The Proposal; The other Side

 A glimpse into what happened at the safe house to get ready for the proposal. 

A frenzy of activity started as soon as Vanessa left with James and Ellie. While Vanessa and James had set off to get coffee, Ellie showed Cassidy where her mother’s decorations were kept. Everyone wanted to get moving after we ate. Some of the decorations were too formal, and some were too holiday-centric, but others were just about perfect.

Cassidy sent Gus off to procure some seeds for her stash at their house after Thomas told them what he was thinking, and he was going to stop and grab Thomas one of his suits. While he was gone, Thomas, Cassidy, and Ms. Claudette got to cleaning. The place was well taken care of; Vanessa and Gus reckoned it was some sort of stasis spell that kept dust from accumulating while it was unoccupied.

“The couch will need to be shifted out of the way,” Thomas said. “I want to be able to walk straight through here.”

“We can turn it and slide it up against the wall instead of having it out in the middle. The table behind it can be moved in front of it for the time being,” Cassidy answered.

“I think we should extend the path into the entryway,” Ms. Claudette said. “He will see the flowers everywhere but won’t have the full effect of this room immediately. It would build up the anticipation as he walked around the corner.”

“I love that!” Thomas said excitedly. “Will you have enough seeds to do that?”

“I can generate more,” Cassidy said with a wink.

When Gus got back with pots, vases, and seeds, Cassidy set to work on the flowers while Gus took her place in cleaning. While he didn’t like using his magic for mundane things, they had a lot to do and not much time to do it. He slid the furniture around with ease while Thomas decided precisely where it needed to go. Watching Thomas scrutinize every detail and want it to be perfect for James caused some tears to well up in Gus’s eyes. Thomas was thinking through everything he knew James loved. Everything from furniture angles, lighting quality, flower fragrance, and unique relations and meanings behind it all.

“This is as much for you as for him,” Cassidy said.

“None of those details matter to me. I don’t care about the lighting strength and how it might change the feel of a room. James does. He is meticulous, thorough, and on top of everything all the time. It would make him happy to have all of these things right, even if he would never mention it if I didn’t do it. I want him to be happy.”

Cassidy burst into tears and threw herself into Thomas’s arms. Her tears brought some to Thomas’s eyes too. Ms. Claudette turned away, trying to stop tears from spilling down her cheeks.

“We still have a lot to do,” she said in a carefully controlled voice. “And Thomas still needs to change and grab the stone he picked out.”

“You’re right,” Cassidy said, sniffling as she released Thomas. “There will be time for all of this later. I’m just so happy for them!”

Cassidy went back to the flowers. They were coming along nicely as she coaxed them to keep growing. She caressed their leaves softly and cooed at them as they bloomed. She carefully potted some of them and asked others to release flowers for her so she could put them in various vases.

When Ellie came through the portal, it startled everyone. They weren’t expecting anyone until Vanessa gave them a warning.

“It’s me,” Ellie said quickly. “Oh my Gods, it’s so beautiful! And it’s not even done yet!”

“It’s getting there,” Cassidy said, still sniffling. “The plants should be ready soon, but I’m not sure what else we need to get done. How come you’re back?”

“I have to drop this off. James really wanted to come back to talk to you, Thomas, but Vanessa told him we didn’t have time.”

“He’ll be weirded out by that,” Thomas said, a little worried.

“I know, but he will understand soon enough,” Ellie said. “How much longer do you need?”

“Maybe… like, an hour?”

“Ok, I have to go now, but I’ll make sure we aren’t ready to head back before then!”

Ellie popped back into the portal, and it closed. She was only here about a minute, two tops. Thomas pointed out some of the metallic decorations and, after a discussion with Ms. Claudette, decided the best way to put them up to reflect the lighting the way he wanted. Candles and lanterns were lit and placed around the room to give an intimate feel. He had decided the overhead lights were too bright and harsh for the moment.

Thomas gave a few last-minute instructions before he slipped off to put his suit on. Gus didn’t go by James and Thomas’s house for a suit like he said he was. He bought him a brand new one in charcoal gray. As he slowed pulled it on, he realized Gus had done the alterations himself. The suit fit perfectly. Thomas stood in front of the mirror and turned slowly, looking at it from all angles. He had no idea how Gus managed something like this so quickly, but it was perfect. He could feel his eyes welling up again and tipped his head back to hold them in.

Gus sent vases and pots gliding through the air as he took instruction from Cassidy and Ms. Claudette. He threw in an opinion on occasion, but he thought the flowers looked beautiful wherever they were placed.

“The sweetpeas shouldn’t be in the entryway,” Gus said. “They are his favorite, so he should be surrounded by them when he is asked.”

“Oh, that’s lovely!” Cassidy said. “I think if they are all in there, the peonies should be too. I think that would have the best feel to it.”

Since that was settled. Gus guided several pots into place simultaneously while Ms. Claudette and Cassidy swept away all the unused decorations and the seed packets, empty pots, and cuttings.

As Thomas came down the stairs, they turned to look at him. He looked fantastic. His sandy hair was ruffled and unruly since he kept running his hands through it, but it was charming. An outward sign of nervousness and excitement.

“I’ll be in there,” Thomas said, gesturing to the door leading into the kitchen. “When he comes in, can you guys open the door so I know it’s time for me to come out?”

“Of course,” Gus said as Cassidy sniffled, fresh tears running down her face. “Fire message. Are we ready?”

“Tell her to give us a few more minutes,” Thomas said as he ran his hand through his hair again.

“Everything is perfect, dear,” Ms. Claudette said as she smoothed his lapels. “You look fetching, and you can feel the love you have for him in each and every aspect of this room. Take a deep breath, and go wait behind that door.”

“Thank you,” he said as he pulled her into a hug.

Gus and Cassidy each got a hug before he strode through the door. Ms. Claudette settled herself on a chair in the corner. Gus pulled on a suit coat. His pants were a little dusty, but he wasn’t worried about that. Cassidy straightened her sweater and picked off invisible lint while she waited.

They heard the portal open, and both held their breath. They heard Vanessa mumble something just before James stepped into view. His eyes were wide, and his hands were shaking slightly. You could see the warmth sweep over him as he took in the scene before him. A tear spilled down his cheek as he turned to hug Vanessa. Gus pushed the door open, revealing Thomas. The pure love and admiration that swept over James’s face as he saw Thomas sent more tears cascading down Cassidy’s cheeks. But James didn’t notice quite yet; he only had eyes for Thomas.