Una collapsed into a chair in the hospital's waiting room, knees shaky. She had been so determined to help Everett she hadn't even noticed how heavy he was compared to her until a nurse had taken him from her arms and helped him into an examination room.
Would Everett be okay?? She hadn't expected their nice romantic trip to the park to go like this! He hadn't even had a chance to ask her his question.... Which, not that it was important right now, she still didn't know what it was.
It seemed much longer than it really had been before a doctor finally emerged from the examining room.
"How is he?!"
The doctor was reassuring. "Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Your boyfriend has a sprained knee, but he should be all right in a few days. In the meantime, he just needs to stay off his knee as much as possible. We'll give him some crutches - that way you won't have to try and lift him any more." He smiled.
"I'd lift him for a lot longer if I had to," said Una determinedly. "Can I go in and see him?"
Everett was sitting up in bed when Una came in. "Everett!" She raced over and almost threw her arms around him, but thought that might be too much for him with his sprained knee, so she just gave him a kiss on the cheek instead. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Everett looked away from her at the hospital sheets. "They said I could go home as soon as they finish my paperwork."
"So what's wrong?" Una insisted, pulling up a chair beside his bed and getting herself in a good position to listen. She could tell something was bothering him. The Everett she knew wouldn't have been so upset by a little accident.
Everett sighed. "I - I ruined the day. It was supposed to be perfect. I'm sorry, Una."
Una frowned. "What do you mean, you ruined the day?"
"I - okay, I might as well tell you now. This wasn't going to be just an ordinary trip to the park." Everett slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvety box. Una took it from him, and when he didn't try and stop her, she opened the lid.
The large diamond inside glittered at her under the fluorescent lights. "Oh, Everett!"
"I was going to ask you to marry me. I had it all planned out - the perfect day, the perfect ring...." He sighed again. "I guess I picked the wrong day. Or I should have proposed indoors. Or...."
"Or it doesn't matter." Una reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm just happy you're okay, Everett. That makes it a good ending to the day for me. And yes," she added.
Everett blinked. "Yes?"
"What did you just say you wanted to ask me?" Una laughed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
She gave Everett the ring back and let him slip it onto her finger, leaning in as he did so that he could finish with a kiss. Everett smiled as he watched Una twist her hand this way and that, letting her diamond catch the light.
"I guess my parents and your mother were right," Everett remarked as he watched her. "It doesn't matter if the proposal went perfectly or not."
Una laughed. "If nothing else, it does make an interesting story!"
Would Everett be okay?? She hadn't expected their nice romantic trip to the park to go like this! He hadn't even had a chance to ask her his question.... Which, not that it was important right now, she still didn't know what it was.
It seemed much longer than it really had been before a doctor finally emerged from the examining room.
"How is he?!"
The doctor was reassuring. "Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Your boyfriend has a sprained knee, but he should be all right in a few days. In the meantime, he just needs to stay off his knee as much as possible. We'll give him some crutches - that way you won't have to try and lift him any more." He smiled.
"I'd lift him for a lot longer if I had to," said Una determinedly. "Can I go in and see him?"
Everett was sitting up in bed when Una came in. "Everett!" She raced over and almost threw her arms around him, but thought that might be too much for him with his sprained knee, so she just gave him a kiss on the cheek instead. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Everett looked away from her at the hospital sheets. "They said I could go home as soon as they finish my paperwork."
"So what's wrong?" Una insisted, pulling up a chair beside his bed and getting herself in a good position to listen. She could tell something was bothering him. The Everett she knew wouldn't have been so upset by a little accident.
Everett sighed. "I - I ruined the day. It was supposed to be perfect. I'm sorry, Una."
Una frowned. "What do you mean, you ruined the day?"
"I - okay, I might as well tell you now. This wasn't going to be just an ordinary trip to the park." Everett slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvety box. Una took it from him, and when he didn't try and stop her, she opened the lid.
The large diamond inside glittered at her under the fluorescent lights. "Oh, Everett!"
"I was going to ask you to marry me. I had it all planned out - the perfect day, the perfect ring...." He sighed again. "I guess I picked the wrong day. Or I should have proposed indoors. Or...."
"Or it doesn't matter." Una reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm just happy you're okay, Everett. That makes it a good ending to the day for me. And yes," she added.
Everett blinked. "Yes?"
"What did you just say you wanted to ask me?" Una laughed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
She gave Everett the ring back and let him slip it onto her finger, leaning in as he did so that he could finish with a kiss. Everett smiled as he watched Una twist her hand this way and that, letting her diamond catch the light.
"I guess my parents and your mother were right," Everett remarked as he watched her. "It doesn't matter if the proposal went perfectly or not."
Una laughed. "If nothing else, it does make an interesting story!"
A few hours later, Una and Everett were comfortably snuggled up together on the couch, sharing the last of Una's chocolates which lay in the open box between them, as the credits rolled on the movie.
"That was so good," murmured Una, her head resting on Everett's shoulder. "You know - I was looking forward to your plans, whatever they were going to be, but I was really hoping we'd be able to watch this."
Everett gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I wish I'd known. I could have saved myself all this trouble."
Una grinned. "This year, our Valentine's Day plans were on me," she said. "Next year I expect it to be your turn."
Everett felt a warm rush at the thought of next year, that Una was so certain they would be celebrating Valentine's Day together next year. But then... of course, Everett though. He wouldn't have considered anything different.
"I love you, Una," he said.
"I love you too, Everett," she said.
"That was so good," murmured Una, her head resting on Everett's shoulder. "You know - I was looking forward to your plans, whatever they were going to be, but I was really hoping we'd be able to watch this."
Everett gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I wish I'd known. I could have saved myself all this trouble."
Una grinned. "This year, our Valentine's Day plans were on me," she said. "Next year I expect it to be your turn."
Everett felt a warm rush at the thought of next year, that Una was so certain they would be celebrating Valentine's Day together next year. But then... of course, Everett though. He wouldn't have considered anything different.
"I love you, Una," he said.
"I love you too, Everett," she said.
