Forever Proposal

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I feel like I'm missing something," said Margaret as they arrived at the marriage bureau.

"Is it your necklace?" asked Gammy. She hoped Margaret would give it to her own daughter some day.

Margaret felt for her necklace and let out a sigh of relief.

"No, I still have it here."

"Don't tell me you were thinking of your phone," suggested Andrew with a smirk.

She shook her head and laughed. "No, I haven't thought about my phone at all. It's just… I just realized that we don't have any rings…"

Grace and Joe glanced at each other before Grace took off her wedding ring.

"Here, take mine," she said as she gave it to Andrew. Joe took off his ring, too.

"But we can't…" Margaret protested.

"Go ahead and borrow it for the ceremony," said Joe. "Then give it back to us for ours."

Grace stared at her husband. "Joe?"

Joe gave his wife of thirty years a roguish smile and got down on one knee. "Will you marry again, Grace?"

Grace gasped. "Oh, Joe… of course I'll marry you again!" she replied excitedly.

"What a wonderful day! Now I can die happy!" cried Gammy as she squeezed Kevin, who barked his approval.

Joe got up and kissed his wife. "I thought it would be nice to get married in an exotic place."

Everyone burst into laughter. New York City was as unfamiliar to the Paxtons as Paris or Bangkok.

"Mom, dad, I've been thinking…" Andrew began as he glanced at his new love. "Margaret and I could go back and finish the wedding that we started in Sitka. What do you think, sweetie?"

Margaret frowned a little as guilt filled her heart again.

"I… I'd love to, but I don't know if I could face everyone again. We're probably on the front page of the Sitka Enquirer."

Joe and Andrew chuckled as Grace hugged her daughter-in-law-to-be.

"Don't worry about it. As long as you two are happy, that's all that matters."

"I don't know why you didn't just go through with the whole thing in the first place and tell us later that it was a sham," said Gammy.

Andrew raised an eyebrow.

"Well, considering that you faked your heart attack, Gammy…"

"You faked a heart attack?" exclaimed Margaret, stunned.

"She's a great actress," said Joe. "I seriously thought she was gonna die. But we digress. I think it's time to get to the altar, so to speak."

What happened next was love and laughter and sunshine and tears, all mixed into one simple yet priceless event that changed all of their lives forever. Margaret was surprised by how calm and comfortable everyone had become, including herself. As she looked into Andrew's eyes, she could see his confidence in their future, even if she was not so sure. He had done more for her than she could have ever dreamed. This had to work.

"I do," he said calmly as he beamed at her.

"I do," she replied in a quivering voice as she tried to keep her focus. She held on to his hand for dear life.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the city clerk. It was done.

Gammy and Grace took pictures of their first kiss as a wedded couple. They in turn witnessed and snapped photos of Joe and Grace renewing their vows. Ramone tried to snag a last-minute bride himself, and almost succeeded until the girl's angry fiancée took her away.