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The chill of the night air seemed to burn Bob’s skin, but he didn’t notice. The one thing that caught his attention was sitting in his pocket. A minuscule black box sat in his pocket, waiting for its moment to shine. It had velvet on the inside, but not an actual ring. It was more for show than anything else. Despite the restaurant already being open, he could not afford a genuine ring. This thought seemed to gnaw away at him like a beaver chewing wood to make a dam. He let out a breath, knowing his girlfriend (not for long if things went well tonight) deserved far better. However, he had long past trying to get down on himself for what Linda could have. She made it clear she wanted him and no one else. The important thing was, he hoped to ask her something he’s wanted to ask her since they met.
He wanted to ask her to marry him.
He didn’t possess the same level of dreaming tendencies as Linda did, but he visualized their lives together from that moment onward. He also knew how he wanted to accomplish this task. Deciding how best to propose to Linda hadn’t been something he spent little time or effort on. Countless nights of deciding what she would enjoy most and what would freak her out occurred, and those nights spent with little sleep caught up with him.
He let out a yawn as he rubbed his eyes and Linda shot him a glance, a smile already dancing across her rosy lips. “Are you tired already, Bobby? This doesn’t bode well for you. I had a full schedule planned.”
She then let out a snort. “All right, calling it a schedule is generous.”
“I’m okay, Lin. I had a rough night of sleep, but I'll manage.”
It was the middle of January, and they were spending the day at Wonder Wharf together at his suggestion. After much deliberation, he’d landed on the perfect proposal idea. It proved to be both romantic enough and not too boisterous as to attract too much attention or risk Bob feeling strange, or worse, experiencing rejection from the one woman who’d loved him and supported him quirks and all.
He decided that he’d sweep her off her feet (well, sweep was a bit of a strong word) and take her on the Ferris Wheel at the end of the night. Once they reached the top and had a breathtaking, picturesque view of all of Wonder Wharf and Seymour’s Bay, he would get down on one knee. There still wouldn’t be a ring, but something deep inside, something that pushed aside his festering self-doubt, told him she wouldn’t care. Their love, as cliché as it sounded, would block everything else out. For a moment, he could pretend they were the last remaining people on Earth. No one else was relevant—not Linda’s overbearing mother, not his own distant father, not even his loving mother, whom he missed every day. It would just be them, making a promise to devote their lives to each other, even if the future was uncertain. It wouldn’t matter that they hadn’t figured everything out and their restaurant was never as busy as stupid Jimmy Pesto’s. Because Jimmy Pesto wouldn’t matter either.
Even though, after his comment earlier, Bob wanted to take one of his cannolis and shove it up his—
All right, he was getting off-track.
He laced his fingers through Linda’s, and for a moment, he was nervous about the sudden show of affection. But she reciprocated by leaning towards him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. The feeling of her lips touching his skin made him feel warm, and because of instinct, his free hand reached up to touch where she’d left her mark. He couldn’t wait for the night to be over, because once it was, he’d have further proof that she was his. Not that she belonged to him but chose to be with him. Chose to be with him over anyone else in the world. In the universe. He wasn’t a science person, but if there were parallel universes out there, his one wish was for him and Linda to be together in each one.
He almost told her as much when Mr. Fischoeder approached them, interrupting his train of thought. Mr. Fischoeder was a man who continued to elude Bob. He was the wealthy landlord of Bob’s restaurant and most of the properties on Seymour’s Bay. He also owned Wonder Wharf, and word on the street was that the bloodline didn’t end with him, because he had a younger brother. That was wonderful news, because that meant there was another Fischoeder out there who would begin harassing him and Linda someday. Not that he couldn’t fault Mr. Fischoeder’s brother before meeting him, or Mr. Fischoeder himself, for that matter. Bob had been late for the rent more than once, so having him as a tenant couldn’t be easy. But this man was stranger than any other person he had ever met before, with the way he dressed and carried himself. Linda loved him and his golf cart and mustache—she called him eccentric. That seemed to be the perfect word to describe him, but Bob would use it with a more negative connotation than she would.
“Ah, Bob and Lady Bob! My favorite tenants. Fancy seeing you here.” No one except for Mr. Fischoeder had ever used that phrase in front of Bob, at least based on his memory. He also doubted that they were his favorite tenants. Then again, he wondered who Mr. Fischoeder’s favorite would be. Knowing this man, he could find an issue with anyone’s establishment.
“Mr. Fischoeder! What’re you doing here?” Linda asked, grinning despite him forgetting her name. He swore that grin could brighten any room.
“Well, it seems as if there’s a bit of an issue. You see, a worker just quit at a restaurant here. I don’t have enough time to deal with this right now and hire someone else, and people are getting upset because it’s very understaffed now. This will just be for tonight, but could you two cover for that worker? I know you two have experience because of your restaurant.” He coughed a bit and balanced on the tips of his toes. “By the way, I also wanted to remind you that your rent’s overdue.”
“We’ll take care of the rent soon, Mr. Fischoeder,” Bob said, stepping in. “And, uh, are you sure there’s no one else you can ask to help at the restaurant?”
“Everyone seems to be busy tonight.” He shrugged. “But if you agree, I promise I can make it worth your while. How about I forgive your rent for this month and next month? If you do a good job, maybe I’ll even forgive you for another.”
“Wow, you would do that?” Linda clasped her hands together, one of her feet flying into the air. “Oh, Bobby, we’ve got to do it now.”
“Free rent does sound nice. All right, we’ll do it, Mr. Fischoeder. What kind of restaurant is this, anyway?”
“Seafood! Their specialty is lobster.”
Bob could hear himself letting out a lengthy groan. It was so lengthy, in fact, that Linda began patting his back.
“Is there a problem with you working with lobster, Bob?” Mr. Fischoeder asked.
“Yes. I mean, no, it’ll be fine. It’s just that lobster rings back terrible memories. I’m allergic and almost died on Linda’s and my first date.” Sure, he was being a tad dramatic, but if Linda hadn’t stepped in, he very well could’ve died.
“What? No, you didn’t.” She snorted, patting his shoulder. “You love lobster, don’t you? You were so excited; you got all red in the face and I had to save you before you had a medical emergency.”
He sighed, “No, Lin, I was having an allergic reac—you know what, nevermind. It’ll be all right, Mr. Fischoeder. I’ll survive. Just don’t make me eat any of the food.”
“It’s a deal!” Mr. Fischoeder was holding a pure black cane and swept it as if he were some sort of magician or similar showman.
✧ ✧ ✧
Bob and Linda finished up cleaning the last of the dishes, their backs aching but their hearts full because of all the conversations they’d had together while working in the kitchen all night.
“I’m sorry we had to spend so much time doing this, Lin. This wasn’t how I imagined us spending this date.” He looked at his hands, embarrassed.
“Aww, you consider this a date?” She bumped him on the hip. “Well, that’s great news, because I consider it one, too. And I don’t mind. We got free rent for a few months, and working here was fun, wasn’t it?”
He gave a half-hearted shrug. “I guess, but that old man’s order was insane.”
Linda smirked. “Not as insane as his wife’s.”
He doubled over, clutching his sides and wheezing. No one except for Linda could reduce him to such a state. If she said yes to his proposal, he couldn’t wait to call her his wife.
She began wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Well, once we finish up here, I might need to head out. It’s getting late.”
Bob’s breathing became shallow, and his palms perspired. She was planning on leaving already? He’d been planning the perfect way to ask her to be his wife for so long that he couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. It had to be that night. He would never ask her otherwise. He wouldn’t be able to.
“Uh, before you must leave, would you be able to do one more thing with me? You’ll enjoy it, I promise. At least, I hope you will.” He rubbed the back of his neck, praying to any deity that could be listening for her to agree.
She checked her phone. “My mom’s been bothering me because she wants me to visit tonight before it gets too late. But maybe we can do one more thing.”
Bob cursed the fact that Gloria and Al were in town visiting. It seemed no matter what, they couldn’t leave Bob and Linda alone. Their presence was always constant. Bob’s argument with Gloria didn’t help matters. She’d never had a positive opinion of Bob ever since then.
He grabbed her hands, feeling their softness as he rubbed along her fingers. “Have you been on the Ferris Wheel yet? You always say how much you’ve wanted to go on one. You love how romantic they are.”
Linda let out a longing sigh, and he could tell he was winning her over. “I haven’t, and they are. Being so high in the sky makes it feel as if you and your partner are the only two people in the world. It’s beautiful, Bobby.”
He moved closer to her and swept her in a deep, passionate kiss. He let her know with his lips how much he longed for her. How much he agreed on Ferris Wheels, making everything else disappear. He wrapped his arms around her neck, letting his fingers course through her wavy, so-imperfect-that-it-was-perfect hair. He was pretty sure he even let out a quiet growl, but he wasn’t sure, because he was so caught up in the moment.
Linda let out another laugh, which was like bells, “Bobby, what’s gotten into you tonight?”
“What, I can’t let my girlfriend know how much I love her?” He pulled her into a dip, and he swore he could see her face darken a few shades.
“We’re one hundred percent going on that Ferris Wheel now,” she said, her mouth agape. “Keep this up and I think I’ll show you a good time later.”
Now it was his turn to have his face darken a few shades, “Well, I have a surprise for you on the Ferris Wheel that I think you’ll like.”
She gasped, “Ooh, tell me!”
“Sorry, I can’t. Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
“You’re no fun.”
✧ ✧ ✧
As the Ferris Wheel stopped moving at last, Bob was still clinging to Linda as if he was some scared little kid. Once he got ahold of himself, he backed away from her a bit. He took a deep, shaky breath, wondering for a moment if this was a wise decision after all and if he’d even be able to go through with this. This was the moment that would change the course of his and Linda’s lives forever. There would be no going back once he asked this question. Months upon months of dating had led to this singular moment that meant the world. No, the universe.
“Lin, there’s something I want to ask you, but I don’t want you to feel pressured to say yes.”
“That reminds me there’s something I need to tell you, too.” She bit her lip, almost seeming guilty. “But you can say your thing first.”
He wondered what she wanted to tell him, but decided he should focus on what he’d dragged them here to do.
He took another shaky breath and allowed himself to grab her hands again. They were still soft somehow.
“Oh God, what’s happening?” Linda asked, sounding breathless. He was curious if this was positive or not.
“Linda Marie Genarro.” Bob had never said her full name out loud like this. He had never deemed it necessary, as it seemed much too formal for his liking. Lin worked just fine most of the time. But in this instance, saying her full name was necessary. It carried weight, and it just felt fitting for the situation. “I know things haven’t been perfect between us, and they never will. But having met your parents, and you having met my dad, made me realize I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. Of course, there have been other cases where I realized this, too. Like whenever I hear your laugh. Or you make up some song about the condiments in our restaurant. Or that time you saved my life on our first date, even though you don’t remember that I was having an Allergic Reaction.”
Linda was already teary-eyed and flapping her hands near her face to dry her eyes. “Wait, that was an Allergic Reaction?”
He nodded. “It was, but that’s not important. What’s important is that I want you with me as long as we’re both alive. I can’t see any future where this doesn’t happen. At least, I don’t want to see any future where this doesn’t happen. What I’m trying to ask you, in one question, is… Lin, will you marry me?”
To his immense relief, she gave an immediate nod and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “Oh, Bobby, that was beautiful. Of course, I will. But on one condition.”
Raising his eyebrows, he moved away from her again. “Wait, what’s the condition?”
“You need to propose to me the right way. Get on one knee, mister.”
He let out a laugh, his hands resting on his aching knees. “That’s your condition?”
His face became a bit more serious after a second. “I don’t have a ring to offer you, though. I’m sorry. Oh God, maybe you shouldn’t have said yes—”
“No, no, none of that, Bob. You know I don’t care about some ring. It’s just some jewelry—one piece of jewelry could never represent our love and all we’ve built together. Don’t you agree? All I’m asking is that you get on one knee for show. It’s tradition.”
He grinned and did as she asked. He lowered himself on one knee, and it made a popping sound. In his head, he prayed that wasn’t anything serious. He then offered her the empty black box he’d gotten for the occasion. “I’ll ask you again. Lin, will you marry me?”
She fanned her face again, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He rolled his eyes with a fond smile. “Oh, now you’re crying?”
“It just… it feels different now with you on one knee and you giving me the box. I thought you said you didn’t have a ring, though.” She already sounded choked up and wrapped her arms around Bob again.
“I don’t have a ring. It’s just an empty box.” He opened it to show her. “But it’s a nice box, right?”
He held out his hand because he didn’t know what else to do at that moment. She gave him a powerful high-five and threw an excited punch into the air.
“Yes, it is, Bobby. And yes, I will marry you. I’m going to be a frickin’ bride! I can’t wait to rub this in Colleen’s face. She won’t be the only married woman around here anymore.” Linda smirked at the sky, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned. He knew he shouldn’t be, though. Linda wouldn’t do anything illegal. At least he hoped so.
He blinked and then remembered that Linda had news to share too. “Wait, what did you want to say to me?”
“Oh, right. Well…” She looked down, unable to meet his eyes all of a sudden. “Let’s just say that it was fantastic that you asked me to marry you. Or else things would be a bit… awkward. Maybe.”
“Awkward? Why? Should I be worried about something?”
“Not worried. It’s not scary news or anything. No one died. Uh, kind of the opposite, as a matter of fact.” She took a deep breath, not unlike the one he’d taken earlier. “Bob, I just found out yesterday that I’m… okay, I just have to say it. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. I’m pregnant.”
Bob thought asking Linda to marry him would change everything. But this… this changed everything. His entire world would never be the same.
Linda was pregnant with his child. She would have the baby. And he was the father.
Father.
Oh God, he couldn’t be a father. Not after his experiences with his own father, working night and day in the restaurant, always at his beck and call. And Bob was always walking on eggshells around him once his mother passed away. He didn’t have a healthy childhood. What if it was the same for his own child? What if he forced them to have to attend therapy sessions? Or worse?
He felt as if he were drowning. He couldn’t do this. Not when he couldn’t even keep his restaurant afloat.
But then, like a miracle, Linda threw him a life preserver. “Bob? Are you all right? Say something, please.”
She rubbed soothing circles on his arm. “Are you nervous? I am, too. Bobby, I’m terrified. I’d suspected I was pregnant for a while because of my symptoms, but when that positive came up on that pregnancy test… I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. What if I messed this kid up? What if… what if they didn’t even like me?”
These seemed more like thoughts Bob would have rather than Linda, but he continued to listen.
“But then I remembered I wouldn’t be going through this alone. I’d have you the entire time. And you’ll have me. We’ll figure this out, okay? And I can guarantee this baby is going to be so excited to meet her dad. She’ll be so proud of you, Bobby, I know it.” Linda patted her stomach, smiling, and Bob looked up at her.
“How do you know the baby will be a she?” He asked, and Linda snorted.
“Just a feeling. Motherly instincts. But I meant what I said. We’ll get through this, and being parents will be a wonderful, rewarding experience, I think. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, despite my initial fear when I found out we’re having a baby.”
“Oh, my God.” He glanced at her stomach, which wasn’t showing yet, but he knew the truth. “You’re carrying our child. She’s right there.”
Linda smiled and grabbed his hand to place it on her stomach. “She just couldn’t wait to exist, so she could be your daughter, Bobby.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and he couldn’t help the small, stupid smile forming on his face. “We’re going to be parents, Lin. We’re going to be married and become parents.”
“I’m so glad I threw my arm out and got my ring caught in your mustache.”
“Me too.”
“Do you think she’ll like Neil Diamond?”
Linda snorted again. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”
He could tell she was joking, and grinned, when Bob thought he heard something muffled coming from below them. Confused, Bob looked down and noticed Teddy standing on the ground, waving at them.
“Bob! Linda! Hi!” Bob could at last make out what he was trying to say.
“Teddy!” Bob shouted back. “What’re you doing here?”
Teddy tried to say something else, but Bob couldn’t comprehend it.
“Do you know what he’s saying?” He asked Linda.
She listened as Teddy repeated his statement and opened her mouth as if that would help her comprehend everything. “I think he’s trying to say that the ride broke down and he’s helping get it fixed.”
Bob hadn’t even noticed that they hadn’t been moving for quite some time. He was so caught up in trying to propose to Linda in a way she loved that everything else had disappeared. His guessing had been correct, and he hoped it would continue to be correct until Teddy could fix the ride and help them get back on the ground. He didn’t do well with heights.
But Linda laced her fingers into his, and it reminded him he wasn’t alone, and never would be. And now they had wedding planning to look forward to (he guessed it would be a simple one, knowing them and their busy schedule) and a child to raise. He couldn’t wait to tell Linda later that one of his ideas for a name if the baby was a girl, was Tina. He wondered what she would think.