"Carrie, it's not that I'm not happy for you. It's obvious that you love Duncan very much, and after this many months, I guess my initial worries about your being a fling for him have to be set aside. But, what about school? What about your future? I mean, if Duncan blows out his knee or pops that elbow again, you're not going to be living a rich life."
"Dad, Duncan's already taken the advice of one of the other players, and he has gotten in touch with a good investment banker. He's putting aside a good chunk of his signing bonus into savings and investments. He could never play a down of pro ball, and we'll be fine. Besides, he's got his degree, and I'll have mine too. We're going to be fine."
"But honey, I don't want to . . . what's it you college kids say, throw shade?" Mom asks, and I laugh.
"Don't try it, Mom. Just be you. And I can read your mind. Duncan's going to be away from home for half the games, there are football groupies, and all that, right? Don't worry, that was part of what we wanted to talk to you about. I discussed it all with Coach Taylor right after Duncan got drafted, even before he proposed. I'm going to move to Jacksonville with Duncan and do an internship with the Wildcats. I can also do a class online during the summer and the fall terms, so that after the season, I come back here, and I can wrap up my degree on time with one semester back at Western. If things go right, I'll even be in line for a position with the Wildcats myself next season. You guys can see me walk in May next year, just like we all planned."
"You two have planned out a lot of this already," Mom says. "I'm surprised."
“We’ve been talking about this since football season, when we realized that we were looking at this being long-term. So some of these plans have been around a while. It was just his proposal that kind of came up suddenly, although Duncan told me he wanted to ask me for weeks prior to when he did."
"What about the wedding?" Dad asks. "I mean, honeymoons, ceremonies, all that."
I shake my head. "We're going to do it in two stages. After Duncan graduates, we're going to go to Vegas, and yeah, I know that sounds trite, but it’s what we want. We're going to get married there, and then Duncan and I are going to go to Jacksonville to get settled in. He hasn't specifically picked out which house we're getting yet, but we're going to go down, pick something out, and then get to work. Duncan wants to get to the playoffs his rookie year, and I agree with him. Too many rookies with first-round picks show up thinking they don't have to put in the work. If he’s learned anything since he and I started his rehab the first time, it’s that he knows how to buckle down and work. We'll do our honeymoon later on—we’ll find the time.”
"Well, if you say so. Let's save the rest of this until dinner, why don't we? Tell us about your trip to Jacksonville. I know it's kind of related, but in your emails, you sounded like you had a ton of fun."
"I did. You two will love it when you visit. In fact, I think I made a new friend, a woman named Whitney."
Tres Amigos is a nice restaurant, and even Dad relaxes as the appetizers come to the table. "To Duncan and Carrie," Dad says, raising his bottle of Dos Equis for a toast. The rest of us, who aren't drinking for various reasons, lift our glasses. Mom doesn't like alcohol, Duncan's driving, and well, I’m pregnant, although Mom and Dad still don't know. "Duncan, I hope you realize how lucky you are."
“Trust me, I know," Duncan says. "Carrie is precious, and I’m a lucky man to be starting a family with her."
Mom, who sips at her iced tea, hums. "A family? That would be nice some day. I've sometimes thought about little grandchildren running around that I can dote on."
"Actually Mom, it's going to be sooner than you think," I say. “We didn’t want to throw everything at you at once. We wanted to save this for a time when you could absorb it, and maybe celebrate, but I'm . . . well, we're going to have a baby."
Dad drops his bottle of Dos Equis, which explodes on the tile floor of the restaurant. The waiter rushes over with a towel and offers to get him a new drink, but he waves him off. "Tea, please. I—I think I've had enough alcohol."
The waiter leaves, and Dad turns to Duncan, his eyes burning with intensity. "One question. Did you know about this before you asked Carrie to marry you?"
Duncan and I exchange looks, and he chuckles. "In a remarkable coincidence, Mr. Mittel, I bought the ring and was taking Carrie to dinner to propose when she told me."
Dad considers it, then nods. "Vince. Duncan, my name is Vince."
Dad stands up and comes around the table next to me. I stand, and moments later, we're hugging, before Mom and Duncan join us for a group hug. I'm in the middle of the three people whom I love the most in the world, and it's the best feeling in the world.