me to fix up the house she needed to sell, but I also know she came to me when she could have come to anyone else.
She wanted me in her life and God, how I wanted her.
I’m glad it all went down this way. It meant we could finally have our chance. God, did we take it.
I fall asleep thinking about presents wrapped in bows and sugar plum fairies and all that shit. Dreaming of tomorrow, of Christmas Eve when I'll show up at Maple’s house and give her all I’ve got.
In the morning as I drive to her place, I admit to feeling a little jittery. Hell, I know I’m supposed to be a stoic man, but there's part of me that's scared; nervous to pop the question. Even though I'm pretty damn sure what she's going to say.
When I knock on the door, she answers wearing a red dress with a white collar, black tights, and black heels. She looks beautiful. Put together in a way that only Maple ever can.
“Good morning,” she says softly.
“Good morning to you,” I say stepping closer. She hesitates and I feel the tension in the air.
“Come on in,” she says, and I follow her into the house hoping she’ll share what she’s thinking with me. “To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd be coming.”
I tense. “Why’s that?” I face her, realizing there's a wounded look in her eye.
“Well, last night it was just kind of odd that you didn't come over after everything we shared the night before. I just thought that what we were a thing now, that we were together. I just hated being apart from you, Filson.”
“We are a thing. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I run my hand over her cheek, pulling her toward me to press our foreheads together. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I had something I had to do.”
“Well, telling me what you had to do would help.” I don't like being in the dark, but I also know I am keeping something from him. I could have told him about the cash offer yesterday morning, but I didn’t. I don’t exactly have a leg to stand on.
“I couldn't really tell you about this one.”
Her eyes go dark. “Why not?” she asks. “Should I be worried about something?”
I chuckle. “No, Maple. Don't assume the worst.”
“Okay, then what was it?” she asks. “Because I'm standing here feeling really vulnerable thinking that you might not come back.”
“You have to trust me, girl. I'm here to stay.”
She looks up into my eyes. “Really? You mean that?”
“Listen. I had to go to the city in order to find something that I knew I wouldn’t find in Snowy Valley. A special something for someone very special.”
I swallow as I get down on one knee drawing a small box from my pocket, causing her to gasp and cover her mouth. “Maple St. Claire. I've loved you since I was six years old. I know there was a long stretch of years where I wasn't the man I needed to become because I didn't rightly know how, but now I do. And beyond that, I know how to be the man you need. I know how to give that to you. All I need to do is be myself.”
“Oh, Filson,” she says, biting back tears as I press on.
“I love you,” I tell her. “I love the way you drink your tea and the way you like to fight. I love how stubborn you are and the way you go all in. I love the way you believed in me before I believed in myself. I love you and I need you to be my wife.”
I open the jewelry box as tears fall down her face.
“I love you too,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief. “I love you so much. And of course, I'll be your wife. I want to be anything you need. I just don't want to be apart from you.”
She doesn't take the ring. Instead, she leaps into my arms and I laugh, falling backward on the floor. She climbs on top of me and gives me a kiss.
“I love you. I love you. I love you like crazy.”
“And I’m goddamn crazy for you.”
She looks down at me and I laugh, wondering how the fuck I got so damn lucky.
“Take the ring, baby,” I say, taking it from the box and placing it on her finger. “So, that was the errand I was running. I couldn't