Ruined

six

This hospital may be cold for me but as I look around it isn't cold for everyone. There a balloons blue, pink, yellow, green. Smiles on people's faces and joy. For me of course it's not even remotely enjoyable for me. I don't know what's to happen and I still haven't called our parents.

I see a woman with roses. She's holding roses in her hands. I can practically smell them from here. Just for a moment I smile. Not because she's happy but because roses always make me smile.

***

"Niall, Do you know what today is?!" She asks as she jumped on me, I lied in bed in what was a peaceful slumber.

"Uh I don't know. But you can tell me." I said my voice full of sleep.

"You've got to guess come on babe!"

"I don't know is it Labor Day? Perhaps it's St. Patty's Day. You know how I love a good St. Patty..." I raised my brows at her playfully.

She rolled her eyes, slapping the bed and climbed out of bed quickly. "You forgot."

"Forgot what babe?" She threw her hands up in the air and stormed away in her pajama shorts. "Oh no come back cutie!" I grabbed my cell phone and smiled. I climbed out of bed and freshened up to go to work. I went down stairs to join her and she was pouting.

"You made breakfast, French toast in the shape of a heart? Strawberries cut into hearts. Baby is it Valentines Day? Did I forget Valentines Day? I swear baby I didn't forget I knew." I kiss her cheek, "Happy Valentines Day baby!"

She laughs, "Oh my gosh, how do you teach a school if you don't even know what month it is babe?"

"What the hell month are we in?" I joke. She smiled a force one as I took a bite of the French toast. She didn't say another word but I knew she was pissed.

"You're already running late so you should probably get going."

"Yeah... I should." I finished the French toast by stuffing it in my mouth. I chugged down the orange juice and give her a kiss before making a break for it. I got to the door and shouted, "Baby I'll see you later."

"Bye." She sang as I walked out the door. I closed the door and looked through the blinds. I could see her pouting and trying to pretend she isn't as upset as she is. I put my key in the mailbox before getting in the car. I get on the road and call her best friend Kimberly.

"Hey, I have everything on their way to your place. They've been given strict orders to wait until she leaves." She said. "I'll be over there myself to make sure it's perfect."

"The key is in the mailbox."

"Okay. I'm going to call her in exactly ten minutes and tell her."

"Thanks again Kim."

"For you Niall, it was my pleasure. I know you really love her. If she loves you about half as much as you love her....I know she'll love this."

I get to the school to the do the half of day I promised them. I started in the classroom with my students. But as soon as my lunch break came in I quickly exited the school. I drove home and that's when Tori called me.

"Baby, did you go to work this morning Kimmy called me and said she seen you at her flower shop."

"No I didn't go to the flower shop."

"So this isn't some sort of surprise for me? You know how I don't like surprises."

"I know that's why I'm telling you that I didn't go to the flower shop and there is no surprise."

"Where are you?"

"I'm heading home. Is there something you need?"

"I'm no....but I'll be home in a bit."

"Oh why don't you come home now and join me for lunch."

"I don't really want to..."

"Come on baby I'm sorry about this morning."

"It's not just this morning..."

"Come home and we'll talk about it."

"Okay, fine, I'll be home in ten."

I ended the call and I thought about the distance from her job to the house. Unless she went to the university, she would have beaten me to the house so I pushed hard on the accelerator. I reach a stop sign and I don't stop completely. I keep going and the police car sirens go and I looked in to my mirror to see him behind me.

I stop the car parking alone the side, "Officer is there a problem?"

"Are you aware that you did not stop at the stop sign."

"No sir I'm not aware but if you could let me..."

"License and registration please."

I pull out the things, "Look I'm about to do something really special for my girlfriend and if she beats me to the house. It'll be ruined."

"Something special?"

"Yeah, she's pretty upset with me right now because she thinks I forgot our anniversary but I didn't. I'm trying to surprise her but if I'm late I'll miss the look on her face."

He taps the hood of my car hands me the license and registration back. "I'll let you off with a warning but don't speed."

"Thank you sir." I drove off and hoped like hell Tori wasn't home yet. I got to the house just as she pulled in. I ran inside closing the door behind me before she could even get out of her car.

I found my place on the floor.

She walked in, "Niall what the fuck? Why did you just ru--" She looked around and her eyes began to water. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob. I stayed in my position on the floor. She started walking still having her hands in her face. She laughed and cried in the same moment as she walked towards me.

"Niall..." She cried out as she finally reached me. My palms were sweaty and my heart was at ease. I had no doubt in my mind that she was the one for me.

"Tori Maurie Saunders, I knew the day that we met that you were going to be my wife one day. I knew that you were it for me. How many people do you come across that just get you? You are my everything now and you always will be. I love you." She sobs harder. "Will you make me the luckiest man on the planet and say you'll marry me."

"Yes." She cried out as she wiped at her eyes. I placed the ring on her finger and hopped to my feet picking her up in the process. She laughed as I hollered out with joy.

I placed her back on her feet and hugged her close to me. "Happy Anniversary baby."

"I have an entire garden how did you all of this?"

"Kim helped."

She held onto me and admired the princess cut diamond ring on her finger. "I love you Niall."