Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Cameron

"Sarah, you did all the cooking. Let me and Cameron do the dishes," Sydney offered.

"No. You're my guests. You should sit and enjoy yourself."

"Mom, Sydney is right. You have done enough. Let us do the cleanup," I said.

She looked at me and said, "Since when do you do dishes? Even growing up, you would break them just so I wouldn't allow you to wash them anymore. And this is my good china. I don't want you breaking any of it."

"I'm not a child anymore. And besides, Sydney and I do the dishes together at home. She can confirm that I haven't broken one thing, right babe?"

"Not a single dish," she said. "And I promise that I'll wash all of the china, and he can do all the pots and pans."

"That doesn't sound like a partnership," I said.

"It sounds like the only way I'm letting you do the dishes," Mom said.

"Fine. I do the pots and pans." I got up from the table and Sydney followed. I turned to Chris and asked, "What are you going to do while we clean up?"

Chris laughed and rubbed his stomach. "Wait for dessert."

I shook my head and grabbed Sydney's hand. "We better get started, or Chris will eat the entire cheesecake before we finish."

"No, he won't. It's in the fridge. Next to the sink," she smiled. "If anyone's eating it first, it's us."

I laughed and closed the door to the kitchen behind us. Pulling her into my arms I asked, "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"Hmm... It might be the turkey, but I can't recall. Maybe you need to tell me again," she said, playfully.

"Babe, I love you more today than yesterday. But there was something I wanted to say at the table today."

"What is it?" she asked.

"This is Thanksgiving, and I know that we went around the room saying what we are thankful for. There was something I wanted to say, but privately." Looking into her eyes, I felt my heart melt, just like every other time. She held a power over me, and I finally figured out what it was. She held my heart. Without her, I was nothing. "I know it's only been a few months, but you being in my life is what I'm the most grateful for. No title or belt, or prestige means more to me than you do. I'm telling you this now because saying the three words, ‘I love you' don't express fully what you mean to me. They are just the beginning." Her eyes glistened and before she started to cry, I dropped down on one knee, reached into my pocket, and pulled out a heart shaped diamond that I had designed just for her. "Sydney Swoony, you said that you will always be by my side cheering me on. I want to be the same for you. Not as your boyfriend. But as your husband. Will you do me the honor of being your husband?"

I meant that. I'd come to know her, and she was even more amazing than I had first thought.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you," she said.

I slipped the ring on her finger and stood up to pull her into my arms, but a loud crash and shriek from behind me stopped us.

I turned around and my mother was standing there with her china plates broken on the floor at her feet. My father and Chris came rushing in.

"Sarah, are you okay? What happened?" Dad asked.

"Cameron. Sydney," she sobbed.

He looked at me and then back to my mother. "They bumped into you?" he asked.

She shook her head. Sydney rushed over to pick up all the broken china. "Oh, Sarah. I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to bump into you."

"You didn't. I dropped them," she said.

"Mom, you know it was me. I stood up too fast and didn't know you were behind me," I said, taking the blame.

"Cameron, you never even touched me. It was what I saw, and heard, that startled me," she said.

Dad asked, "What did you hear?"

"Cameron asked Sydney to marry him," she stated.

Dad looked at me and asked, "What did she say?"

Sydney held up her hand and showed them the ring. "I said yes."

Everyone hugged us and welcomed Sydney to the family. I had meant to do this privately and instead, I made a disaster.

"Mom, I'm sorry about the china. I know how much it meant to you."

"Cameron, I did love it. It was a wedding gift that we received a long time ago. I had always thought that one day one of my boys would want it. But neither of you ever seemed to have bonded with it like I did. And now, I realize that it's just pretty dishes. What really matters is the people who are at the table eating with you."

Dad wrapped an arm around her and said, "That was beautifully said. Does that mean next year we can use paper plates?" She jabbed him in the ribs, and he chuckled. "Guess that's a no."

"Maybe next year you can all come to Boston and celebrate Thanksgiving with us," Sydney suggested.

"That would be wonderful. And maybe celebrate a wedding too?" Mom pushed.

I knew this was going to get out of hand, but there was no stopping it now. Mom grabbed Sydney's hand and said, "We can let the men clean up this mess while we talk."

Sydney was almost out the door, when I asked, "What about the partnership?"

Mom answered. "The China is gone. You boys don't need our supervision any longer." Then she closed the door behind them.

I turned to the others and said, "How did we get stuck with all the dishes?"

Dad said, "Wait a few years and you'll have that answer yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch the football game."

Chris said, "Hey, I thought you were helping."

Dad laughed. "I am. I'm helping myself to a piece of cheesecake and the recliner." He grabbed the entire cheesecake out of the fridge and left us standing there.

"Well, this sucks. You get the girl, Dad gets the cheesecake, and I get the dishes" Chris said. "But really, I'm happy for you, Cameron."

"Thanks."

I found something that I was never going to stop fighting for. Making Sydney the happiest woman alive. It was just going to need to start after this huge mound of dishes.

The End