Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert

Chapter Forty-Two

Arthur—Winter

“Are you sure you can make it for breakfast?” Mom asked, voice crackling like she was in a store. Outside my window, a dank gray Seattle winter day had settled in for another long week of rain. But inside, my heart was sunny, and I smiled as I leaned back in my desk chair.

“We’ll be there,” I assured her. “Derrick’s due here any time now, and I’ll set double alarms if I have to.”

“Good. I can’t wait to have everyone together again.” The family was gathering for Calder’s birthday, and a weekend brunch had worked out the best for multiple packed schedules.

“I know. And Derrick doesn’t want to miss it either.” Things were less weird with Calder these days. He and Derrick had recently hung out with other friends from the base for a night of cards. I’d been invited, which Calder seemed to be making more of an effort to do lately. I appreciated Calder cutting way back on the teasing, but I’d still sent Derrick without me both to meet a deadline on my latest project and to give them some friend time alone. We’d picked out Calder’s present together, though, and neither of us was about to bail on family breakfast to see him open the handheld poker game we’d found.

“I hope it doesn’t snow. Oliver and Roger are both driving so early,” Mom fretted.

“It won’t snow. Just more rain, but Oliver and Roger are great drivers, regardless.”

“I know. I only want a nice day for Calder. He’s seemed subdued lately. I want to see him happy. Maybe he needs to date more.” There was a rustling noise on the phone, and I laughed softy to myself at the notion of her shopping for dates for Calder, like flipping through a rack of choices.

“Mom. You finally get one kid happily partnered and then you start on the next. Let Calder find his own path, whatever that may be.”

She sighed. “I know, I know. Let Calder be Calder.”

“Exactly. Do you need me to sing you a song about it?”

That got a hearty laugh. “No, but you and Derrick better both be at family camp this year. The kids are counting on it, and I can’t wait to see the musical numbers.”

“I know. We’re planning on it. Derrick’s put in for the leave, but a lot can change as you well know.”

“Yes, I know. I’m crossing everything that everyone can come.”

“I’m sure—” I cut myself off at the sound of the door and Craig talking to someone in the hall. “I think he’s here. Can we finish this talk at breakfast?”

“Of course, honey. Have a nice night.” We ended the call right as Derrick appeared in my doorway.

“Hey.” He said it all casual, but his wide smile gave him away. He might have a killer poker face for Calder and his friends, but for me he was an open book, and I loved that about him. He was way less broody these days, and as I tugged him into the room, there was lightness to his step that hadn’t been there a few months ago. Leading him over to the bed, I stopped to give him a kiss.

“Hey, yourself. You taste minty. Did you get a peppermint mocha on the walk from the bus without me?”

“Yours is iced and on the counter in the kitchen, Mr. Cold Beverages in Winter.” Eyes twinkling, he gave me another kiss. “And you’re the one who got me hooked on the drink. And you.”

“Awww.” That got a third kiss before Derrick perched on the edge of the bed. I moved to join him, then stopped. “Should I go rescue our drinks?”

“In a minute.” He pulled me to sit next to him. “First, I’ve got news.”

My pulse sped up. Thump. Thump. We’d been waiting for this. And waiting. “News?”

“Yup. Orders came through early this morning. Groton, here we come. Got the instructor billet.”

“Oh my God. Finally.” I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Ever since Derrick put in for the instructor position at sub school, we’d both been on edge. It was a big, huge change. For both of us. But it would mean him stateside for a few years. I was all for that as long as it made him happy.

As for me, I’d be close to the East Coast Eulers and all my Boston friends from college. It would be fun seeing them again, and even the snow would be a nice change and worth the hassle to be with Derrick. Really with him. Team us. We’d made this decision together, and I felt good and excited about it.

“Wait. You found out this morning? And you didn’t text?” I fake pouted. “I would have had a celebration waiting. Cake.”

“You Eulers and cake,” he teased. “We’ll order some later. Promise. And I was busy.”

“Busy?”

“Yeah.” He pulled out his phone. “I scored a last-minute phone meeting with the housing folks at Groton.”

“Oh?” All of a sudden, the lack of a text seemed less important. “And?”

“And I spoke to a great transition specialist. She thinks she has the perfect place for us. She sent pictures. Do you want to see?”

“You have to ask?” I made a grab for his phone, but he held it out of reach.

“Here, I want to show you.”

“Okay. But hurry.” I leaned in, his arm around my waist, anchoring me, as he called up the pictures he’d saved.

“So it’s a freestanding house.” He showed me an exterior shot of a small blue home of indeterminate age. The picture was clearly from the summer—no hint of snow or cold and there were cheery flowers out front.

“No apartment? No neighbors to complain about noise?” I liked the place already.

“Neighbors, but hopefully not close enough to hear you scream.” He leered at me.

“Counting on it.” I leered right back. “And maybe you’ll be the one screaming.”

“Yes. Please.” A faint pink flush spread up his neck. “And here’s the inside pics. Lots of windows. Kitchen’s bigger than I expected.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” I admired the white cabinetry and the appliances I’d have to put some effort into learning to use. “You can cook me lots of things there.”

“I will cook you all the things.” He kissed my forehead.

“I can’t wait.” I bounced lightly on the bed. “Show me more. One bedroom?”

“No. That’s the best part. Two.” He flipped to a new picture, this one a large, sunny L-shaped room. “Monster second bedroom. All yours. We’ll wire it all up for your studio, put some instrument hooks up...”

“I love it.” I kissed his cheek. “And heck, that’s so big, I may have to add to my collection.”

“We’ll hang extra hooks.” Laughing, he lightly tickled my ribs. “And here’s the bathroom.”

“A tub!” I beamed at him like he’d tiled the damn thing himself.

“I knew you’d love that detail.”

“I do. Tell me you told her yes.” I knew full well how fast good base housing options could go.

“I did. But there’s a tiny catch.”

“Oh?” I frowned. This couldn’t be good.

“I said we were engaged.” His voice was soft but even, not joking.

“Derrick.” I scooted away from his arm. “We’re not doing a fake engagement to get better housing.”

“Not a fake engagement. A real one.”

“Is this...” I trailed off because Derrick was sinking to his knees like this was a movie. My eyes went so wide, the stretch hurt. “You’re serious. Like this is actually happening?”

He nodded. “Arthur, will you marry me?”

“So we can get a sweet housing upgrade?” Even my jokes were shaky, but it was that or cry my way through a yes.

“No. So I can get a life upgrade.” He pulled out a little box. “I actually got these two weeks ago. I was going to ask you transfer or no transfer. You can see the receipts.”

“I trust you.” My eyes smarted anyway, the teasing not enough to keep my emotions at bay.

“Good. I wanted to marry you even if they sent me back out on a sub. I was only dithering over how to ask. Flash mob? Going viral?”

“We definitely don’t need to go viral.” I leaned down to kiss him. “I don’t need an audience. Or a sweet house. Or a transfer. Only you. This is perfect.”

“So...” he prompted.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” Words tumbling out, one after the other, I put us both out of our misery.

“You sure you don’t need to see the rings first?” His eyes were shining and his mouth wobbled as he flipped open the box to reveal two silver-colored rings that, knowing Derrick, were probably some special indestructible metal. Simple, but elegant. Probably more elegant than my nerdy self could pull off.

I carefully picked up the slightly smaller band, slid it on. Yup, instant class upgrade. “Wow.”

“Looks great.” Derrick slid his on, then placed his hand next to mine.

“We match.” My voice was giddy.

“We do. We can get them engraved if you want before we do this for real.” He put his hand over mine, making the rings touch.

“What do you mean real? You said this wasn’t fake. This is real and I’m never taking mine off.”

“Okay.” He gave me an indulgent kiss. “Sounds like a plan. And it is real, but maybe we can make it official soon?”

“I love that idea. I mean my mom and the aunts are gonna have kittens if we elope, but yeah, let’s do it soon. I don’t want to wait.” We’d both waited long enough. Rushing on this felt good. Right.

“Me either. And they can come. I’m not depriving your mom of an excuse for another Euler family gathering.”

“You’re so much nicer than me.” Tired of leaning down to kiss, I hauled him up next to me.

“I am.” He kissed my temple. “She’s going to freak out tomorrow, right? Moving and an engagement?”

“Tom—oh! The breakfast. Oh my God. Calder’s gonna have a fit, us upstaging his birthday.”

“Eh. He won’t mind the distraction. And he knows.” Derrick added that like it was no big deal when I knew it was. “I told him I was going to ask you.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. Like asking Calder permission would be weird, but I also understood that they’d been friends over a decade now and not telling him would have probably also been weird. “What did he say?”

“That he’s happy for me. And you. For all of us. And that it wasn’t his plan, but maybe it should have been.” Derrick squeezed my side.

“Ha. Of course he wants to take credit.”

“He also welcomed me to the family.” Derrick’s eyes sparkled as if he already knew my reaction, so I played into it with a horrified expression and loud groan.

“Oh God. You’re a Euler now.”

“This calls for cake,” he deadpanned, and I bopped him with a pillow.

“At least there’s no contest involved. Wait. Should I be worried about whether there was a betting pool on us getting engaged?”

“Everyone wins here.” He found my mouth for another kiss. “Especially me.”

“And me. I win too.” I grinned at him, joining our hands again simply to feel the rings brush. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Derrick Fox.”

“I love you, Arthur. I can’t wait to come home to you.”

“You already did,” I said right before I kissed him. Wherever he was, there would be home and the one place where I truly belonged.