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Day 1 – Thursday, December 29 – The Ring
“You’re going to officially become my sister.” Cassandra was all teary-eyed ever since Steph pulled her in a secluded room in the mansion to ask her opinion on the ring.
Stephanie and Jason met on the first day of enrolment in Gotham University. Stephanie was a first-year student while Jason was already in his second year, making them have one year between them. They got to know each other through their shared elective class, philosophy.
By the second year they’d known each other, Steph needed to move to a place closer to campus and Roy dropped out of college to start backpacking across Europe which left Jason on his own in their shared apartment. It was then that Jason and Stephanie became roommates. By their third year, they started to date and eventually they became exclusive.
They’ve known each other for a total of six years now. Both of them had graduated and they moved to a different place so that they’re closer to both the Wayne manor and their respective places for work.
The Christmas and New Year season was a special time of the year for the couple.
It was around that time that Jason said his first ‘I love you’ to Steph.
It was the time they first got intimate with each other.
It was the first time Jason took her on a trip to Paris (and in extension, Stephanie met Roy for the first time).
It was the first time Jason gifted Stephanie a puppy, a rescue that they both love and have taken care of (and the Christmas after that, Jason adopted a cat – Stephanie’s convinced that Damian, Jason’s youngest brother, only ever visited them for the animals).
And just last year, it was the first time Stephanie had a pregnancy scare. Thinking back to it, Stephanie realized that the pregnancy scare was… not really a scare at all.
It’s not only special, but it’s all also very memorable.
Which now led her in a private space with Jason’s sister, Cassandra, who was gently holding the small box that contained the silver band Stephanie saved up on for the past few months.
“Cass, please.” Stephanie choked out, suddenly feeling emotional as well. Over the years, she and Cassandra had become good friends. As a dance major, Cassandra worked her way to becoming a prima ballerina. They started hanging out so that Cass could model Stephanie’s designs upon Jason’s recommendation. And what started out as academic help turned to daily lunch dates and shopping sessions on weekends. Cassandra became the sister Stephanie never had. And from Cassandra’s statement earlier, it was more than clear that the woman felt the same.
Cass sniffed. “The ring. Right!”
“Shhh! Not so loud.” The rest of the family had been climbing the stairs, going down to the ground floor to get the decorations and going back up to set-up the balcony. With that, the two ladies were at risk of being overheard if they passed by the room they’re occupying since they’re not too far away from the balcony.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. I’m just so excited.”
“I know, I know. I am too.” Stephanie was grateful she wasn’t the only one that thought this was a good idea. “So, what do you think about the ring?”
“Simple but elegant. Neat and shapely cut right, not too small but the size is big enough to let the message be sent across. I know he’ll love it.”
The band was made of silver, with two slim lines adorning the near ends of the ring. There wasn’t any jewel on it but inside was a dedication written in cursive. Cass didn’t get to read the whole thing because she didn’t want to take the clean ring out of its box, wanting to keep it in pristine condition, but she knew it was a very sweet and personal thing that her brother will treasure.
“Oh I hope he will.” Stephanie clasped her hands together and kept them near her chest, almost like a gesture of prayer. “I want this to be good for him.”
Cass put a comforting hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “You’re always good to him. He’s going to accept.”
Stephanie remembered Cass’ initial reaction. So sure that they’ll ‘officially become sisters’ and asked, “How are you so sure he’s going to say ‘yes’?”
“How can he possibly say ‘no’?”
Day 2 – Friday, December 30 – The Blessing(s)
If anyone were to ask Stephanie whose blessing she was scared to ask for from the Wayne family the most? She’d tell you it was Damian.
It’s common knowledge that the boy is hard to please. He was raised in an environment where, in all his life, he was subjected to seeing impressive and magnificent things. Given Stephanie’s background, impressive and magnificent are the last two words that can be used to describe it.
But the boy was still a boy. And despite his high standards and refined tastes and somewhat stubborn nature, Stephanie’s eternal optimism has made him warm up to her. Liked her even. When Jason and Stephanie dated, he had a passing crush on her. It was endearing really, and Jason has always been smug by that even if the said crush lasted for around two months, a bit too proud of it if one overanalyzes it (“I’d like to say he got it from me, but it’s all Damian. He has curated that great taste on his own. That’s basically a stamp of approval, babe.”).
When she asked Damian for his blessing, he tilted his head to the side in slight confusion. “I was unaware that the blessing of the youngest sibling is required to be provided to the future spouse.”
“Your opinion is still valid to me, Damian.” Stephanie admitted. “And it would mean a lot to receive your blessing.”
“Considering you have asked for my blessing in the first place, and since I have already favored you as my brother’s partner, I know that you would make him a very happy married man. I wish you the best of luck once you propose to him.”
It was touching to hear Damian say those things. To know that he’s rooting for her. And Stephanie would cherish it.
However, if you pressed Stephanie for the truth, the real answer on which Wayne family member she feared asking their blessing for the most was Alfred.
She’d like to say it was Bruce, since he is Jason’s father. When she approached him with Cass behind her as moral support, he simply blinked at her and nervously asked, “Shouldn’t Jason be asking for your hand in marriage?”
Cass gave the man the hardest are you kidding me squint that he has ever received in his entire life.
“What I mean is…” He cleared his throat. He paused for a moment in quick thought and then gave her an encouraging and soft smile, “Of course you have my blessing to marry my son.”
And that was it. Nothing grand or extensive. Just full of nerves. Overall, Steph would describe it as anticlimactic.
But Alfred? The butler who was also the grandfather-figure to Jason? The one that’s been such a major influence in her boyfriend’s life? The man that knew about her relationship with Jason first? The one that she called up by instinct to go with her to the store to buy a pregnancy kit when she had a scare and stayed with her through the whole nerve-wracking process? The old man knew way too much.
“Are you pregnant?” Alfred raised a questioning, and almost painfully accusing, brow at Stephanie.
“No!” She answered, sounding a bit too defensive.
The blonde took a breath to center herself and proceeded to speak quickly. “I mean I can’t blame you because of what happened last year, but it did get me thinking and that pregnancy scare wasn’t really a ‘scare’ for me when it settled over. It made me think that a part of me wouldn’t have minded if I was pregnant. Because it was with him. Because it’s what we’ll eventually have in the future. And I want, with my whole heart, a future with Jason. They should have a word for that. A pregnancy contemplation? Pregnancy epiphany? Oh, I like that one, it rhymes with my name. I should pitch that somewhere. Maybe Urban Dictionary, yeah maybe there.”
Alfred shook his head in amusement, beyond entertained at how Stephanie trailed off and got distracted from her main point. To put her out of her misery, he reached out to the blonde’s hands and clasped them together in his own hands. A soft supportive smile lit up his features.
“I look forward to the future you will have with Jason.”
Day 3 – Saturday, December 31 – The Proposal
The Wayne Manor’s New Year’s Eve party was in full blast, and so was Stephanie's rapidly beating heart.
Members of the Wayne family, extended family, and close friends were mingling at the wide balcony. White sheets and golden ribbons decorated the tables. White fairy lights were neatly strung above them, with circular lanterns hanging onto them emitting yellow light within.
Stephanie had timed it all well. She got Jason to follow her to the gazebo outside the manor, despite his reluctance – his excuse was that he didn’t want her to miss the fireworks, which he strongly insisted earlier that it was a “must see” this year.
Cass had helped her subtly decorate the gazebo by the manor’s garden in the same motif as the party upstairs back in the afternoon. With purple and red balloons, their colors, scattered on the floor. It’s a big enough space for the two of them to have an intimate conversation.
She poured her entire heart and soul in the proposal. Reminisced about their relationship over the years. Of all the good and bad times, their ups and downs – how eternally grateful she was to have him in her life in every single one of those events they went through together.
“From the first time we talked in our elective class, it felt as if we’d known each other for twenty years. By the second year we were together, it only felt like we’ve only been together for just a couple of days. That’s how happy you made me. How much you make time feel so irrelevant. And I know that in twenty years, I’ll still be left wanting to have twenty more years with you. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you. And I can’t imagine myself with anyone else.”
She was down on one knee, her small box open for him to see the ring. “So,” Steph expectantly stared into Jason’s eyes, “what do you think, big guy?”
Jason blinked at the blonde, almost like an owl. Disbelief took over his features. As if he couldn’t completely grasp what just happened. Couldn’t believe that he heard the things she just said. “I think you should come with me to the roof.”
“Wait, what? Why?”
“Babe, there’s not enough time. You have to trust me on this real quick.”
Oh, he’s going to dump me. Stephanie whimpered, even though she still followed Jason. Despite his hand loosely clasped on her wrist to instantly lead her back inside, Stephanie was beginning to dread the change of location. God I hope he won’t – being dumped on New Year’s Eve and opening the New Year dumped is not great. But why else would he not say anything and move. He wants to change the spot so that no one will see us from down below once he breaks up with me. But the fireworks are coming soon. And people will be looking up. Hold on. People will be looking up-
A chorus of counting has erupted from the balcony. “Ten! Nine! Eight!” And Jason began to run, pulling her more urgently behind him. Despite the nerves, Steph was glad she could catch up (thank you to whoever invented comfortable heeled wedges).
“Seven… six...” The counting continued.
“Shit, shit, shit- ” Jason chanted all too quickly that in record time, he slipped an arm under Steph’s knees and on her back. The blonde squealed as Jason lifted her off the ground, carrying her bridal style for the rest of the sprint up the roof.
Stephanie knew her boyfriend was strong, but she still wanted him to be careful. As he carried her while striding two steps at a time on the stairs, she placed her arm on his chest. “Jay, baby, you might trip-”
As if giving him more reason to go on faster, “Five… four…”
Jason clutched a key he took out from his pocket after he put down Stephanie. “We’re running out of time-” he frantically pushed the small piece of metal to open the door to the roof.
Jason climbed up.
“Three…”
He offered his hand to help hoist Stephanie up. “Easy, babe.” The panicky look on his face now gone, a more ecstatic, almost giddy, grin now replacing it.
“Two… ONE!” Confetti poppers have been opened, an array of colorful paper and glitter flew all around, and the loud crackling of fireworks have now shot themselves into the air. “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
It didn’t take long for an array of yellow, white, red, and purple fireworks to find its way into the night sky. A clear arrangement of stars and hearts, and a neat WILL YOU MARRY ME? with a big heart that contained a J + S in the middle right under the question.
Stephanie gasped in awe at the sight. Mesmerized at the grand display, Jason noticed that her eyes had become glossy. Everyone at the balcony have all looked up, obvious anticipation settled on them as they wait for the pair of lovers.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel already had a champagne bottle in hand, her wife, Dr. Pamela Isley, had her hand on top of hers to prevent her from opening it too soon. They were the ones that helped their godson find someone to set-up the firework display and were very content with how it was beautifully prepared.
Roy had his daughter, Lian, on top of his shoulders to help her see from a higher spot. The father and daughter duo were also attentive to Jason and Stephanie. Lian was practically shaking in excitement, a big cardboard clutched to her chest just waiting to be raised at the right moment.
Jason finally called out to Stephanie now that the message from the fireworks is gone. “Babe?”
Stephanie sniffed, feeling emotional, and turned to fully face Jason. “Do you have to ask after what happened a minute ago?”
The man let out a sigh of relief and looked at her with unguarded adoration. “Just because you asked first doesn’t mean I shouldn’t ask too just to be sure.”
The blonde shrieked and raised a finger at him, give me a moment (Jason’s eyebrows raised and he pouted, you’re killing me here is what he wanted to say but it was only fair considering what he did earlier). Steph immediately searched the balcony for Bruce and pointed at him accusingly. “YOU KNEW!”
When Stephanie asked for Bruce’s blessing yesterday, the man was nervous and Stephanie assumed it was because he was trying to be polite by sticking to tradition. As she recalled the moment, it almost felt like he was jumpy with almost being caught at ruining a surprise.
The man shyly rubbed the back of his neck as he nodded in confirmation. Cass, who was just beside Bruce, playfully slapped his arm. A look that screamed And you didn’t tell me? Your only daughter?
Harley, all too eager to open the bottle, screamed. “SO WHATCHA SAY, TOOTS?”
Stephanie laughed under her breath and raised the small box that contained the ring meant for Jason. “I ASKED FIRST!”
Half of the people at the balcony whooped and hollered. It would seem that the attendants were split into two: those that knew of Jason’s plan and those that were aware of Stephanie’s proposal (of course, with the exception of Bruce who was informed on both).
Stephanie looked at Jason and intertwined their fingers. The answer was already clear to both of them, and it sure was implied to everyone else too, but saying it out loud made it feel all the more official. Steph tightened her hold on his hand and asked, “Wanna say it together?”
Jason smirked at her, pride and relief and happiness and excitement filling him all at once. “Absolutely.”
The two raised their joined hands and screamed in sync.
“YES!”
“YEAH!”
Everyone on the balcony cheered and clapped for the newly engaged couple. Dick let out a piercing whistle. Cass raised both her and Bruce’s arms and waved giddily. Alfred took out a handkerchief from his coat pocket to lightly dab the sides of his eyes, and then handed it to Stephanie’s mother, Crystal, who wiped away her happy tears and blew her nose. Roy raised his fist and punched the air triumphantly for his best friend. Lian has been in a fit of giggles now that her favorite uncle is engaged. She enthusiastically waved her big Congratulations! cardboard littered with hearts and glitter and sequins.
Harley finally popped the champagne bottle she was holding, “Now we’re on for an engagement party, folks!”