Episode 714: On Bended Knee

They were quiet, as they had been through much of dinner, though as far as Lucy could tell it had been a comfortable quiet. She hadn’t thought much of it.

"Tonight was nice," she said and she did mean it, through she was also determined to make the effort to focus on what was positive between them, rather than on the negative past. She turned her head to offer him a smile.

His lips lifted on one side. "You didn’t quite get all the ice cream into your mouth." Paul grinned and pressed a thumb to the corner of her lips.

It happened quickly, one minute they were laughing and the next, everything was still and serious and then they kissed, more intensely, Lucy thought, than Paul had ever kissed her before.

"Marry me," he said, once they’d finally pulled apart.

Lucy laughed. She’d thought it a joke, a cute commentary on the amazingness of the kiss, that’s all.

"I mean it, marry me." Paul dropped to one knee right there on the sidewalk, beneath the streetlamp. He produced a ring from his pocket and took Lucy’s hand. "We agreed to try to start over, right? There’s no bigger restart than this, than us as husband and wife."

"I don’t know. If you’d asked…"

"I know I’m late with this, maybe too late. I wish I wasn’t. I wish-" Paul shook his head. "I just wish you’d say yes. At least say you’ll think about it. And wear this while you do." He slipped the ring on her finger.

Lucy started and stared at the ring before finally looking up at him. "I’ll think about it. I will. You know this is complicated."

"Yeah."

"We’re only about five minutes from my door, so I’ll be okay on my own. Just give me that five minutes to myself okay? A couple days. Maybe more. I just… I need some time. I don’t know what to do. My last huge life decision took a lot out of me. I just… I don’t know if I have it in me to make another one. I don’t know…"

Episode 715: A Matter Of Trust