Per her insistence that yes, she was ok with doing it right away, Danny started helping her move in with him the following week. She had never lived with a man aside from her father, but it didn't feel as weird as Elise expected. The strangest part for her was selling all of her furniture. It had been a constant for her through the several times she had moved since graduating high school. It was "well-loved", sure, and it needed to be replaced anyway, but it felt like she was selling off old friends, as ridiculous as that sounded. Still, she was excited (and a little nervous, if she was being completely honest with herself) about starting this new chapter in her life with Danny.
As soon as Danny left the office Monday morning when they returned to work and the real world, Elise spilled the beans to Mary. She had to tell someone, anyone, and besides, she and her co-worker had become quite chummy in the 7 months She had worked for INDOT.
"How was your trip this weekend?" Mary asked from behind her screen, barely peeking her eyes over the top. Elise was still standing and crossed the short distance to her co-worker's desk. Slowly, she slid her left hand over the top of Mary's computer monitor. A gasp came from behind it.
"Shut. Up!" she grabbed Elise's hand and stood to get a closer look. It was amusing to hear her middle-aged co-worker talk like a teenage girl.
"Oh, it's beautiful, Elise."
It really was. At least she thought so and really, that's all that mattered. The band was made of 14-carat gold and held an emerald in the center. On either side of it were two Celtic trinity knots. Once Elise had gotten a good look at it in the light of the cabin after their nighttime trip to the falls, she had been even more floored by its significance.
Aside from being pretty and having an emerald, her favorite color, she knew Danny had chosen her ring in particular because of a story she had told him about her family history.
The story sounded made-up, the stuff of movie or fairytale fabrication. It was the love story of how her great-grandma and grandpa had fallen in love. She, Rachel, a poor young woman from Ireland, living in England as a servant for a well-to-do family, just trying to scrape enough money together to send home and help keep the rest of her family alive: Her parents and 5 younger brothers and sisters.
The young man of the house, Robert, was taken with Rachel right away. She secretly harbored feelings towards him as well, but tried rejecting his advances for a while, afraid of risking her sole source of meager income, of feeding her family. After 4 months, she couldn't stand it any longer and broke down one night. They kept their love a secret for several weeks before Robert was able to secure them spots on the next ship to America. The rest, as they say, was history. Rachel and Robert married right away in the new country, had 6 children together, and lived to a ripe old age.
Elise loved hearing that story from her grandmother, Opal, growing up. Although it was hard to believe with a very Cinderella-feel to it, she had always believed every word of it. Even if some of it was exaggerated, who cared? It was still a great story. Elise wanted to believe in it. Even as an adult, some recessed part of her wanted to find a love like that...Even if she hadn't exactly gone seeking it out...
Her grandmother had made several trips to Ireland before she passed away and said her mother, Rachel, had very much kept their their culture alive in their new home in America growing up. Elise remembered her own interest in the trinkets with elaborate Celtic designs her grandmother kept around the house, a few of which she inherited when Opal passed, and the pictures from her trips she had taken to Ireland, beautiful sweeping views of pastoral lands and unimaginably high seaside cliffs, blown up and hung on the walls of her home.
Her grandmother's love of all things from their ancestors' homeland had been passed on to Elise. She collected her own trinkets and knick-knacks, loved tracing the designs herself as a kid, and even went through a phase where she became obsessed with Celtic folklore. The simple emerald ring held between two trinity knots meant more to Elise than Danny would probably ever know.
"It's not much and I know you probably want to pick your own wedding band out, but I have something really special in mind when we get around to it," Danny had said back at the cabin as Elise twisted and fingered the ring in bed that night.
"No..." she trailed off, lost somewhere in thought. "It's perfect."
"So this was the real reason for the big romantic getaway, huh?" Mary looked up at her, still holding the end of Elise's fingers lightly to look at the ring.
"Evidently. How stupid am I for not realizing what was up?"
"So you were surprised?" Mary asked, genuinely curious.
"Yes!" she giggled, shaking her head. "He's had this planned for a month, as it turns out. He's been super sneaky." Elise explained all of the other things he had asked her over the weekend.
"Wow...," Mary paused. "I don't even know what to say," she shook her head lightly. "I've known that kid for years. I never would have guessed he could plan something like that or be so sweet. Not that he's not a sweet kid, but" she tried to correct herself quickly.
"It's ok," Elise laughed softly. "I knew what you meant. I'm still in shock myself" she twisted the ring back and forth slightly with a small smile on her face as she looked down at it.
"You guys are just the cutest, you know that?" Mary asked. Elise just smiled at her and walked around her desk to sit.
"Guess I'd better get my head out of the clouds and get to work, huh?"
Elise felt like she could puke at any second she was so nervous. Danny's parents had just arrived at their house and hers would be there any moment for her and Danny's big announcement dinner.
She had been smart and put her ring away in her jewelry box. Her mother was sometimes oblivious, but something told her her dad would probably notice it and definitely Danny's father, Harold. Nothing got by him. He had been trained to notice small details in the Army and it was clear the habit had never fully worn off.
Elise paced in the kitchen when she wasn't helping Danny prepare the food. The roast chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green beans all smelled delicious cooking, but she was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat much, even though the delicious aroma was making her stomach growl.
"Calm down. It'll be fine," Danny moved away from the stove and grabbed her, attempting to rub some of the tension out of her shoulders.
"I'm freaking out."
"I noticed. Deep breaths," he spoke low in her ear. Her heart rate had increased noticeably all morning. She tried his suggestion, which helped some...temporarily.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Danny called, not wanting his parents, who were watching tv in the living room, to worry about it. It was his house, after all. No. Their house. Elise was still having a hard time getting used to that. It had only been two weeks, a little less, really, since she had moved in.
Elise followed him to greet her parents.
"Hey, guys! Come on in!" Danny greeted jovially, not a care in the world. How could he be so calm all of the time? She envied him for it.
Elise hugged each of her parents as they got in the door.
"Did you guys make it here alright?" Danny asked them.
"Oh, yes. No problems at all," her father answered. "Gotta love modern technology," he waved his phone in the air and chuckled.
"Good. Glad to hear it. Come on in and have a seat. Dinner's almost ready. These are my parents, Harold and Lorraine," he introduced.
"Hello, Jerry Roberts," her dad went over and shook hands with Danny's parents.
"Beth Roberts," Elise's mom followed suit.
"I'm gonna check on the chicken. You guys make yourselves comfortable. I'll let you know when the food's done," Danny left them to their own devices in the living room.
Elise wasn't sure what to do with herself. Her parents occupied the loveseat, Danny's the couch. There were 2 recliners left, but she felt too nervous to sit, but felt it would be rude to hide in the kitchen now that her parents were there.
"For God sake's, Elise. Sit down. You're making me nervous," her mom said.
"Sorry," she crossed the room and sat in the recliner between her parents and Danny's. Elise felt like she should be the one making conversation, being a good host, but she was horrible at small talk on a good day. She secretly hoped her chatty parents or Danny's sweet mom would think of something to say first.
"So you guys are from up north?" Lorraine asked. Elise felt her shoulders relax and hoped she hadn't let out an audible sigh of relief.
Her and Danny's mother made chit-chat for a few minutes, her father occasionally interjecting. Harold seemed more interested in whatever was on tv. Even though she still found him intimidating, he was gaining points with her all the time. He may not harbor the same neurotic tendencies as her, but other than that, they were actually quite similar in their demeanor around others.
"Dinner is served," Danny appeared in the doorway, smiling. "Everybody come grab a plate," he waved an arm and disappeared back into the kitchen. Elise somehow ended up trailing behind everyone else with Harold.
"Not a fan of idle chit-chat either, huh?" he spoke in a hushed tone and smiled slightly.
"That would be an understatement," she somehow found her voice and smiled back.
All Elise could focus on through the course of their meal was the clink of forks and knives against plates. She nibbled on her own food now and then, at least to give the illusion that she was eating. Of course, her mother still noticed.
"Elise, you've barely eaten a thing," her mother commented. "Are you feeling ok?"
"I'm fine," she spoke quietly. "My stomach's just a little upset." It wasn't a complete lie.
