"Mom, Dad, Kaitlyn, I have something to tell you."
Everett's parents looked up from where they had seated themselves in their homey, comfortable living room. "Of course, sweetie," his mother said, but Kaitlyn grinned. "Oh, I bet I know what this is about."
Their mother smiled at her. "Well, let's let Everett tell us."
"Go on, son," his father encouraged him.
Everett took a breath and pulled out the box with the ring he'd gotten for Una. "I'm going to ask Una to marry me. I tình yêu her and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Kaitlyn gave a little jump and clapped her hands. "I knew it!"
"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie!" Everett's mother rose from the đi văng to give him a hug.
His father was right behind her. "Congratulations, son." Everett heard the emotion behind his strong, steady voice. "I think you're doing the right thing." He took Everett's shoulders to look into his face as his mother let go. "I trust bạn to be a good husband to Una, and she seems like a wonderful young lady."
"She's the best," Kaitlyn put in. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister!"
Everett grinned at his family, starting to feel butterflies. "I just have to figure out exactly how to propose to her. I need everything to be perfect."
His father shook his head. "It's not about how perfect the proposal is, Everett. It's about bạn and Una, and the two of bạn loving and respecting each other."
His mother smiled at his father. "Do bạn remember when bạn proposed to me? Your father," she turned to Everett and Kaitlyn, "took me to a gorgeous cliff overlooking the ocean. He had just gotten down on one knee when he dropped the ring and it fell all the way down the cliff to the bờ biển below. We ran around to the cliff path and searched the shallows, and we had to call the bờ biển, bãi biển staff to help us find it before the tide swept it away."
Everett and Kaitlyn both listened to this with wide eyes, but their mother was laughing. "It was certainly a memorable day."
"Well, I can't let anything like that happen with Una," Everett đã đưa ý kiến decisively, after a short pause.
"No one wants these things to happen," his father đã đưa ý kiến calmly. "But even if they do, all that matters is whether your tình yêu is strong enough to see bạn through it. I was very embarrassed bởi what happened with that ring -" putting his arm around his wife's shoulders as they exchanged a grin - "and neither of us thought it was funny at the time. But we stayed together all these years, and it wasn't because everything we've planned together always turned out perfectly."
"Except for bạn and Kaitlyn, of course," his mother added, taking Everett's face between her hands and planting a Kiss on his forehead.
Everett blushed. "Well, I'm still going to make sure Una's proposal is perfect."
"Just don't take her to a cliff overlooking the ocean," Kaitlyn advised.
Everett's parents looked up from where they had seated themselves in their homey, comfortable living room. "Of course, sweetie," his mother said, but Kaitlyn grinned. "Oh, I bet I know what this is about."
Their mother smiled at her. "Well, let's let Everett tell us."
"Go on, son," his father encouraged him.
Everett took a breath and pulled out the box with the ring he'd gotten for Una. "I'm going to ask Una to marry me. I tình yêu her and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Kaitlyn gave a little jump and clapped her hands. "I knew it!"
"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie!" Everett's mother rose from the đi văng to give him a hug.
His father was right behind her. "Congratulations, son." Everett heard the emotion behind his strong, steady voice. "I think you're doing the right thing." He took Everett's shoulders to look into his face as his mother let go. "I trust bạn to be a good husband to Una, and she seems like a wonderful young lady."
"She's the best," Kaitlyn put in. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister!"
Everett grinned at his family, starting to feel butterflies. "I just have to figure out exactly how to propose to her. I need everything to be perfect."
His father shook his head. "It's not about how perfect the proposal is, Everett. It's about bạn and Una, and the two of bạn loving and respecting each other."
His mother smiled at his father. "Do bạn remember when bạn proposed to me? Your father," she turned to Everett and Kaitlyn, "took me to a gorgeous cliff overlooking the ocean. He had just gotten down on one knee when he dropped the ring and it fell all the way down the cliff to the bờ biển below. We ran around to the cliff path and searched the shallows, and we had to call the bờ biển, bãi biển staff to help us find it before the tide swept it away."
Everett and Kaitlyn both listened to this with wide eyes, but their mother was laughing. "It was certainly a memorable day."
"Well, I can't let anything like that happen with Una," Everett đã đưa ý kiến decisively, after a short pause.
"No one wants these things to happen," his father đã đưa ý kiến calmly. "But even if they do, all that matters is whether your tình yêu is strong enough to see bạn through it. I was very embarrassed bởi what happened with that ring -" putting his arm around his wife's shoulders as they exchanged a grin - "and neither of us thought it was funny at the time. But we stayed together all these years, and it wasn't because everything we've planned together always turned out perfectly."
"Except for bạn and Kaitlyn, of course," his mother added, taking Everett's face between her hands and planting a Kiss on his forehead.
Everett blushed. "Well, I'm still going to make sure Una's proposal is perfect."
"Just don't take her to a cliff overlooking the ocean," Kaitlyn advised.
Una, Everett, and Kaitlyn had bữa tối, bữa ăn tối at a nice restaurant. As they ate, Una asked, "So, Kaitlyn, what are bạn majoring in?" Kaitlyn replied, "Well, I'm a biology major. I'm hoping to be a veterinarian." Una said, "You're an animal lover. That's great!" Kaitlyn said, "Yes, I've always been an animal lover. How about you?" Una replied, "Well, I always wanted a dog, but my mother is highly allergic. With that being said, I'm so busy with acting, I'm not sure I'd have time for one now." Kaitlyn said, "That's true. chó do require a lot of attention. I'm hoping to get one after I finish with veterinary school and get thêm settled." Everett smiled as he listened to Una and Kaitlyn's conversation. He was happy to see that they were getting along so well. He thought, This is wonderful. I think it'll work if Una and I decide to get married.
THE END
THE END
"What do bạn mean?" Una once again prepared to listen. Everett replied, "While my immediate family was supportive of my dream to go into film editing, not everyone was kind. Lots of people told me that I couldn't do it: most of my schoolmates, some teachers, even my extended family." She said, "How awful!" He said, "I know, but I didn't let that keep me down. My father even told me that I should go for it, no matter what anyone says. I looked at different film schools, and I got accepted into one that is fairly close to where I grew up. Upon graduating, I started preparing to go to film school. I started that fall, and I got a job at the local quán ăn to help my parents cover the apartment rent." Una added, "And that's where we met." Everett smiled. "Yes, Una. My life only got brighter from there." She said, "Aw! I say the same to you, Everett." With that, they kissed.
Some time later, Una and Everett were settled in a cozy small cafe eating sandwiches and sipping quả bí ngô, bí ngô spice lattes while foil cutouts of cute ghosts and pumpkins hung from the walls around them.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett đã đưa ý kiến after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the bàn to touch his hand. "Hey, bạn saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their Halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go trang chủ and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.
"Thanks again, Una," Everett đã đưa ý kiến after a time. "I just... I don't like small spaces very much."
Una smiled at him and reached across the bàn to touch his hand. "Hey, bạn saved my life once. It's time I saved yours."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying this much calmer stage of their Halloween celebrations. Una was first to break it.
"I can't believe we solved a real mystery! I can't wait to go trang chủ and tell Mother what the secret of the haunted house is."
"Yes," Everett smiled at her. "The secret is my talented actress and her ghost impression."
Una beamed.