Looking mighty awkward, John wrapped his arms around her and patted her on the back. "Congrats!" she beamed.

It was almost three in the morning on January 1st when we got home and I collapsed in bed. In the dimmed room, illuminated only by the lamp on John's side of the bed, I found myself staring at the ring again.

"You like it?" John asked as he stripped out of his clothes and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants. He climbed into bed next to me and let his head rest on my shoulder. He draped his arm over my belly and started tracing little patterns on my bump with the tip of his fingers.

"It's beautiful," I whispered. "Did you measure my finger when I was sleepin' or somethin'?" I asked playfully; there was no way he could've guessed my size so perfectly.

"I stole one of your rings from your jewellery box a couple weeks ago," he admitted a little sheepishly, his breath warm against my bare shoulder. "I didn't know if it was one you liked or wore often, so I was terrified out of my mind you'd notice it missin'," he added, opening his eyes just long enough to look at me.

"I didn't," I giggled, glancing towards the jewellery box on my dresser. "So that means you've been thinkin' about this for weeks?" I asked him, stunned. I didn't know marriage was even a thought on his mind until he got down on one knee about ten hours earlier. We never talked about it before.

"I'm not Maisy, I can keep my trap shut," he smirked.

We were quiet for a while before John shifted in bed again so that he could stretch his arm back to shut off the lamp. I turned onto my side, the only position I could comfortably sleep in these days.

"Happy New Year," I said in the darkness.

"Happy New Year," John whispered back, kissing the side of my neck.

January was a big month for John. He started his EMS training at Brookhaven College so that he could get recertified as a paramedic, which meant he was traveling back and forth almost every day of the week. I still hadn't found someone to pick up the slack at Atwood Ranch, so my cousin and a few other guys were coming around to help pro bono for the time being, which made me feel really guilty, since I wasn't in any position to pay them except in pizza and beer.