Una collapsed into a chair in the hospital's waiting room, knees shaky. She had been so determined to help Everett she hadn't even noticed how heavy he was compared to her until a nurse had taken him from her arms and helped him into an examination room.
Would Everett be okay?? She hadn't expected their nice romantic trip to the park to go like this! He hadn't even had a chance to ask her his question.... Which, not that it was important right now, she still didn't know what it was.
It seemed much longer than it really had been before a doctor finally emerged from the examining room.
"How is he?!"
The doctor was reassuring. "Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Your boyfriend has a sprained knee, but he should be all right in a few days. In the meantime, he just needs to stay off his knee as much as possible. We'll give him some crutches - that way you won't have to try and lift him any more." He smiled.
"I'd lift him for a lot longer if I had to," said Una determinedly. "Can I go in and see him?"
Everett was sitting up in bed when Una came in. "Everett!" She raced over and almost threw her arms around him, but thought that might be too much for him with his sprained knee, so she just gave him a kiss on the cheek instead. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Everett looked away from her at the hospital sheets. "They said I could go home as soon as they finish my paperwork."
"So what's wrong?" Una insisted, pulling up a chair beside his bed and getting herself in a good position to listen. She could tell something was bothering him. The Everett she knew wouldn't have been so upset by a little accident.
Everett sighed. "I - I ruined the day. It was supposed to be perfect. I'm sorry, Una."
Una frowned. "What do you mean, you ruined the day?"
"I - okay, I might as well tell you now. This wasn't going to be just an ordinary trip to the park." Everett slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvety box. Una took it from him, and when he didn't try and stop her, she opened the lid.
The large diamond inside glittered at her under the fluorescent lights. "Oh, Everett!"
"I was going to ask you to marry me. I had it all planned out - the perfect day, the perfect ring...." He sighed again. "I guess I picked the wrong day. Or I should have proposed indoors. Or...."
"Or it doesn't matter." Una reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm just happy you're okay, Everett. That makes it a good ending to the day for me. And yes," she added.
Everett blinked. "Yes?"
"What did you just say you wanted to ask me?" Una laughed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
She gave Everett the ring back and let him slip it onto her finger, leaning in as he did so that he could finish with a kiss. Everett smiled as he watched Una twist her hand this way and that, letting her diamond catch the light.
"I guess my parents and your mother were right," Everett remarked as he watched her. "It doesn't matter if the proposal went perfectly or not."
Una laughed. "If nothing else, it does make an interesting story!"
Would Everett be okay?? She hadn't expected their nice romantic trip to the park to go like this! He hadn't even had a chance to ask her his question.... Which, not that it was important right now, she still didn't know what it was.
It seemed much longer than it really had been before a doctor finally emerged from the examining room.
"How is he?!"
The doctor was reassuring. "Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Your boyfriend has a sprained knee, but he should be all right in a few days. In the meantime, he just needs to stay off his knee as much as possible. We'll give him some crutches - that way you won't have to try and lift him any more." He smiled.
"I'd lift him for a lot longer if I had to," said Una determinedly. "Can I go in and see him?"
Everett was sitting up in bed when Una came in. "Everett!" She raced over and almost threw her arms around him, but thought that might be too much for him with his sprained knee, so she just gave him a kiss on the cheek instead. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Everett looked away from her at the hospital sheets. "They said I could go home as soon as they finish my paperwork."
"So what's wrong?" Una insisted, pulling up a chair beside his bed and getting herself in a good position to listen. She could tell something was bothering him. The Everett she knew wouldn't have been so upset by a little accident.
Everett sighed. "I - I ruined the day. It was supposed to be perfect. I'm sorry, Una."
Una frowned. "What do you mean, you ruined the day?"
"I - okay, I might as well tell you now. This wasn't going to be just an ordinary trip to the park." Everett slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvety box. Una took it from him, and when he didn't try and stop her, she opened the lid.
The large diamond inside glittered at her under the fluorescent lights. "Oh, Everett!"
"I was going to ask you to marry me. I had it all planned out - the perfect day, the perfect ring...." He sighed again. "I guess I picked the wrong day. Or I should have proposed indoors. Or...."
"Or it doesn't matter." Una reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm just happy you're okay, Everett. That makes it a good ending to the day for me. And yes," she added.
Everett blinked. "Yes?"
"What did you just say you wanted to ask me?" Una laughed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
She gave Everett the ring back and let him slip it onto her finger, leaning in as he did so that he could finish with a kiss. Everett smiled as he watched Una twist her hand this way and that, letting her diamond catch the light.
"I guess my parents and your mother were right," Everett remarked as he watched her. "It doesn't matter if the proposal went perfectly or not."
Una laughed. "If nothing else, it does make an interesting story!"
Una, Everett, and Kaitlyn had dinner at a nice restaurant. As they ate, Una asked, "So, Kaitlyn, what are you majoring in?" Kaitlyn replied, "Well, I'm a biology major. I'm hoping to be a veterinarian." Una said, "You're an animal lover. That's great!" Kaitlyn said, "Yes, I've always been an animal lover. How about you?" Una replied, "Well, I always wanted a dog, but my mother is highly allergic. With that being said, I'm so busy with acting, I'm not sure I'd have time for one now." Kaitlyn said, "That's true. Dogs do require a lot of attention. I'm hoping to get one after I finish with veterinary school and get more settled." Everett smiled as he listened to Una and Kaitlyn's conversation. He was happy to see that they were getting along so well. He thought, This is wonderful. I think it'll work if Una and I decide to get married.
THE END
THE END
"What do you mean?" Una once again prepared to listen. Everett replied, "While my immediate family was supportive of my dream to go into film editing, not everyone was kind. Lots of people told me that I couldn't do it: most of my schoolmates, some teachers, even my extended family." She said, "How awful!" He said, "I know, but I didn't let that keep me down. My father even told me that I should go for it, no matter what anyone says. I looked at different film schools, and I got accepted into one that is fairly close to where I grew up. Upon graduating, I started preparing to go to film school. I started that fall, and I got a job at the local diner to help my parents cover the apartment rent." Una added, "And that's where we met." Everett smiled. "Yes, Una. My life only got brighter from there." She said, "Aw! I say the same to you, Everett." With that, they kissed.
Some time later, Una and Everett were settled in a cozy small cafe eating sandwiches and sipping pumpkin spice lattes while foil cutouts of cute ghosts and pumpkins hung from the walls around them.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett said after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the table to touch his hand. "Hey, you saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their Halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go home and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett said after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the table to touch his hand. "Hey, you saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their Halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go home and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.