120: This Old Man

Jonah

     I come home from work to find Kaiti passed out on the couch. It's the off season, and I hate it that I had to work late anyway.
     "Kaiti?" I ask as I kneel down next to her, my knees cracking as I do.
     She lets out this groaning sound and shoves her face into the couch. "Sleepy." she mumbles.
     "Then wouldn't you rather go upstairs and sleep on an actual bed?" I ask, trying not to laugh. I'd finally convinced her to move in with me, and I love having her here. This house doesn't feel like just walls and floor with some furniture thrown in. It feels like home.
     I reach for her to her groaning again. She's so cute when she's sleepy and grumpy like this. I sit down on the couch and pull her up to sit her in my lap.

      "What time is it?" she asks after a huge yawn.
      "About ten o'clock." I answer.
      "I'm this tired at only ten?" she asks and finally turns to face me.

     She looks at me with 'kiss me' written all over her face. Automatically, my hand slides up her thigh to just under her skirt. It's warmer there.
       "You're home late." she says dreamily.
       "Yeah, sorry. I went ... shopping too."
       "Why didn't you come home first? What if I wanted to go?"
       "Well, I knew I'd want to stay home as soon as I got home." I say. I've had enough talking, so I finally give her that kiss that her eyes had begged me for.
       As usual, Kaiti's good with the physical stuff. Not as good as me, but that's another story. However, as much as I'd love to just take her upstairs and really wear her out, I have something I need to talk to her about. I pull back, and she looks at me with a confused expression.
      "I need to talk to you." I say.

     "What is it?" she asks as she curls into a ball next to me.
     "Well, first of all, let me start by saying that I love having you here."
     "You said that already." she says with a sigh, but there's also a hint of a smile in her features.
     "I know, but I still am. I want to know whether or not you've liked living here."
      I can see her start to tense up, but she answers my question anyway. "I've really liked it. Not so much the house but more like because I don't have to be alone. Yes, you leave the seat up and can't seem to remember how to make a bed, but those things don't really matter."
      I reach up and hold one of her hands as she fidgets with them. With a deep breath, I just come right out with it. "I love you." I prepare myself for every reaction, and I watch her like a hawk.
      She's quiet for a few long seconds before she unpredictably jumps up off of the couch and heads towards the kitchen. "Why do you do stuff like that to me, Jonah?"
      I jump up after her and get hold of her hands. "Stuff like what?"
      "Super serious stuff. You scare the crap out of me when you get like this."
      "Why?" I ask as I coax her back to the couch. She flops down upon it. I get on my knees in front of her and wait for her to answer my question.
      "Because I'm scared. I can't explain it better." she says as she covers her face with her hands.
 

      I get hold of one of those hands and hold it in both of mine. "I know you are. Still, I've been thinking about why exactly you're scared. I've already proven to you that I'm not him." I remind her, speaking of that ex-boyfriend from high school.
      "I know, I know. But what if you do the same thing?"
      "I'm never going to abandon you, Kaiti. In fact, I want the opposite." I say.
      "What do you mean?" she asks, finally taking in the way I'm down on one knee.

     "Jonah? Are you -"
     "I am." I say and her hand moves to her mouth.

     I realize the immense possibility that she'll say no or not yet, but I forge ahead anyway. I wish I could see her expression better, but I'm encouraged by her silence. It's as if she's waiting for me to continue.

    I don't really have much of an idea of what's coming out of my mouth. I honestly wonder if she's even listening that closely. She just keeps staring at our hands.
     "Kaiti?" I ask, wondering if she's paying attention.
     "Hm?"
     "Did you hear what I said?" I hope you did because I don't remember either.
     "I think so."

     Oh well, when words don't work there's always this. I pull her up to stand and kiss her senseless.

     When I finally release her, she asks me breathlessly, "I always keep meaning to ask you where you learned to kiss like that."
      I can't help but chuckle a little at that.

    I just smile and say, "That's a secret." That only me, Greg and a very generous woman know. Well, I guess for Greg you could say knew. "But that doesn't matter right now. I want to show you what I went shopping for."

     For the second time in my life, I get down on one knee and ask a woman to marry me. I think Kaiti's paying attention this time.

     This is one good thing about marrying an old man, Kaiti. Bling! I think as a little chiming sound sounds off in my head.

     She says yes. I was scared there for a moment, but now I'm okay. better than okay. I can hardly believe the one-eighty she just did. I guess she always held back because she was afraid I'd never propose and so she wanted to protect herself from getting in too deep. It makes sense. I've never seen her this happy, and I'm happy that I'm the cause.

     Kaiti gets on the phone with one of her friends, and I slip out to the graveyard. People have been saying they've seen Greg's ghost. I really hope he shows himself tonight.
     Well, I guess if he's going to go roaming around, he wouldn't just hang out at the cemetery all night. That wouldn't be like him. He'd be off looking for a party somewhere.
      I sigh and a cold wind blows through the leaves in the tree next to Greg's grave.

      Well Greg, you'd have a blast teasing me about getting engaged to someone this much younger than me. I certainly would deserve it the way I teased you about getting engaged in the first place.
       You'd like Kaiti. She's wild, but she's ready to get married anyway. 
       I don't know what's going to happen from here, but I'm positive that I'm ready to get married.. maybe have a few kids.. the whole nine yards.
        I don't suppose there's any point in wishing you weren't dead. Still, I wish you could be my best man.

     I'd hoped to at least catch your ghost coming back to the graveyard. Maybe I will.
     I call Kaiti and tell her where I am and what I'm doing. She acts like she understands. I wait until almost sunrise, but Greg never shows up.