How to propose

How to propose
Cal was staring at her like she was some priceless jewel when they finally walked into the bedroom, and she blushed. 

“What is it?”

“You’re perfect,” he said, his eyes open adoration. 

She shook her head, smiling. “YOU are perfect.”

“I was not sure how to propose.”

“What?” 

“Everything I could think of, I feared, was simply underwhelming,” He said, shaking his head, “and then the ring just had to go fall out like that.”

She laughed now. “Do you realize how perfect that was? The box opened, and in the right direction, turned to me like you had thrown some perfect dice.” 

She gave him a teasing smile now and raised her eyebrows at him, “Are you sure you did not set it to happen that way?”

“Come now,” he said, in mock offense.

“No one would ever know. How better to impress a woman than that?” She raised her eyebrows in quick succession, and he began to laugh.

“I am pleased you think I am such a genius,” he said, and she gave him a look and stood up from the bed, hurrying to the bathroom. 

When she stepped out of the bathroom sometime later, she asked him where the first aid kit for this house was.

He stood up with a slight frown. “I'll go get it.” He said, looking at her face all over, “Did you get hurt on the staircase?”

She giggled and shook her head. 

“I just have bad cramps,” she said, walking over to sit on the bed.

He frowned in confusion. 

“I just got my period. I'm hoping you have Tylenol in that first aid box.” 

She picked up her phone to open the menstrual cycle app on her phone. 

But she realized how quiet he was, and looked up. She squinted in surprise at his expression.

The man looked like she had slapped him. “Are you okay, Cal?” She asked. 

He stared for a few seconds before he looked away, but she was off the bed and standing in front of him. 

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I will go get it. Do you need anything else?”

“What is that look on your face? This is definitely not the first time you have heard of a menstruating woman?”

“Myra.” He groaned, shaking his head. 

“What is it, Cal?” She asked loudly now, suddenly impatient. 

She did not think they would be arguing minutes after their engagement. 

He definitely could not be one of those man-child that treated women's bodily functions with such horror, could he?

“I thought you were pregnant.” he said quietly, and it was her turn to look slapped now. 

And as she stared at him, she realized she would have preferred her earlier suspicion was correct, that he could not stand the idea that women bleed monthly. 

“What?” She stared at him, and as he looked anywhere but her eyes, she realized her father's words all those weeks ago had really taken root in his mind. 

“Would you not have given me this otherwise?” She raised her fingers up, suddenly feeling a strong urge to cry. 

But Cal, with his emotional intelligence, and maybe the wisdom that came from being older, immediately picked up on this.

“Myra, no.” He reached out to hold her. She tried to step back, but he caught her and held her snugly in his arms. 

“I really don't care whether we have children or not. But I wanted to make sure I was not cheating you.”

“Why did you not ask me if I wanted any? Why let yourself believe my father's words when you know the kind of person he is.”

“I don't care about Tyson. You like children, Myra. I have watched you with Nova.”

“Liking them is different from wanting them. Wanting them so much, I will choose who to spend the rest of my life with for that sole reason.”

He was staring at her, and the skepticism in his eyes irritated her. 

“Will you really let my father ruin what we have?” She asked as her bottom lip began to tremble at the thought of that night she caught her father and Aiden.

She thought this was different, that HE was different. 

But it seemed her father was hacking at this just like he did what she had with Aiden.

“There’s no point in this,” She said, applying force to break out of his arms, and she saw fear jump into his eyes. “There's no point being with me if you cannot be here with conviction.”

“What?” He gasped. “I love you, Myra.”

“But not having babies is where you draw the line.”

“How can you even say that?”

“Because it's true. You should have seen your face just now.”

“I want them for you, Myra. I want to be able to give you children,” he said, moving close to her.

She was looking at him in disbelief. “You want it for me? Or to soothe your conscience for taking a young girl's life away?” She made an air quote sign, and he stopped dead in his tracks. 

She had hit the nail on the head, and this pained her more than irritated her.

His goodness was becoming a flaw. 

He did not in any way have low self esteem, but this thing he felt towards her, this feeling of not being enough because he saw himself as an old crone, his constant need to overcompensate for ‘taking advantage of a naive young woman’, even after he found out her real age and that her walking into his life was all intentional. 

This compulsive need for fairness was beginning to repel her.

“What happened to all you were just saying?” She pointed at the wall, in the direction of the staircase. “Were those just fancy words? Building life around my whims and wishes?”

Her eyes suddenly burned with tears now, because they had been such nice words.

Cal's arms were around her before she could back away.

“I'm so sorry. I am. I'll never bring this up again.” he said. 

Somewhere in her mind, she was aware that they had just unlocked a portal, and his words, no matter how consoling they sounded, were just grasping at straws of peace. 

She felt it in her bones that this would not be the last of this issue. 

But she was so terrified that this peace she finally found would somehow be shattered by her father again. 

So she did not speak further about it, as she let Cal hug her and accepted his apology. 

“There's a mall ten minutes away,” he said as she finally pulled away from him, wincing at her cramps getting worse. “I'll go get Tylenol and dark chocolates for you. Need anything else?”

His eyes were warm, and she could not help melting under their gaze. 

“What do you think I need?” She teased.

“Is this a biology test?” He smiled gently as he caressed her chin gently. 

“More know your man test.” 

“Let's see, a heating pad, plenty of fruits, tampons, and a man to vent at.”

She threw her head back to laugh now. “I have tampons. And a man to vent at.” She closed her eyes as he ran his nose over hers. 

“Then I'll not stay away too long.” His hand found hers as he leaned his forehead against hers. 

She inhaled at how good that always felt. 

At how much it always calmed her heart. And then he was gone, the door closing behind him. 

She stood staring at the door for a few minutes, before she raised her hand up to her face.

She was Callaghan Dankworth’s Fiancé. 

Today was the wildest day she has had in a while. From their romp on the staircase, the unplanned engagement, and then..

She shook her head as she turned to the closet. 

It had taken her a while to get over the baby she lost, even though it was unplanned. 

But did she really care if somehow her father's poisonous words turned out to be true, and she could not have babies with Cal?

As she stood still, she suddenly realized she did not know. 

Then, why had strongly told Cal just now that she did not care?

Was it because she knew the man would let her go if he somehow decided that he was depriving her of happiness?