Snuggled in against Hector, content in his arms, Andi shut her eyes and smiled. Perfectly at peace with the entire
world in this instant. The feel of the ring warm against her fingers like a small sun as her hand rested against his
chest.
"Perfect night." She whispered softly. "Brilliant idea."
"Oh can't take credit for it all." Hector said. "I didn't cook at all, I didn't make the weather, and it would have all gone
to hell if you had said no." He said with a chuckle. "But you're welcome anyway."
Her soft smile stretched and spread and she tipped her head back, throat pale in the dim light, to look up at him.
Reaching up with the hand the ring was on, she tenderly traced his face with her fingertips.
"I can't imagine a time or place I would have told you 'no'." She stated softly, eyes warm and smiling. All this - for her.
It had been for him too and she was glad. But - he'd been thinking of her when he planned it. He looked - so - she
couldn't think of the right word. Something that mixed peaceful and content with happy and 'right where he wanted to
be'. Soul soothed and filled up with both the way he was loved and the way he loved. Handsome and dark and warm
as fire in the light from the house and the torches and the night around them. Gentle she curved her hand against
his cheek. So that both her and the ring - that promise - touched him.
"I haven't told you lately what an amazing man you are, have I?" She asked quietly.
"I try." Hector said, stroking her hand and wrist that was against his face. "But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It was a
nice send off I think." Purposefully surrounding themselves with people who loved AND supported them. Both of
those facts were important in their world, because lately they'd had very little of it.
"It was." She agreed. Softening under his gentle touch. He loved her. And it was in the little things he did as well as
the great, large things. "I'm glad we came here." Her eyes found his, smiling in their depths. Despite everything, the
good here had far, far outweighed any bad. She had healed here. And it would always be a precious, special place
to her. Something he'd given her because of his love. Her lips shifted upward and she added softly:
"And I'm glad our friends were here tonight when you asked me to marry you."
"Well, it was only fair." Hector pointed out. "Your tribe and parents get the wedding, my tribe gets the engagement.
Besides, if I didn't do it in front of Jo, she might not have believed I did it at all in an appropriate manner!" He added
with a chuckle.
If Jo hadn't seen it with her own eyes, there was a chance she would have thought he'd merely handed her the box
and went 'here!'
She laughed quietly.
"Well, if it averted the Wrath of Jo." She teased with a grin. Leaning up to kiss him softly. "It was perfect." She
murmured against his lips. "And I'm glad everyone got to share in it. Having people that love us here made things
even sweeter." Gentle she tucked strands of his waving hair back from his face. Smiling. "I love you. My constant
'wow' moment."
"Ooh, no pressure there." Hector teased. "Yeah, we're spreading it around fairly between two different continents."
That was always a balancing act.
Meanwhile a poodle barked as a woman bellowed for it to get its mongrel hide back in the house. The woman of
course had spied enough. And had more than enough ammunition against Paige. She'd been lording over the
neighborhood that she was the soon to be Mrs Hector Garrett, just rubbing it in that some other women had
disappointing husbands waiting for them.
Of all the balancing acts they had to perform, Andi thought this one was one of the more pleasant. There was so
much they both did that should have been polar and yet they managed to reconcile it. Spreading themselves
between two places they loved was comfortable.
It would be balancing his job and their time together that was going to be the painful bit. Gentle she tucked her face
into his throat. They'd manage it. Because it was worth managing.
"I'm going to miss here." She murmured softly. "And not just for the hot water heater." Her lips smiled against his
throat. "But for the privacy and the space and the green of it. I've never had so much room all to myself before."
He chuckled at her observance of 'privacy.' Between the neighbors and the hordes, there really wasn't much of it
when it came right down to it. His family, her family, friends, all nosy in varying degrees of pleasantness. Jo was just
as nosy as Beth, her nosiness was just more appreciated.
"We can come back here." He reminded her. "Lots. It's not like it's going away, far too inland to be blown away by a
hurricane, unlike the fisherman's shack. So we should keep that idea abstract." If a hurricane came (again) there
was a good chance it would be blown away and swept away. But, the owner would just put another one up.
She gave a pleased, humming chuckle at the thought of the fisherman's cabin they'd rented on the beach. If she had
an idea of what heaven was like it had surely been replaced with a tiny little cabin with a broken water heater on an
empty, storm tossed beach.
"I would personally volunteer to help him rebuild if our hide away on the beach ever gets blown away." She stated
with a smile. "Especially if that means we'd have to stay there while we were working on it." She lifted her head to
press a kiss to his jaw. "And I want to come back here. Often. With you. After all," she teased, "the bike I apparently
started dating you over is here."
"Ah yes. Can't forget that." He said with a laugh. "If they only knew you didn't even know if I drove anything for over a
year!" Besides humvees and military jeeps that is. Even the ones without licenses drove those! "Course, if we don't
get a hurricane, that beach will fill up faster than flies on honey with fishermen and the like."
"Did you call your parents yet and let them know we're coming over there?"
Andi made a soft fluttering noise and her eyes winced even as the edges of her lips started to curve into a grin.
"No." She admitted with a laugh. "I - mm, got a bit distracted. We should call them. If only to get someone to pick us
up once we get to the city." But she was smiling and playing with the ring on her finger, eyes full of laughter and
happiness. Wanting to tell her mum and share in the verbal excitement.
"Then you should go call them." He said. "I'll finish the clean up out here." He offered, to give her that private
moment with her parents.
"Yeah?" Her eyes lit as she looked up at him. Part of her wanted to subject him to telling her mum and da. But a part
of her expected to do too much giggling and other girlish usually embarrassing and avoided noises with her mum
once she told her. There were certain things you just didn't do to the man you loved and she was fairly sure getting
bouncy and squealy was one of them. Winding her long fingers in his thick hair she drew him down for a very long,
very thorough kiss. Such a wonderful man.
"I won't take too long." She promised. "Mum and Da are going to want to talk to you anyway. If they can still talk after
I get done with them."
"Oh boy." Hector said. "I'll try not to get lost in the yard then." He joked. "Go on, before their day really starts." Given
the time difference it was just early morning there. If that. "I'll tackle the cans about, and the paper plates, before
they blow away, or worse yet, it rains."
She gave him another quick kiss. So - wonderfully in love with him. And then a grin and she got up and let herself
into the house. Steps a little bit lighter than before.
There was the temptation to surprise them of course. Not mention the engagement and just wait until they were
physically there and see how long it took her mum to hone in on the ring. But - honestly, she didn't think she could
keep it out of her voice. And - well, they did need a bit of a warning that they were in charge of putting together a
wedding, didn't they? Pleased she snuggled up on the couch and cradled the phone while she used the phone card
to dial the innumerable amount of numbers needed to get through to them.
She listened to the distant ring over the receiver, tinny and far away. And then -
"Da!" Her eyes danced. "Love you. Now, put Mum on the line?"
Hector went over the backyard with a trash bag, picking up the remnants and emptying the charcoal out of the
cooled off grill. Pushed the picnic tables back against the house. Headed out along the side toward the front to throw
the bag in the garbage, and see if anyone tore up his lawn.
Her father laughed, but dutifully handed the phone over to his wife. Jeanette came on the line with a laugh of her
own after dropping a quick kiss on her husband's cheek.
"Andromache! What a pleasant surprise. We haven’t heard from you, in, well, a couple of days!"
"I know it's not scheduled." Andi admitted and her mother laughed.
"Bebe, you don't need to plan to call us. You know that. Anytime we hear you it’s a good time."
"I know." Andi curled her legs up close to her.
"So you sound happy." Jeanette could practically hear her daughter glowing over the phone line. "It's been good for
you being there, hasn't it? He's good for you, isn't he?"
"Oh Mum." Andi swallowed. "Mum - he asked me to marry him."
The sound her mother made wasn't exactly a word but it was surprisingly loud for such a 'refined' looking woman and
Sean jumped a bit, turning from the random thought he'd just been scribbling down on a piece of stray paper to look
at his wife with raised eyebrows. Jeanette waved her arms happily and bounced a bit. Which implied happiness even
if it gave him no clue as to why. But it had him chuckling anyway.
"Oh, bebe!" Her mother's voice was all girlish thrill and enthusiastic hugs and Andi laughed. Surprised to realize her
own eyes were watery.
"He invited all our friends here over for a cook out. And then he asked. Right there in front of everyone. Like he
wanted the most important people in his world to know how he felt."
"Oh... bebe..." it was a sigh. Jeanette wiped at her eyes and, a bit concerned, Sean came over and sat on the bed
next to her.
"It's his grandmother's ring, mum. He had it resized to fit me."
"Oh..." Her mother's sniffed over the phone, voice watery. "My little girl." And then there was an inhale, and, voice
more normal, Jeanette asked: "You did tell the boy 'yes', didn't you?"
Andi laughed, an only slightly watery sound.
"Yeah." She exhaled it. Grin wide enough to almost hurt. "Yeah, mum. I almost knocked him over I was so emphatic
in my 'yes'."
"Oh... bebe." Her mother was back to chuckling and sighing. Right about then, Sean took the phone away.
"Said 'yes' to what?" He asked over the line. "Why's your mother crying and looking like she's happy enough to
explode?"
"Hector asked me to marry him, Da." She repeated. Not at all minding repeating it.
"Bout bloody time." Sean stated. But you didn't have to see him to hear the way his smile was splitting his face.
"Where is he? Put him on the phone. Wait!" His voice softened. "You want this, don't you Drommie?"
"Oh, da." She sighed it, heart in her voice. "More than I want my next breath."
"Ah." His voice was a bit rough and he nodded even though she couldn't see it, Jeanette tucked in against his side
and trying not to cry she was so happy. "Good then. He's a good boy. Man - he's a good man. You're sure he's the
one you want?"
She laughed now. Hearing the teasing in his voice. "Oh yes. Yes, very much. I'm definitely going to keep this one."
Tipping her head back to listen for the door when Hector came in.
Her father's laugh came over the receiver and he could have been right next to her the way it carried everything with
it. "That's my girl." He was proud. Then softened. "I'm very proud of you, baby girl. You know I love you."
She sniffed, grinning.
"I know, Da. More than words."
Hector put the lid down on the large garbage can and dragged it out to the curb then hightailed it back inside when
he spied out of the corner of his eye neon rollers and blonde hair talking across the street.
Shit, the news was out. He might have to wake his sisters up in the middle of the night now.
But a strategic withdrawal was sometimes so much better than a hostile confrontation, he thought as he shut the
door behind him and locked up, seeing Andi was still on the phone.
He raised an eyebrow to ask if it was all going all right.
She was laughing when Hector came in and she stretched out her hand for his.
"Yeah." She answered over the phone. "We even got pictures! So you can pretend you were here too. Yeah." The
slightly watery sigh. "It was." Her eyes found Hector's and somehow, her smile widened. "Yeah, he's here."
And just like that she handed him over to the wolves.
"Da wants to talk to you." She covered the phone. "And we're still on the ring so I haven't mentioned going there
yet." She raised her face and kissed him. "You can pull that surprise if you'd like."
As soon as he took the phone, Sean stated:
"Bout bloody time you got around to asking us to marry you!"
"Well, had to be somewhat sure she'd say yes on all y'all's behalf." Hector said with a chuckle as he sat down,
holding Andi's hand. He paused a moment to kiss her hand as her father kept up his good natured ragging on him
"Oh! Before I forget." Hector said. "We're flying out of here tomorrow night. A more direct flight than last time," since
it was arranged in the civilian sector and all, "so we should be in Africa...." He calculated in his head. "Today's
Monday, we fly out of here Tuesday, which is actually Wednesday for you, so Thursday."
There was a very male 'whoop'ing noise just off to the side of the phone and a brief minute where Jeanette's voice
was muffled and indistinct, demanding the phone, before her voice came over the line.
"What's that?" She asked but Sean's rumbling voice was already filling her in 'off stage' and you could actually hear
the burst of smile spread across her face before she even spoke. When she did it was in her voice like the sun.
"You're coming here?! Oh, bebe... I'm so - oh, Sean wants to know what time your plane's going to be late at the
airport so he can go sit and wait. I'm so glad you're coming!" Sean's chuckling rumble off to the side. "We're so glad
you're coming." She corrected herself with laughter. "It's going to be so good to see both of you."
Andi, skin glowing, shifted over to curl against Hector's side, tucking her folded legs against his. Hand still content
and warm in his.
"Well, it will be a pleasure to be around people who feel that way, ma'am." He said with a laugh, tension of the day
finally fully rolling off him. It had been mostly gone during the party, but seeing his neighbor ratting him out to
everyone else had started to bring it all back. "We should, the operative word being should, be landing at around
eight at night."
Jeanette's laugh carried over the line.
"I'll send Sean at seven. That will keep him out of trouble until about midnight when your plane finally does get in.
Then we'll let you two sleep for a day or two -"
"Separate rooms!" Sean's voice clarified in the background and Jeanette laughed.
"Wherever you want. But I'm going to want to be able to throw a party at some point."
"Give me that phone, woman." Sean's voice again and a chirpy comment from Jeanette had Sean on the phone,
laughing under his breath.
"Females. Thank God you're coming to even the balance a bit. Seriously though, lad. We've a question and if
Drommie's listening you need t' tell her t' stick her fingers in her ears. Right? Now - have you got a date figured out
for the wedding yet? It's fine if not but I've - we've a gift in mind and I want to make sure its ready. Stop poking,
Jeanie. I'm asking, I'm asking. Lad?"
"Actually..." Hector said with a look at Andi, since she was curled up against him, she could most likely hear her
father's booming voice. "We don't have a date set. Depends a lot on you, and I guess how fast you can throw a
wedding together, since we're getting married in Africa, and you're the only clergyman I know there."
There was a sudden silence on the other line. A familiar frozen stillness in the pause. And then Jeanette's voice to
the side.
"Sean? What's happened?"
"Tell him to repeat himself." Sean's voice was gruff in the background and there was the sound of him clearing his
throat. Puzzled more than alarmed, Jeanette's voice came over the line.
"Bebe, what did you do? He says you're supposed to repeat yourself?"
"Uh....I don't know...." Hector said and looked at Andi. "He asked about a wedding date...I said as soon as he could
arrange it, and well...." He didn't know Sean well enough to interpret anything over the phone. "I mentioned we'd be
more than pleased if he'd marry us...and then you got on the phone. Is he still breathing?"
"You'd like him to marry you?" Jeanette's voice rose and bloomed. "Of course he will! We'll need plane tickets and
someone to watch the mission - "
"Here, Jeanie." Sean's voice in the background. From the sounds of it he was blowing his nose. "They're coming
here to get married."
"Here?!" It was close to the original inarticulate sound but - just - managed not to be. "Here? Bebe, you're coming
here for the wedding?!" And then it went a bit watery and Sean's voice came back on the line.
"Christ, boy." He cleared his throat again. But you could hear the emotion in his voice anyway. "Now you've gone
and made Jeanie get soppy." The way it was said hardly sounded like an accusation though. Sean's voice softened.
"We didn't think we'd get the chance to see our little girl get married, lad. I can't tell you what this means to us." He
cleared his throat again. "Come on home, son. We'll work out the details once you get here, yeah?"
"Yup, when we get there we'll work out all the details, just keep it, you know, in mind." Hector said and cleared his
throat. "So, here's Andi." He said and passed her the phone. "I'm going to go lock up." He said and kissed her cheek
before getting up.
Could locking up have been put off? Oh absolutely. But Hector also came from a family that didn't express emotion
unless it involved screaming at the top of the lungs with possible blows being exchanged. The 'good' kind of emotion,
openly displayed, he really didn't know how to deal with.
Andi took the phone from Hector and watched him go, eyes soft.
"Oh, Da" she murmured over the phone. "What did you say to him?"
"I told him to come home, Drommie. He belongs with us now too." His voice was still a bit gruff. So he cleared his
throat one more time. "You two take care of each other on the flight over now. I know it’s a long haul. You've got
cash for customs?"
"Da." Andi had been dealing with the 'African' style of travel, which included a lot of bribes and a lot of waiting, since
she was just knee high. And yet, like clockwork, her father always asked.
"Just checking." He defended and than his voice softened. "It’s going to be good to see you, Drommie. You and your
man. Be gentle with him. He's got a good soul. But his eyes are too aware of the way this world can be."
Andi swallowed.
"I know, Da. I'll be gentle."
"Good." Her father's voice was back to its usual level. "I don't want him hurt. Or you. You be good and we'll see you
when you get here." His voice softened again. "I'll be waiting for you just like always when you get out of the airport,
right baby?"
"I know." The smile was in her voice was well as her face. "Go cheer mum up with ideas of all the ways she's going to
spoil Hector when we get there, yeah?"
Her da chuckled.
"Love you, baby girl."
"I love you too, Da. More than words."
The connection broke and Andi sat on the couch, holding the phone cradled against her. Missing them and savoring
the feel of their touch all the way across oceans. She didn't regret this. Here. And she never would. But - that didn't
mean she couldn't miss her parents and her people sometimes too. With an exhale, content inside, she slipped the
phone back on the receiver and made sure the ringer was still turned off. Then she got up and on bare feet, padded
through the house to find Hector.