"Okay, that gets you a pass on the 'wow' moment." Sara said, grabbing a napkin to dab at her eyes.
"Screw the wow moment. Put the damn ring on, girl!" Jo got out.
"Yeah..." Andi nodded, smile almost too wide for her face. Skin practically glowing as she rested her forehead against
his and nodded. Her lips touched his again. "That's a most definite 'yeah'."
And, eager to feel the ring on her finger, she offered her hand against his chest. Eyes starting to soften.
"Can I finally see it then?" She asked softening.
"Got it right here." Hector said, showing her the box. A normal jewelry store box.
"You had a hand in this." Amy said to Tommy, laughing.
"Well, someone had to go pick the ring up." He said.
"Okay, he did all right." Jo allowed. "Congratulations."
He slipped the ring on her finger. "Now this ring has been through wars, moving and a whole long marriage in itself.
The only thing it needed was to be resized, so don't be afraid of it."
"Yeah?" She asked, voice a little unsteady as she tucked into him, holding the hand out so they could both see the
way the ring winked against her finger. How perfect and in place it looked on her hand. As if it had been waiting for
her for a very long time.
"Oooh." Mrs. Johnson sighed and stroked the head of Jerry's oldest daughter that had fallen asleep in her lap. "Now
that makes today just about perfect, doesn't it?"
"It definitely does." Hector said and kissed Andi. "She could have said no."
"Then we would have had to jump her." Sara said. "And pummel her until she said yes."
"Well, if nothing else, this will stir things up at the old homestead." Pete said and looked at Hector. "You won't be here
for that, will you?"
Andi hadn't mentioned the marriage or where it was planned to anyone. Not even her parents. She wanted to!
Sometimes she was practically bursting with the news and frankly, it was hard not to tell Jolanda. Because, honestly, it
was hard not to tell Jolanda anything. But it was Hector's choice of where, his gift to her, and she thought it should be
Hector's choice of who would know and when.
Sometimes, despite himself, Pete paid more attention to what was going on in his family than he let on. Even if all he
was thinking about at the moment was the impact this news, Grandma Garrett's ring no less!, would have on the
others. And that he or Sara would probably be the ones that got to drop that bomb. Not that he minded dropping a
bomb like this. Over the phone. They'd be able to hear the harpy shrieking for miles. And, it not being directed at him
for once, he was kind of looking forward to it.
There wasn't a person here that didn't know at least a little something about Hector's family just by sheer dint of
interaction if nothing else.
"Probably not." Hector said easily. "We'll do it in Africa. We're both based there after all. And come back here and
have a hell of a party."
"And that's all that matters!" Chris said, raising his beer. "The party and the celebration. The whole formality stuff, eh,
we'll think of you."
Sara came over and kissed her brother's cheek, then Andi's. "Congratulations you two."
"Holy shit!" Pete had been thinking how badly an official engagement would go over. And with Grandma Garrett's
ring! Asked during the barbeque they'd decided to skip because of snottiness. Having the wedding in Africa - well,
hell, if you were going to sink the boat, blow it the hell out of the water while you were at it. "Holy shit." He laughed.
"How long do we have to sit on this news before you're safely out of the country and we can tell the others?"
Andi smiled at Sara. It meant something to her, that the younger girl, who so obviously adored her oldest brother,
approved. It meant more than she could explain. And she murmured her:
"Thank you." To the girl, eyes warm and full of the shared happiness.
"I'm so in charge of the 'welcome back/congratulations/wedding-after' cake" Jolanda stated.
"You can tell them tomorrow." Hector said, knowing they'd be out most of the day with travel preparations. And the
ringers were off. And he could always kick them off his property if they decided to play nasty instead of nice. "Or
better yet, I will." He said.
"Really?" Pete asked cautiously.
"Absolutely." Hector said. "Serves them right for skipping this anyway. But they'll have to deal with it. Maybe they'll
calm down enough to get a wedding gift."
"Women's wrath. There goes a brave man." Tommy commented to Chris who snorted.
"There goes a brave, stupid man, you mean." Chris retorted. Not at all unhappy with his bachelorhood. Even if, now
and then, moments like this gave him a twinge. There was always something, like moments like this though, that
followed directly after and reminded him why he had it so good.
"Wow." Sara settled down on her heels in front of her brother and his new fiancee. Looked over at Pete. Who
shrugged. They'd been talking. A lot. Even before she'd flown the coop and crashed at his place. She looked back at
her oldest brother and rested a hand tentatively on his knee. "You want us to hang around for that?" She asked,
voice trying for casual.
"Nah." Hector said, patting her hand. "They're going to shoot in a ricochet pattern. Guaranteed. Best if you avoid that
one, trust me. Besides, they can't say anything that will bother me. They still can with you."
It wasn't a slam on Sara's character. It was the truth. She was still closer into that whole network than he had ever
been, having been raised in it. And he knew what it felt like to have your siblings turn their back on you and say
hurtful things because they can. Because they didn't approve of something that you didn't put out for their approval in
the first place.
"But, you can stay here while we're gone." Hector said. And looked at Pete. "Don't worry, the bike will be at Tommy's."
While he couldn't exactly bar Cassie from the house (it being her grandmother's house also), it was an acceptance
that she would probably avoid it. Now.
Sara looked relieved but she gave her brother a smile. Her and Pete had talked. They'd made some decisions about
how the tail end of the family was going to turn out at least. Or at least some of how it was going to turn out. Cohorts
in crime and all that.
"Man." Pete acted like what had just been offered was no big deal. "Just HAD to sent the bike somewhere else, didn't
you? That's not even fair. Chicks dig motorcycles."
"Well if the rest of the family is finding out tomorrow anyway, then I can do my own gossip. Should I hold off until the
pm?" Gladys asked curiously. News like this - well, it was too good to let anyone be the first to announce unless it was
her! But, she loved the boy too. And so she was willing to wait. Just barely. So his sisters didn't get any defenses in
place before he came in with the news.
"I get the bike! All right!" Tommy was gleeful. Turning his attention on Amy, he asked: "You're going to stay with me
now, aren't you?"
"If you've got a bike" Amy agreed. "I guess I can date you a bit longer."
"Yeah, hold off until dinner time at least." Hector said with a grin. "No fair warning to them. Just isn't right. If you can't
annoy your family, who can you?"
Sara nearly spit out her soda. Annoy? Yeah, this was going to be an....annoyance all right.
"See? Chick magnet." Pete said, referring to Amy and Tommy. "Admit it, Andi. It's all about the bike."
Andi looked up at Hector. All he was doing because he loved her. All he'd done. A ring, his friends - his heart and the
rest of his life. Cat in the Hat quotes and desert nights, walking her 'home' to her tent so she could see everything
was safe and secure. Coming for her in the jungle. And holding her afterward. Letting her in to every part of himself.
All that had happened between and all that would happen after...
"Mm." She commented. Resting her hand with its newly glinting ring over Hector's heart. Slow smile spreading as she
met Hector's eyes. "Oh yes. Of course it was. That was the first thing I asked him when we met. You know - name,
nationality - motorbike or not?"
"Shit, the nationality should have been easy to see. If not for the big old US flag on his arm..."
"We don't wear US Flags on our arms. Very little identifiable emblems. Not even our names." Hector corrected Wally.
"...then the down home accent should have been enough to pin point his location in the world." Wally continued,
unfazed.
Hector laughed. "I don't think she was familiar enough with the US to say, 'now there's a guy from Louisiana with
exposure to Texas.'" He said.
"Oh, but still. You're so American. Come on, the car, the bike, the sports?" May said with a smile.
"And I can name you ten guys from Australia that like the same thing, and ten guys from the US that don't." Hector
said with a chuckle.
Andi chuckled while everyone debated how 'American' Hector was. To her he was. Entirely. He and Mike. And so her
impression of Americans was a calm, deceptively looking laid back approach to things with an intensity and
astonishingly snap speed when called for. Which might have suited any nationality and obviously didn't suit every
single American in the world. But it was her impression. And she thought she had ample reason for it.
It was actually his accent that had given him away and that had been in the first minute and a half. Though a bit more
time and details about his uniform and gear probably would have as well. But what she contributed to the discussion
was:
"It was the snogging. He snogs like an American."
"Have we just been insulted?" Jerry asked looking at Hector as if he'd somehow betrayed his country by... well,
whatever the hell 'snogging' was. Sara and Pete, a bit more up on their Austin Powers, started to snicker.
"Nah, she's specialized." Hector said with a laugh.
"We already heard all about the snogging." Sara said.
"And seen more than enough here." Pete said, more than happy to leave the others in the dark about what 'snogging'
was exactly.
Sara took Andi's ring finger and looked at the ring again. "So how come Hector got it?"
"Easy. I'm the first born son of the first born son, whether or not we'll admit it." Hector said. "There are some
advantages with that."
"Cool by me." Pete raised his hands. "It’s not right giving it to one of the girls when they're just going to get a different
one from a guy anyway. And we all know I would have lost it if it had come to me." Besides, he thought even if he
didn't add it, you gave that ring expecting it to stay in the family. And chances were good if Pete ever gave anyone a
ring it would be leaving with them when they went. Either thrown in the bottom of some lake somewhere in retribution
when the engagement got broken or a couple years down the road when the divorce hit. Not faith inducing thoughts
when it came to the future of any heirloom entrusted to him.
Sara hadn't asked in a mean way and so Andi shifted forward against Hector to admire the ring with the younger
woman. It wasn't a gaudy ring, just - old. And elegant. And intricate. On a tiny hand it might have looked funny. But on
Andi's long fingered hands it just seemed to fit.
But she could be a bit prejudiced.
"I still don't know if snoggings the way you eat your food or a noise you make when you sneeze." Jerry protested.
"He's got a point." Catherine offered. "When you have children are they going to say things like 'bugger off, ya'll'?"
Wally perked up.
"You did that really well." He told his wife and she grinned back and arched an eyebrow.
"Is 'snogging' something you do when you forget to bring a toothpick to the restaurant and they've run out?" Jerry
continued. "Somebody feel free to jump in at anytime on this one."
Hector laughed. "We're back to the snogging question again?"
"Well, until someone translates." Jerry said. "Not all of us have left the state, let alone the country."
"We did go to Hawa'ii on our honeymoon." May teased.
"So what is snogging? Haven't been too caught up on my BBC America lately." Gladys said.
Hector rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll show you snogging and you can all feel rather silly after." He said and kissed
Andi.
She and Sara had been snickering over the ring but Hector's touch caught all her attention. Andi's head tipped back
to fit the kiss better, lips parting with a soft, pleased sound as her eyes closed. And there it went - the rest of the
world just slipping away...
The hand with the ring curled against his chest and she returned the kiss completely. Because today had become a
wonderful day and the complete purity of tonight was going to stay inside her for the rest of her life.
"Okay. That's snogging. I get it now." Jerry said. With no reaction from the couple. "Hello?"
Jolanda threw a rice krispie treat at them. "We get the point!" She said as Hector 'came up for air' as it was, laughing
as he tossed the treat back at her.
"Told you they'd come in handy." He said to May.
"Hey, we got pictures. It all evens out." May offered cheerfully. Jerry nodded.
"Ah, I get it now." He was grinning as he said it. "The good ole American way. No wonder you knew he was a good old
boy." He told Andi.
She chuckled, content in Hector's arms and still glowing from the kiss.
"Of course. As I said 'name, nationality, bike'. By the time we got through discovering what nationality he was, the bike
was pretty much just extra icing."
Sara, who wasn't used to seeing her brother with a woman, much less acting like THAT with a woman, was seeing all
new sides of him tonight. It was kind of fun. And a part of her felt vindicated he shared this with her and not the other
sisters. Sometimes it was okay to let a person make their own decisions in their family. She saw Pete going for
another drink and handed him an already opened soda. And sometimes you kind of had to help. She hoped she was
okay with knowing the difference.
"Young folks these days." Gladys smiled.
"She's got a thing for American good old boys." Hector said with a grin. "Luckily I was one of the first she ran into
when she decided that. Coulda gotten messy otherwise."
"Oh I bet." Jolanda said. She looked out in the darkness at the rest of the neighborhood. "Wow, finally a barbeque
with some peace. Usually by the time Tommy's burnt all the burgers the neighbors are coming out of the wood work
like termites."
"They were not burnt." Tommy said. "You enjoyed them."
"I believe our young English lady was doing some threatening with a hose earlier." Mrs. Johnson stated with a
chuckle. Though - she suspected she knew why there hadn't been any unexpected guests. Apparently something
had happened with Hector's sisters because they hadn't shown at all and he'd taken the phone out of the kitchen so
even if it did ring, no one out here would hear it. And as for the other women in the neighborhood... well, Paige had
apparently done something this morning that called for a break in the 'push your way in' approach and Sheila...
honestly, Mrs. Johnson hadn't seen her a great deal lately. The rest of the girls - well, they were a little bit less...
pushy about their interests in Hector. Too bad too in a way. Seeing him pop the question would have broken a few
hard heads if not hearts too. Though than everyone would know about it long before Hector had a chance to tell his
siblings so she supposed it was all for the better.
Honestly, this neighborhood hadn't been this exciting since Dave Pince down the way got his new hot rod and had
that police chase.
"You were threatening with a hose." Jolanda laughed. "Should have used something heavier. Like a sledgehammer."
"Well, the bushes needed watering too." Andi supplied.
"Wish I had girl 'trouble' the way you do." Pete told his older brother. "Bet if I had your bike I would." Amy laughed.
"Then skip the bike." She stated. "Rabid's not an attractive look on a woman."
"He didn't have these girl troubles when he was your age." Wally assured Pete. Though it was through exclusion, he
was already in the service in parts unknown by the time Hector was Pete's age.
"I still don't have girl troubles." Hector said, and got a few looks. "I don't! They don't trouble me at all, I just ignore
them."
"Which just pisses them off." Chris said with a laugh. "Always fun to watch. How are your roses, Mrs J?"
"Oh they've come up nicely this season." Mrs Johnson said.
That got an all around chuckle. Tommy shook his head.
"It should calm down once they see that ring." He offered and all the women in the place exchanged arch looks and
then burst into laughter.
"You poor man." Amy sympathized, patting Hector's shoulder.
"Yep. Hightailin' it to Africa - not such a bad plan once this gets around." Jolanda grinned. Her face went stern and
she threatened: "You'd better take some pictures of the wedding! Just because we're not there doesn't mean we're
not nosy!"
"Do we have to?" Hector asked with a chuckle. "How about I take the pictures then?"
"Nice try." Jo said. "But I want full blown portraits and I won't take no for an answer. If you try, next time you're in these
parts, you'll have to dress up and let me take the pictures myself."
"Okay, I surrender. Pictures. Promise."
"Good." May stated factually. Then she stood up. "And as much as I hate to do this, I've got to put my husband to
bed. And maybe the kids too." She leaned down and kissed the top of both Hector and Andi's heads. Jerry grinned as
he stood up, carrying one of their children that was already out like a light.
"Remember - BIG party when you get back. Kinda like this but with more food."
"Take some of it with you." Andi offered. "We won't be able to leave it here."
"Well, maybe just a little then." May said with a wink.
"I swear, every year my circle of single friends gets smaller." Chris chuckled. "All you old folks with your kids and wives
and having to get home."
Wally laughed.
"Sometimes you don't have to have kids to need to get home in a hurry." He grinned, and Catherine, sitting behind
him with her arms around his shoulders laughed.
"Hey, I'm already home so leave me out of that discussion." Hector said with a laugh.
"I better get going too." Jo said. "Got a bat mitzvah to make a cake for in the morning, so its an early day for me."
"Yeah, excuses." Chris said as Jo threw a hot dog at him.
"Well, get out of here." Hector said with a laugh. "That way I can give the poodle something to really watch."
"Are we adding 'porch' to 'stairwell'?" Pete asked and Andi chuckled against Hector.
"We'd have to add a lot more than just one word if you're making a list." She told him and earned laughter despite the
way her ear tips went pink.
There was still a great deal of laughing and talk after that but the party slowly emptied out as everyone piled up what
looked good to them on plates and bid their goodbyes. Chris offered to walk Mrs. Johnson home, asking about her
granddaughter Barbara as they left and the Haskins walked out with Wally and Catherine because of the way the cars
were parked behind each other in the driveway. Tommy and Amy stayed a while longer, puttering with the clean up
while Sara and Pete just mellowed. But the house and yard finally cleared out, leaving just Andi and Hector and the
surprisingly cleaned up remnants of the party.