Chapter 80: Loving Reunions

Monday, January 13, 1986

We were up around nine. Camille had the tiniest smirk at breakfast, one I did my best to ignore. I had the feeling we could have just talked about it, but neither of them was, and it was not a subject for the guy to raise.

Beyond that, though, it was a nice breakfast. As with Mom and Dad, we couldn’t promise when we would be back, just that we would.

Camille had a couple of recommendations for jewelers, but neither was particularly heartfelt. We would also check with Dad. And, in a burst of inspiration, Anderson as well. He might have more experience with fairly expensive jewelry than the others did. Rita’s ring was quite elegant, if I remembered it correctly.

We picked up Angie and Paige around noon, then hit the road to College Station. Naturally, the conversation went immediately to rings. Jas described her dream ring. Paige’s was different but sounded perfect for her. She was considering adding several very small stones — possibly diamonds, but rubies were also under consideration. The idea was to make two spirals converging on the central stone. One spiral was Angie, the other was Paige.

Angie was strongly considering the same design as Paige. If they did that, they might do what they did elsewhere. One spiral might start with a green stone, the other with a blue, and which spiral was which would be swapped on the two rings. I couldn’t quite picture it, but they didn’t want it to simply be that turning the ring upside down made Paige’s ring into Angie’s. Oh, the sizes would vary, but it would be more than that, if still subtle.

That sounded beautiful to me, and I said as much. Here, just as much as anywhere else with the rings, my opinion carried no weight. I didn’t want to even inadvertently get the ‘reality distortion field’ involved, either. The odds were very low, though. Engagement rings were probably Kryptonite to my persuasive powers.

When we got home, Cammie and Mel came out immediately. So quickly it seemed obvious they’d been waiting for us.

Five girls squealed nearly in unison as rings were held out and admired.

Within a couple of minutes, Candice and Sherry emerged, adding to the squealing.

Amy did not. It turned out she’d moved back to the dorm yesterday, so I would have to catch up with her on my own time. Cammie and Mel had nice things to say about her, though.

Between Al and Amy, the house was in great shape and Tony and Cleo seemed quite content, if also — apparently — happy to see us back. The four of us got a fair bit of feline attention over the evening.

We took the conversation (and our bags) into the house, where the girls launched into describing their proposals and how they’d felt. I filled in my part of it (nervous and trying desperately to get the words out correctly), which got giggles and a very earnest nod from Cammie.

Mel described theirs, saying, “I was just stunned when Cammie was suddenly kneeling in front of me and holding up a jewelry box. I think Mom and Dad were just as stunned. Emily cheered, though, and Mark and Morty looked both dazed and also about as happy as I’ve ever seen them. Which is a lot, because ... well, you don’t know them, Sherry, but Mark and Morty are about the happiest it’s possible for two twins to be, most of the time.”

“She’s totally not wrong,” Candice said, giggling. “They were just ... I kinda miss them. They’re really good people.”

“They were awful when you knew them,” Mel said, giggling. “And, no, I’m not serious, so much as ... they had no boundaries, no restraint, nothing. Fun, but just ... maniacs.”

“So, like me,” Paige snickered.

Mel bit her lip, thinking, then said, “Well, okay, then! They had restraint! And boundaries!”

Everyone laughed, especially Paige.

“So, anyway ... Mom’s mouth was wide open, but she was crying, and I know my mother. They were happy tears. I could see that instantly. I really don’t think Dad knew what to do, but he took one look at Mom and got on the right page. Pretty sure he would have, anyway, but if Mom was gonna cry happy tears, he would just go with it.”

“I noticed none of this,” Cammie said. “I sorta could see Mel’s face, but that was it.”

“Anyway, she said ... and this is maybe word for word, but I’m not the wordsmith here...” Mel said.

“I had notes, but they’re not accurate. Because nerves. Nerves change things!” Cammie said.

Everyone nodded. That was clearly true — nerves really did change things.

“So... ‘My love, you have been the light of my life since the day we met. It was as if the heavens opened and said, “This is the woman for you.” Your smile caught my eye, yes, but your wit, your intelligence, and your heart all outshone even that. At times, it was hard, because no one would have understood and we felt so alone. But we stood together and found our place in the world. I do not know what I would do without you. But, with you, I can do anything. Mel Riley, will you take my hand and walk with me together through life, come what may, sunshine or rain, happiness or pain, until we find out what lies beyond the end?’”

Everyone was crying by the end. Definitely including me.

Sherry half-whispered, “I’m stealing at least half of that.”

Candice giggled and blushed, and Cammie said, “Please!”

Mel continued, saying, “It ... I felt totally inadequate that all I could say was ‘Yes,’ so I said it about ten times before I realized I just needed to take her hand, hug her, and kiss her.”

“Definitely the right answer!” Paige said.

“The parents cried and hugged us, Emily cried and hugged us, and the boys...” Mel said.

She sniffled, then said, “I got a quick hug, and then they were on the ground themselves, holding two boxes up to Emily.”

“Which just sped up the crying,” Cammie said.

“I was kinda out of it...” Mel said.

“I remember most of it,” Cammie said, “After I wasn’t terrified, I was alert and just ... so alive!”

Everyone looked at her, and she said, “So, you have to imagine them saying it with each of them saying every other word, or every second word, or ... I mean, it wasn’t mathematical, it was just ... if there’s a way to propose for those two, this was it.”

We all nodded, except for Sherry, but I was certain she got it.

“It was: ‘Emily, we didn’t know what to do when you danced into our lives. One minute, we were just two juvenile jokesters. The next, we had the most beautiful woman in the world ... sorry, Cammie and Mel... ‘“

Mel giggled and said, “I remember that!”

Cammie said, “I think it would have been, like, the kiss of death for nearly any proposal, but this is Mark and Morty. If there hadn’t been some joking comment, that might have killed it. Or them!”

“It would have!” Mel said. “It was perfect, it really was.”

“Anyway, so... ‘Interested in us. And ... not me. Or me. Us.’ They said that together.”

“Of course!” Angie said.

“‘We muddled through and somehow — thank God!... ‘“

She stopped and said, “They said that together, too. After that, it was something like, ‘ ... it was enough. Look ... marriage, for guys, is hoping this absolutely astonishing, beautiful, smart, radiant person will consent to come down to Earth and dwell with one of us. Here we are asking for you to take on two of us! Emily, we hope you’re crazy enough and amazing enough to be our bride, our wife, our life. Please, will you do us the incredible honor of marrying us?’”

“Wow!” Paige said, sniffling.

“So good,” Angie said.

“Proud of my idiot brothers!” Mel said, sniffling, too. “They done good!”

Everyone agreed.

Cammie said, “Emily was crying so hard it took her almost ... what ... fifteen seconds or so before she said, ‘You idiots! I’m the lucky one here! I get both of you! Yes, and yes! So very much yes!’”

Everyone burst out laughing. I couldn’t imagine Emily finding a better way to answer. It was the perfect mix of humble, funny, and romantic.

“They agreed one ring went on each hand. That way, when the three of them are holding hands, each of them will be touching a ring.”

Sherry surprised us by sniffling loudly at that.