One of the things Carol loved most about Emmeline was her consistency. She was so level-headed, predictable in the best ways, set in her routines. Her mornings rarely changed, shifting only the smallest bit if it was a Defense day, an Underground day, or an off day. Carol made sure to choose a work day; it made her plan that much easier to complete.
The engagement ring she’d given spent most of Emme’s work days tucked into its box in her nightstand drawer. It wasn’t in much danger of being damaged – it had come from a particular shop that welded its jewelry with magic. Like the ring Stephen had given Wanda, it was forged with a soul bond so only Carol and Emme could pick it up, and warded with charms and blessings that made it as close to unbreakable as possible.
It was sweet, really, that Emme still took such care with it regardless. Carol knew she’d worry when she found it missing after work, but she didn’t intend to keep it from her for long.
They’d been doing really well again after all of Carol’s self-inflicted drama came to an end. She knew it would never be exactly the same, and she wasn’t sure they’d were better, happy. The happiness had only heightened since the Potters had popped up from Emme’s world and came to spend Christmas with them at the house. It was easy to put aside all the tough stuff when people that had been lost got to come to Vallo and get a second chance.
That was when Carol had started crafting this plan of hers. Everything had shifted so abruptly after the proposal, after Natasha remembered, that wedding planning had come to a grinding halt. She still wanted it – her future was with Emmeline, she had known that since the start of their relationship and not once had it changed – and she was hopeful Emme did, too. She hadn’t left her, that was a positive sign, but neither of them had really brought the subject up again.
She intended to change that, and she’d gotten it in her head that she’d re-propose to do it. Ignite a little of that romance, maybe. She thought her fiancée would appreciate that.
Their backyard was more of a nook than anything, but with warming charms cast over it, they’d still been able to enjoy it comfortably through the colder months. She knew Emme would come looking for her when she found the ring gone and had settled on the outdoor sofa with the box concealed between her hands while she waited.
When she arrived home from work that day, Emmeline was exhausted, but in a good way. It had been a long, productive day, and she was looking forward to a relaxing evening with Carol and Kamala. She was thinking about suggesting they order take-away for dinner as she apparated into the foyer. Pizza sounded marvelous.
Aside from the slight “pop” that announced her arrival, the house was quiet inside. It wasn’t anything completely out of the ordinary, so Emme took the opportunity to head up to the master bedroom and clean herself up. A good work day for her usually meant coming home covered in dirt, sweat, blood, or all of the above. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, she headed over to her nightstand to retrieve her ring. When she didn’t immediately see it in its usual place, her brows knit together in confusion. She spent an extra few moments rummaging around to make certain before she determined it was well and truly missing.
Had this happened several weeks ago when she and Carol were struggling, she might have allowed herself to get a little worried. They were in a better place now, though, so mostly the missing ring just roused her curiosity. She could have reached for her wand and used a summoning spell on it, but Carol had obviously moved it for a reason, and Emme didn’t want to unintentionally ruin anything, so instead she ventured out in search of her fiancée.
Her feet were bare as she padded lightly down the steps and back to the first floor. Her dark hair was still pulled up in a knot from her shower, and she brushed a few flyaway hairs out of her eyes as she looked around. “Carol?” She double checked the living room and found it empty before she spotted some movement on their back patio. She pulled the cardigan she was wearing more tightly around herself before she ventured in that direction. “Not hiding from me are you,” she teased as she popped her head through the back door.
“Me, hiding?” Carol scoffed. “Never. Come over here, I missed you. Got something of yours, too, if that isn’t enough motivation.” She grinned; there was no playing coy here, not really. She was sure Emme could have connected the dots if she wanted, at least enough to know that she had the ring.
“I noticed.” Emme couldn’t help but return Carol’s grin as she moved to sit next to her on the sofa. There was an inkling of what she thought might happen next, but Carol often managed to surprise her, so she chose not to assume anything.
Before taking a seat, Emme leaned forward to gently kiss Carol hello. It was soft and lingering, and she trailed her thumb lightly along Carol’s jaw. For all they’d been through, she was still so in love with her. “I missed you too.”
Emme lowered herself down onto the sofa cushion and gave Carol an amused glance. Whatever came next, she was fairly certain she’d enjoy herself.
Carol leaned into the touch, then freed one hand to pull Emme’s legs up across her lap once she’d settled in. She leaned in to kiss her again, fingers still wrapped around the ring box, just enjoying her presence quietly for a moment.
“So,” she began, holding the box up between her middle and index fingers. “I stole this because there’s something I want to do. It might be a little more cheesy in practice than it was when I thought of it, but I’m willing to take the chance that you’ll enjoy the cheese.”
She remembered being a bit nervous – just for a few seconds – the first time she’d done this, despite knowing what answer she’d get. She wasn’t nervous this time. Nothing was really changing. It was just sort of symbolic – her way of showing that she was completely committed to the life they wanted to make together.
“I love you,” she said softly, a crooked smile curling her lips as she met those blue eyes. “I’ve loved you since pretty much the moment I met you. I know my shortcomings got the best of me for a while there, but how I feel about you never changed and it never will. I want to get back on track with the wedding. I want to marry you and call you my wife for every second I can.”
She pulled the box open and delicately pulled the ring out of the box, reaching for her fiancée’s left hand. “I know I asked you this once already, and I don’t think your answer’s changed, but…still want to marry me?”
As soon as Carol began, the corners of Emmeline’s mouth began to twitch with a lightly suppressed smile. So it was that then, and Carol was absolutely correct in her assumption that Emme would enjoy the cheese. After all, she’d spent every single Valentine’s Day of her youth at Madame Puddifoot’s tea shop. If there was anyone who appreciated the thought behind this gesture, it was Emmeline Vance. There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation in her answer. “Of course I do.”
“Good,” Carol replied, promptly slipping the ring back into place on Emmeline’s ring finger. She slid the box back into her shirt pocket to take upstairs with them later, then raised both hands to cup Emme’s face and pull her in close, foreheads pressed together. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cheesy in my life. Worth it, though, for you.”
“Clearly I’ve been a marvelous influence on you.” Emmeline inched herself closer so that they could lean in more comfortably together. “Not that I’m complaining by any stretch, but what exactly prompted all of this?”
“Marvelous, hah,” Carol smirked. She couldn’t quite gauge if the pun was intentional, but she had to comment either way. “The cheese was just to make you smile. The wedding… I never meant for it to get so postponed, but I got us off track, then I was waiting until we were in a good place to bring it up again.”
She’d wanted to bring it up sooner, but she didn’t want Emme to think she was using it as a band-aid. She wanted to put in her time making things right, proving that her lapse in judgment was just that: a lapse. It had never truly changed how she felt.
“Now with Lily and James and baby Harry here…” She laced their fingers together, shrugging one shoulder. “Our people are here, for the most part. I don’t want to waste any more time waiting. I want to marry you.”
She hadn’t intended on making a pun, but she wasn’t surprised at all when Carol picked it up regardless. Emmeline gave her another amused look and stuck her tongue out briefly.
Wedding plans had taken a back seat for them for a while now, but Carol was right. They both knew nothing was promised here, and while Emme was far from the impulsive sort, she found that she wholeheartedly agreed with not wanting to waste any more time. “Well,” she tilted her head to the side and gave Carol a long look. “Then let’s get married.”
Impulse was all Carol’s territory. She wasn’t as bad as some, more measured and thoughtful with age and experience, but she tended to act fast. Most situations she’d been in hadn’t afforded her the luxury of deep thought and careful planning.
This didn’t feel impulsive in the same way, though. She had proposed almost five months ago, with every intention of being married by the end of October. Things had gone sideways, but they were both still here now. She wasn’t about to take that for granted.
“Let’s get married,” she agreed. “Tell me what you want and we’ll make it happen.” She knew neither of them were concerned with an over-the-top bash, but something small and intimate would still be nice and take a bit to plan.
Emmeline was quiet for a long moment. After their initial engagement, her mind had been filled with plenty of ideas for the day, but that had been pushed far, far back into the recesses of her mind while it had been too painful to think about. She mentally sorted through some things, trying to see what things still fit and which ones were better left alone. “I think I’d like it in the spring.” It wasn’t so far off, and she had always envisioned an outdoor wedding. “Mid-March maybe?”
“Mid-March sounds great,” Carol replied with a nod. It was still far enough out that they’d have time to put together something nice, and the temperatures would be starting to rise — perfect for something outdoors, like she knew Emme wanted. “We can start looking into locations your next day off?”
She nodded an affirmative and leaned forward to give Carol another kiss. “That sounds perfect. Before we hit the ground running with plans, is there anything in particular that you’d like to have?”
“You.” Carol shrugged and smiled. “Everything else is just a bonus.” Might sound a bit like a cop-out, but she’d never been one to ruminate or wax poetic on her wedding day, in part because she’d never believed it would happen. If Emmeline was happy, she would be happy. “You’re the boss on this one, baby. If it’s a princess wedding, you got it. I bet we can even rent out that giant castle if we ask nicely.”
She couldn’t help the soft expression on her face at Carol’s response. She didn’t think it was a cop-out whatsoever, and she was determined to plan the perfect day for the both of them. She looked down at the ring on her finger again, then shifted her position so she could cuddle more comfortably into the crook of Carol’s shoulder. “What if I want to put you in a big, ridiculous, poofy dress?”
Carol shifted to support the change in position, one hand stroking down Emme’s arm. Her content smile morphed into a grimace when the words ‘big, ridiculous, poofy dress’ were uttered. She knew it was teasing, but just the thought nearly made her shudder.
“That’s where I’ll have to draw the line. I look way hotter in a suit.” A non-poofy dress could be negotiated but not the monstrosity that description invoked.
Emme chuckled at having received exactly the response she’d been looking for. “I see, adding stipulations already.” She leaned her head against Carol and looked out over their backyard. Their yard, their home, their life together. “I promise to never ask you to wear a poofy dress, regardless of occasion.”
“I appreciate that.” Carol turned to press a kiss to Emme’s head. “Giant cotton balls never looked good on me. Believe me, Mom tried her damnedest when I was little.”
She was quiet for a moment, stroking her fiancée’s arm as they watched the sun sink lower down the horizon. Kamala would be home soon, and they’d be sitting down to dinner all together. It was always one of her favorite parts of the day, but today, this one might just top it.
“I’ve loved seeing you so happy lately,” she murmured. “I’m planning to keep that streak going.”
Emme was quite pleased to be happy again. To no longer feel uncomfortable and stressed all the time, but especially while at home. The whole ordeal had taken a much larger toll on her than she’d truly realized until it had been over. Now with the worst of it behind them, the Potters having arrived, a new year and a wedding ahead of them, everything felt much more hopeful than it had a few months ago. “You certainly won’t hear me complaining. It’s good seeing you happier again too.”
“Yeah, I can’t say I mind being happy,” Carol chuckled. She hadn’t enjoyed the headspace she’d been in, and looking back, she felt ridiculous for having gotten so swept away. But it was over and done with now. They were moving forward and doing so much better for it. “What’re we thinking for dinner? I should start cooking soon, unless Lily’s going to come take over the kitchen again.”
While Emme never minded Lily’s particular brand of magic in their kitchen, she thought that might be better suited for another evening. Tonight she just wanted Carol and Kamala. She casually looped her arm around Carol’s waist. “Why don’t we order in tonight.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Carol nudged her nose gently against Emmeline’s. She didn’t mind cooking, and she’d been picking up more and more in the lunch and dinner foods department, but she wasn’t going to argue with a break. “Pizza?”
“You read my mind.” Emmeline smiled and leaned in to kiss Carol yet again. She had a feeling she’d be doing a lot of that this evening.