Chapter 53:...But I'm Yours

*ZOEY'S POV*

It has been over a year and Terry and Mac have moved in with us.  They spend so much time here, it was pointless to keep paying on two different houses.

I never thought it possible, but I couldn't be happier.  There have been a few setbacks, like not being able to just go with the flow and accept how fast things were going and accepting him moving in.  Believe me, that damn near took a miracle - and an argument that I really feel was a make or break.  Thankfully it turned out to be a make.

I'm not going to lie, things haven't been perfect, there were some things both men just needed to understand - like our friendship.  It was a little easier because they are friends, but it was still a struggle every now and then.

Either way, things are going surprisingly well.  Amy and Mac are happy together.  They have been serious for about six months.  I never thought she would go for his skinny ass, but I guess it's working for them.

I think things really are where they should be right now.

*TERRY'S POV*

"Hey man, can I talk to you about something," Mac comes down in his speedos interrupting my breakfast.

"Sure, but cover your junk up, man.  I'm trying to enjoy my breakfast, not throw it back up." I tell him.

"Coming from the guy grizzly-bearin' it over there," he jabs back.

"Fair enough," I tell him, "so what's up?"

"Captain called me in yesterday, I got a job offer in Bridgeport," he tells me.

"Oooh, Bridgeport is an awful big city dude." I reply.

"Yeah but it's a significant pay increase and title.  I'd be stupid not to take it," he replies.

"Probably true, but what about Amy?" I ask.

"I don't know.  I care about her," he admits.

I look at him seriously, "Dude, you have to talk to her about it.  I thought y'all were getting serious."

"Yeah, that's the track we're going on, but I don't think we're quite there yet.  I mean, is she going to go with me?" he asks, more rhetorically than anything.

"Hmm, I can't imagine the kind of hell you'd get from both Amy and Zoey.  By the time they're done with you, it'd be better off if you were in Bridgeport."

Mac laughs, "Ha!  Yeah, you're right there, I don't know, I guess I'll talk to her tonight."

*AMY'S POV*

"Hey baby, can I talk to you?" Mac asks just when I'm getting dinner on the table.

"Sure, let's just talk and eat." I reply and he follows me to the table. 

Zoey and Terry aren't back from wherever they went today, so it's just the two of us.

We sit down at the table and I can tell he's nervous.  Uh-oh.  What if he's about to propose?  I don't know if  I'm ready to get married...and I'm not sure if I want to marry him...so now I'm hoping he's not trying to propose.

I take a deep breath, smile, and ask him, "What'd you need to talk to me about honey?"

He leans back and sighs, "Before I say this, maybe I should take away your knife...and fork...and any other sharp object you might have."

Huh?

"What is it?" I ask him, very curious now.

He sighs again.  Damn, him and his sighing, "I got a transfer to Bridgeport."

"Bridgeport?  You want to live in Bridgeport?" I ask.

"It's a big pay increase, and yeah, I wouldn't mind living there." He answers.

I am skeptical, "Honey, you complain about traffic here.  Do you know how much worse it is there?"

"Yeah, but I won't have to drive in it." He says.

Oh, ok.

"So what does this mean for us?" I ask him.  Things are going really great and I don't want to end it, but it's too soon to talk about moving somewhere together...and Bridgeport?  Ick.

"Well...you could come with me..." he starts.

My gut reaction is to tell him hell no...that can't be good.

"I don't know about that..." I start.

"Yeah, I thought that would be your reaction..." he sounds a little disappointed.

"I mean, did you expect me...?" I start.

He shakes his head, "Oh no, I completely understand...we're not really there yet."

"I would like to be there some day though..." I offer.

He thinks for a moment before making another suggestion, "Ya' know, we could always try to keep a long-distance thing going...Bridgeport isn't that far from here..."

"It's like four hours...but I guess...maybe...we could do that," I reply.

He smiles and we agree, "Okay then."

We eat dinner and clear the table.  The entire time I'm thinking about how in the hell I'm going to get this thing to work.

*ZOEY'S POV*

"Hey Mr. Fix-it...I need your magic hands..." I call to T.

"Oooh, that sounds fun," He walks up behind me and wraps his hands around my waste.

I giggle (God help me, I giggle) and reply, "That's not what I'm talking about.  The dishwasher broke."

His face falls jokingly, "Oh, ok...I'm on it."

He gets down in front of the dishwasher and starts rattling off different things that could be wrong with it.

"I hope you're not doing that for my benefit, I don't speak kitchen appliance jargon," I tell him.

He laughs out loud as I head to the living room.

I sit down and settle in with my Kindle, just relaxing, expecting Terry to come in any time.

Finally, I hear his footsteps coming into the living room before I look up to see him.

"Can you come here for a second?" he asks.
I look at him curiously, but get up, "What's going on?"
"I love you, you know that, right?" he asks.
"Of course, I love you too," I reply.

He pulls me toward him into a deep, passionate kiss.  

When he holds me like this, I feel safer than I have ever felt in my life.  I never thought another person would make me feel this way, but he does.

I know that when I'm with him, everything is fine.

How's that for a big dose of sappy?  Ha!  I surprise myself sometimes, believe me.

He pulls away and looks at me with a look of pure admiration...it's taken me awhile to become comfortable with this expression, but he does it so much that it was get over it or smack it off his face every time, and let's just say that got exhausting.

"Do you know how happy you make me?" he asks.

I smile, "As you do for me.  What's with all the questions tonight, T?"

"I'm just realizing something," he says.

"Care to share?" I ask.

This isn't like him.  He's usually direct and to the point.  That's one of the reasons I love him.  He's a constant fortress of stability and strength - perfect for me.

He clears his throat, "I have never met anyone like you.  You know what I need even before I do, and you have made this last year the happiest in my life.  I would be lucky if you would be willing to make the rest of my years just as happy."

Is he?  Oh...oh...wow...he is...oh crap...I think I might hyperventilate.

Oh shit...don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out...damn, I wish I was sitting...

He gets down on one knee and reaches into his pocket with one hand and takes mine with the other.

He looks down and then back up at me and smiles, but he's nervous...more than I have ever seen him.

"I'm nowhere near good enough for you, I'm not all that smart, or romantic, or good with words, but I know the best thing I have going for me is ever since I somehow got you in my arms, I have never let you go, and I won't..." he starts before his voice catches and he has to take a deep breath and start again.

"...I will never, ever let you go...I will do my best every day to take care of you when you need it, and leave you alone if you need that...and I will never make you feel like you are anything less than perfection, because that is exactly what you are."

Damn him, I'm blubbering.  Don't pass out, don't pass out.

"Zoey, would you consider becoming my wife and making me happier than I ever thought I would be?"

Normally I would be pissed off that he is completely blind-siding me with this, but I have to forgive him...with a proposal like that, how could I be mad?

"Absolutely." I answer, "Of course I will."

He lets out his breath and smiles, slipping a shining diamond ring on my finger.

And that's it...I'm engaged...like, really, actually engaged.

He jumps off his feet, grabs me and twirls me around in the air, laughing.  If it were anyone else, I would be scared out of my wits, but I know he would never let me fall.  I guess that's a pretty good reason to marry someone, right?

"And by the way," I whisper to him, "for a guy that's not good with words, that was the greatest proposal of all time."