It Feels Like

"So, when am I getting grandbabies?"

Keri stopped chopping up potatoes and shot her mother the look of death. "Mom, really."

"What?" her mother asked. "You've been dating him for over a year. And you're not getting any younger, you know."

"I'm in my thirties. I don't think it's an emergency."

"I'm not getting any younger either."

Keri sighed. "Are you guilt-tripping me?"

Her mother reached an arm out to pull Keri into a half-hug. "No, honey. I'm just teasing you. I would love a grandbaby, though. I've given up on your sister. She’s too interested in her dog rescue. And with you and Brad moving in together two months ago, well, I thought maybe you were getting more serious."

Her mom was right; she had moved in with Brad right after the season had started. He had pushed her, saying that they'd been dating for a full year and it was only natural. In all honestly, Keri hadn't put up much of a fight. She and Brad spent almost every night together when he was in New York. And they'd spent the entire summer together. And now they were home for his first Christmas with her family. He'd met them before, but the first family Christmas was different, denoting that things really were serious. And maybe they were, even if everything felt the same. She still loved him and they still worked at keeping their relationship strong through his hectic schedule.

Instead of moving into his condo, Brad had sold it and bought a townhouse on a residential street. Keri didn't even ask how much the place cost. Probably a fortune. And even though her career was going well and she never wanted for money, she could never have afforded dropping millions on a townhouse in Manhattan. Right before he closed on it, he asked her to move in with him. She couldn't say no. The place was too homey and beautiful. And Brad was too important to her.

"Things have always been serious with Brad," she finally told her mom.

"Your dad likes him."

Keri glanced over at her mom. "Do you?"

"I love him. He's been so good to you and for you. I just don't know how you manage with him traveling so much."

"Phones and Skype."

"Do you have phone sex?"

"Mom! Come on!"

Keri's mom chuckled and went back to the tray of cookie dough. "Fine. I won't pry."

They continued on in comfortable silence, Keri dumping the cubed potatoes in the pot to boil and her mom finishing up the sheet of cookies and throwing them in the oven. Keri washed her hands and followed her mom back into the living room. Brad and her father were standing in the corner by the bookshelves. Football was on television, but neither of them was paying attention. Instead, they were standing close together, their heads bent down while they murmured in low tones.

"Hey, no secrets," she told them, walking over and sliding her arm around Brad's waist. He stiffened for a moment and then leaned into her, throwing his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close. Even after a year together, his touch still made her smile. He had on a horrible Christmas sweater, but he smelled wonderful and she settled into his embrace with ease.

"We were planning. Your parents are going to come visit us now that we have an extra bedroom in the townhouse," he said, dropping a kiss on her temple.

"And I'm going to my first hockey game," her dad said with a smile.

Keri rolled her eyes and glanced up at Brad. "Do you know what you're getting into? He's obsessive-compulsive when it comes to sports. When I was fourteen, my dad stood in that spot for four hours during a football game." She pointed at a worn place on the edge of the area rug in the living room. "He thought they played better when he was there."

Brad laughed and shifted his eyes over to Keri's dad. She watched her dad shrug. "They won, didn't they?" he asked.

"They did," she conceded.

************************************************

After Christmas Eve dinner, everyone settled into the living room. Her younger sister and her husband were wedged on the far end of the couch while her mom and dad took up the other two cushions. Two of the dining room chairs had been pulled in to provide her aunt and uncle places to sit. Her cousin and his wife were on the loveseat with their teenage daughter who had her face in her cell phone, texting friends.

"Brad's going to teach me about hockey," her dad told everyone during a lull in the conversation. "We're going to see him play next month."

"If it doesn't snow and ruin the roads," her mom added.

"You're always worried about the roads. I've got four-wheel drive, woman."

"I'm not going to end up dead in a ditch because you think you can drive on ice."

Keri was sitting on Brad's lap in the oversized armchair. She looked down at him and rolled her eyes at her parents' bickering. He gave her a small smile that looked nervous and tight. Keri wondered what was wrong with him. He'd seemed on edge since that afternoon.

"Hey, I've got a question for you," Brad said softly, laying his hand on her thigh.

Keri raised her brows. "Oh, yeah? What's the question?"

"Can you stand up?" he replied.

She laughed but stood up. "What kind of question is that?"

"That's not my question." Brad's eyes went from her to her dad, then back to her. Keri glanced over at her dad. When she looked back, Brad was pushing himself out of the armchair. Before her brain could process the situation, he had dropped to one knee and was pulling something out of his pocket.

"Holy shit."

Keri glanced over her shoulder at her little teenage cousin who had torn her eyes away from her phone to comment on what Brad was doing. When she looked back at Brad, he had an open jewelry box in his hand. A gorgeous diamond ring was inside. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't make out the details, but she could see that it was gorgeous. Knowing him, it was probably the classiest, most stylish, and most tasteful ring he could find in New York City.

"What are you doing?" she whispered as he reached out to take her left hand. She knew full well what he was doing, but her brain couldn't seem to comprehend.

"First, I have to confess that the night you sat down at my table in the diner, I felt like this might end up happening."

"What?"

"I felt like I'd probably end up asking you this question. And I have fought it. And I know you have fought it. But, destiny, you know?"

Keri's heart was galloping and her face was flushed while tears gathered in her eyes.

"So, my question is: will you marry me?"

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Brad's handsome, unturned face. He still looked absolutely ridiculous in his Christmas sweater with reindeer on it, though.

"Keri, you're making me nervous," he said softly.

She dropped to her knees in front of him and threw her arms around his neck. "Yes. Of course, yes. Yes, yes, yes."

Notes