Making Memories

“I hope he likes my Chicken Parmesan,” Beth muttered as she lit the two taper candles on the table. 

The doorbell rang, and she waved the match out, putting the box of matches in the top drawer of the buffet before she hurried to open it.

 Doug stood on the other side of the door, holding a single rose in his hand. 

 Beth’s face lit up, and she layered her hands on her chest.

 “Is that for me?” she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

 “Unless you have a twin running around, looking as beautiful as you, of course it is,” he told her, handing her the rose.

 “Thank you,” she said, burying her nose in the flower. “It’s lovely.”

“Not as lovely as you are,” he said, stepping inside and brushing his lips over hers.

 A warm feeling flowed through her veins, and she smiled at him as he pulled away.

 He sniffed the air and asked, “What smells so good?”

 She turned away from him to look toward the kitchen. 

 “I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner tonight,” she told him, taking his arm and leading him toward the dining room.

 He smiled down at her and asked, “Just like our first date?”

 Color infused her face. 

 “You remembered?”

 “Of course I remembered!” he said. “How could I forget the most important night of our lives?”

 She snuggled against his arm as they walked into the dining room, stopping in the doorway so he could take in the ambiance. 

 He looked at the table, then down at her with a smile.

 “All of this for me?” he asked her.

 Nodding, she told him, “But of course! I mean, how many times do you get to celebrate your one-year anniversary?”

 Grinning down at her, he leaned in to kiss her once more. 

 “Happy one-year anniversary, my love,” he told her.

 “Happy one-year anniversary to you,” she said, nuzzling his nose with hers.

 “Do you need any help with dinner?” he asked.

 She shook her head, then said, “But you can pour the wine while I get everything together.”

 “Deal.”

 Going into the kitchen, she put the food on the plates while he got the wine out of the refrigerator and opened it. He put it into the ice bucket and carried it out to the table as she brought their plates out. 

 He poured their wine while she set the plates down, then he put the wine into the bucket and held out her chair for her. 

 Smiling up at him as she sat down, she put her napkin over her lap as he sat down and covered his lap with his napkin.

 She picked up her wineglass as he picked up his, then holding it up, she said, “Here’s to one year together.”

 “And many more,” he added before touching his glass to hers.

 They sipped their wine, then picked up their forks and knives to eat.

 After he swallowed the first bite, he said, “This is delicious.”

 She nodded and said, “But not as delicious as Mama Bella’s.”

 He put his fork down to take a hold of her hand and told her, “Mama Bella’s doesn’t have your special touch.”

 Kissing the back of her hand, he smiled at her. She melted into his smile and felt warmth flow through her body. 

 After a few more bites, he said, “I’m going to assume there’s also dessert.”

 “But of course,” she said. “I wanted to recreate our first meal together, dessert and all.”

“Tiramisu and coffee?”

 “You know it.”

 “What did I do to deserve such a wonderful woman?” 

 He grasped her hand once more. 

 She brought it to her lips and said, “Just by being yourself.”

 They finished the meal, then he helped her clear away the plates and bring out the dessert, while the coffee brewed. They carried everything back to the dining room table and sat to eat the cake and drink the coffee.

 After they’d eaten the cake, they pushed the plates to the sides and held hands.

 “I just want to say this past year has been the best in all my life,” he said, staring into her eyes.

 “It’s been the same for me,” she told him, a small smile on her lips.

 “I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Beth,” he continued. “I can’t remember what my life was like before you were in it.”

 “I feel the same way, Doug,” she said, breathlessly.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said, then sat back to reach into his pocket.

 Her eyes widened as she saw him take a small box out. He looked at her and grinned. 

 Standing, he said, “Beth Mahoney, I think you know what I’m about to ask you, but I’m going to ask it, anyway.”

 “I hope you do,” she said, grinning up at him. 

 He got down on one knee next to her chair, holding out the small box in front of him. 

 “Beth, you know I love you, and you are the one and only woman for me,” he said.

 Opening the box to reveal an emerald and diamond ring, he said, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want you to do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

 She gasped at the sight of the ring, then lifted her tear-filled eyes to his.

 “You remembered how much I love emeralds,” she said, then nodded. “Of course I’ll be your wife.”

 She held out her left hand to him. He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her fourth finger. Cupping his face in her hands, she kissed him, then pulled back to hug him.

 He wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear, “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

 “I’m glad,” she whispered back. “Since I’m the happiest woman alive.”

 Later that night, as they sat on the couch in the living room in front of the fire, she snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. They stared into the flames as they held each other.

 Breaking the silence, she said, “I don’t think I ever told you this, but my parents got married in March.”

 He looked down at the top of her head and asked, “Are you trying to tell me you want to get married in March?”

 She shifted so she could look up at his face and smiled. 

 “I think that’s a lovely idea,” she said, then sat up. “Let me show you their wedding picture.”

 She got up and went to the shelves next to the fireplace. Picking up a framed picture, she brought it back to the couch and sat down again.

 Holding it out to him, she said, “Here it is.”

 He took it and looked at the happy couple. 

 “You look like your mother,” he said, smiling and handing it back to her.

 She took the picture and looked at it again. 

 “I only hope we’re as happy as they were,” she said, running her fingers over the picture.

 “We will be,” he said, kissing her head.