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They planned for the four of them to have a midweek dinner together - carryout from Jesse’s favorite burger place, with chocolate milkshakes for dessert - but Sonny ended up having to work late and finish prepping for the next day's trial involving a fairly high-profile case. He waited as long as he could to cancel, but finally placed an order for delivery on his phone, texting Amanda that the food was on its way and they'd have to try again another night. He'll eat vending machine food at his desk, and text her when he's able to leave. It's no sweat - she understands the job, knows the immense pressure he's under - but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.
When he finally arrives at her apartment, it’s just after nine o'clock, and he tries his best to enter quietly. Amanda is curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over her waist, and the TV is still on with the volume low so as to not wake the girls. She’s snacking on a bowl of popcorn and nursing a half-empty bottle of beer. It's clear she is waiting up for him: she hasn’t even changed into her pajamas, still wearing the shirt she wore to work, now paired with jogger sweatpants and house slippers.
After hanging up his coat and toeing off his shoes, Sonny makes his way inside and Amanda cranes her neck, her whole body leaning forward to greet him.
“Hey, counsellor. You feeling better now?”
“Much,” he retorts, crossing the living room and plopping down next to her on the couch. He still has his briefcase with him and she eyes it as he lays it on the coffee table, next to her drink.
Instinctively, Amanda makes a face, shoulders slouching. “Don’t tell me you’ve got more work in there to do from home.”
He shakes his head. “Nah, no - not exactly.”
Intrigued, she sets her bowl of popcorn on the side table and waits for his next move. Unbuckling the briefcase, he slips his hand inside and carefully pulls out a tiny plum-colored velvet jewelry pouch. Then he turns to face her, dangling the object between them.
“Got something for you.”
Amanda gives him a questioning look, eyes narrowing as she takes the offering. She finagles the ribbon drawstring and opens the pouch, her face sobering when she discovers a ring inside. It’s a classic yellow gold band, both elegant and rustic, with a deep red ruby gemstone.
They had only officially been together for three months, and while they were both all-in from the moment they finally gave in, marriage was a ways away.
Still, she felt a little breathless, caught off-guard by the gesture, but also warm and tender and safe - the gravity of him, and them, all-encompassing. It’s a feeling she’s still getting used to, one that she’s only experienced with him.
After a moment of studying the ring, surprised by how instantly she fell in love with it, Amanda shifts her gaze back to him. "Sonny, I-"
“It should fit this one,” he says, gently reaching for her left hand, his fingers brushing her middle one. “The ring was my Great Aunt Lucia’s. She gave it to me years ago when we packed up her house that one absurdly hot summer, y’know, when she moved into the nursing home.”
“Yeah, yeah - I remember that weekend well,” Amanda nods, chuckling at the memory of him telling her stories of the ordeal, all animated and talking with his hands, over coffee in the break room the Monday after. She wonders if he thought about this moment back then, wonders if she’s the one he imagined sitting next to him all along.
She looks down at the ring again and carefully slides it onto her left middle finger. It's a perfect fit. “This is really beautiful, Dominick.”
“Been meaning to give it to you for a while now.”
Amanda slowly crawls over to him, settles into his lap and circles her arms around his neck, drawing him in. He hugs her waist and his lips find her shoulder, then her jawline. She pulls back to give him a proper thank-you, and their mouths meet, each kiss a little deeper, a little more sultry than the one before.
They break away and her hands stay cupped at his face, the added presence of the ring felt by them both.
“I’m sorry I missed dinner tonight," Sonny says, his fingers caressing her lower back.
“Well, you’re in luck," she starts.
“Why’s that?”
"We’ve got a bunch more dinners ahead of us.”