Do me this honor

[very_sharpe]

Thomas planned a day. It isn't exactly their anniversary - that has come and gone - but he still wants to give Greta a lovely time. Brunch at a place they both like, followed by a matinee of a ballet performance and a walk through the park and maybe a little bit of leisurely but last minute Christmas shopping. Tea at the little cafe they had their first date.

All of it is to give Greta a day off, and more than that, to simply enjoy themselves together, not as parents or as people that needed to work. Sure, he's decided to make plans to take Saoire to see The Nutcracker now, especially since Greta thinks she'll enjoy it. But beyond that, it's rather lovely to be free of any obligation for the day.

It's easy enough to decide to walk home - it's an unseasonably nice evening and there's no rush, they can be leisurely.

"I had a lovely day. Thank you for indulging me," he says to Greta as the house comes into view.

Comments

[andhiswife]

"On a stuffy?" she echoes, eyebrows raised. For a moment or two, she appears to mull the idea over. "I have to say, that would have really taken things to new heights. No woman can resist a toy seal." A slow smile spreads across her face, and she adds, "But then, you're rather hard to resist, too."

It's a compliment that could be misconstrued, though she certainly doesn't meant to reference the less savory uses his charm has been put to in the past. The unpleasant connotation only occurs to her afterward, and -- hopefully before it can occur to him -- she swiftly changes the subject to this apparent surprise for Saoirse.

"Oh, really? Do tell. It'd even the score a bit." Granted, Saoirse has been keeping Thomas's secret for months, and Greta will only have a few minutes to anticipate her surprise. But it's something, and she is genuinely curious.

[very_sharpe]

"On a stuff," he confirms, trying not to smile too brightly. He strokes the back of his fingers over Greta's cheek and kisses her again.

"I've a little bracelet for it, something to match your ring, and I've every intention of asking her if it's alright that I officially join the family."

He wants Saoirse to be involved, to feel like she has a hand in the decisions that adults are making all around her. Greta's approval is paramount, of course, but it would be a shame to leave Saoirse out of it entirely, especially at her age. Especially when she was so keen to have him get Greta a ring in the first place.

[andhiswife]

Greta hums into the kiss -- an intrigued little glissando -- and resists the urge to chase after him when he pulls away, though she still sways in a fraction of an inch before settling back on her heels.

"Really?" Saoirse is going to love that, and Greta lights up at the thought of how surprised she'll be (which, given the lass's other insider information, seems like fair play). "Do you have it with you now?" She bites down on her lower lip and gives his lapel a playful little tug. "May I see it?"

In the interest of fairness, of course. And also because she doesn't want to ask outright if he bought her something with diamonds and emeralds on it. It's not that she thinks the lass doesn't deserve it, or wouldn't take good care of such a thing, but she is starting to wonder just how much money Thomas has dropped on this whole venture. The combining of their households hasn't yet extended to their finances, and while she knows they're both doing well enough for themselves, it's hard to get past the knee-jerk concern that this is Too Much (for his pocketbook, if not her station).

[very_sharpe]

Thomas resists the urge to lift an eyebrow when Greta, as casually as she can, asks to see what he's gotten for Saoirse. But he slips his hand into his other pocket and produces a box bigger than the ring box, but considerably thinner.

Inside is a jade and pearl bracelet.

"I wanted it to match yours, at least in color," he says. "But I thought something a bit more... practical would be better for a girl her age. The green stones are jade and the white are pearls - I thought she might like that, being a little seal and all."

He really has thought about the gifts for his ladies, beyond merely choosing something that he thinks will look nice or that is expensive. And Thomas knows that Greta worries about expenses more than he does, but he's careful with keeping the books and these expenses felt important. He's had them worked into his budget for more than a month.

[andhiswife]

He pauses just long enough before fishing out the box that she's fairly certain he's guessed at her concern. Still, she's getting her way, and she doesn't have to pretend to be pleased (though she does try to mask her relief) when he reveals a much more modest bracelet than she'd feared. The way he says 'practical' earns him a shrewdly amused glance -- yes, yes -- but the thought he's clearly put into it makes her smile.

"Oh, she's going to love it," Greta assures him. "Not least of all because it'll probably blindside her." There's an undercurrent of irony, there -- blindsiding people with unexpected jewelry and romantic proposals is rather the theme of the evening, it seems -- but she does think Saoirse will be thrilled.

It does make the prospect of going in a little more enticing, though she pulls him in for another sweet, lingering kiss before asking, "Shall we go in, then?"

[very_sharpe]

"Yes, I suppose she must know we're home by now."

He's certain the dogs have alerted Saoirse and the babysitter to their presence, though eh does appreciate the effort to keep everyone inside so that they might have some privacy. Thomas tucks the bracelet away again and leans close to meet the kiss, lingering for as long as either of them can stand.

"I love you," he murmurs. He makes sure they have their bags before heading toward the door. He thinks he should go first, on the off chance there are dogs and a child trying to rush them.

[andhiswife]

Honestly, she's a little surprised they've been left alone as long as they have. It's not a kindness she wants to abuse by lingering just for the sake of it, though part of her does think the spell of time between now and when she gets him alone again is going to be just a little bit trying.

"And I you," she says, lifting her hand to his cheek for a moment before reluctantly stepping back.

They regather their things, and she has just enough time to hoist her bags out of easy snout-reach as both dogs burst out the door, circling them both enthusiastically and sniffing at their coats for news of where they've been. "Yes, yes, good dogs," Greta says, shifting her bags so she can pat Sadie with her right hand. This new ring is definitely going to take some getting used to, and though she knows she's being absurd, she doesn't want it catching in anyone's fur.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse is the last to join them, because she'd been peering out the window, watching the whole thing. From her angle, she hadn't seen the second box, and she hadn't been able to hear a thing, of course. But she'd wanted to see Greta's face, and her reaction, because although she hadn't known for certain that today was the day Thomas would ask her, she'd suspected it. As soon as Cú had let her know they were back, she'd rushed to the window and pressed her face against it to watch.

It isn't the way she'd wanted to see it done, but it's the best she's got, because even if the sitter hadn't said, Saoirse wanted to give them proper privacy.

So, she's the last to arrive to the door, and her eyes are absolutely alight, and she's got a big smile on her face.

"Let me see, let me see!" she insists.

[very_sharpe]

Thomas manages to set his bags down safely as Greta is swarmed by a very eager Saoirse. He makes brief eye contact with his fiance and gives her a wink as he goes to talk to the babysitter so that he can be on his way.

As Gabriel heads out the door, Thomas returns to the scene to save Greta's bags and to shoo the dogs out of the way.

"It's not quite the ring you envisioned," Thomas warns Saoirse, a smile on his face.

[andhiswife]

Greta gives Gabriel's shoulder a fond pat in passing, then lets Thomas divest her of her bags as she steps (or wades, rather, through the still-circling dogs) inside.

"I thought you'd already seen it," Greta says, arching an eyebrow at her daughter. She certainly doesn't seem the least bit surprised, and it belatedly occurs to her that she could have been watching from the window. But she relents a moment later, holding out her hand so Saoirse can see the ring clearly. "What do you think? Does it look better on me than it would on a seal stuffy?" She glances up to shoot Thomas a grin.

[selkiesaoirse]

She holds Greta's fingers so she can study the new piece properly. It's lovelier than she remembers, probably because it's on Greta's finger now.

She's going to have a proper family, soon, just like all the kids at school and on TV.

"Dad!" Saoirse squeals when Greta mentions the stuffy. "You aren't supposed to tell anyone our plans!" Just because they didn't use them yet means they never will, after all.

[very_sharpe]

"Forgive me, slip of the tongue," he says with a hidden smile. Thomas takes a moment to shoo the dogs into the back yard.

When he comes back, Thomas takes off his coat and hangs it by the door.

"Saoirse, while this is all very exciting, I was wondering if I might borrow you for a moment."

Thomas waits until he has the girl's attention and retrieves the box from his coat pocket. Once again, he's down on one knee - though this time it's to put himself more at eye level with Saoirse.

"I know that you and I already discussed me speaking to Greta, and it means so very much to me that you would want to be involved at all. But, I never really asked you, not properly, if it would be alright with you if I joined the family officially. So I'd like to ask you now."

He opens the box to reveal the pearl and jade bracelet.

"I've asked Greta to be my wife, and you've so kindly asked if I'll be your father. Will you be my daughter, Saoirse?"

[andhiswife]

As soon as Thomas asks for Saoirse's attention, Greta presses her lips together so she won't distract. Moving carefully, she fishes her phone out of her pocket and discreetly starts to film the proceedings. This is going to be so cute.

Not to mention terribly touching. It won't be the steadiest video she's ever taken, and she has to blink rather a lot to keep her vision from blurring. It takes a good deal of self restraint to remain in the background, not prompting Saoirse for her answer.

[selkiesaoirse]

This part is the surprise. The kneeling, and the sweet look on his face, and the beautiful bracelet that looks so much like Greta's ring.

Saoirse can't quite believe it.

She doesn't even realize she's crying until she tries to answer and her voice catches. It startles a wet giggle from her throat, and she pounces on him in a tight hug.

"Yes!" she crows.

[very_sharpe]

Thomas wraps Saoirse in a tight little hug, careful not to squish her too much. "Wonderful," he murmurs against her hair. "Thank you, Saoirse."

He kisses the top of her head, then gently guides her back. He puts the bracelet on her wrist.

"It's sized for you now, but we can have it made bigger as you grow, if you'd like."

He'd thought it was important to get a piece that would be easy to adjust as Saoirse grew. She's just a little girl now, but she won't be forever. He looks up at Greta, catching her with the camera and he can't even bring himself to try to give her a look. All he can do is smile, fond and warm.

[andhiswife]

Greta stops recording, then sniffs conspicuously before tucking the device away. Then, there's really nothing to do but join them on the floor, wrapping one arm around Thomas and stroking back Saoirse's hair with her other hand. "Now we're both all decked out," she says, her grin only a little watery as she takes Saoirse's hand, the ring and the bracelet both gleaming in the light. Lowering her voice to a conspiratorial stage whisper, she adds, "We'll have to get Thomas some sort of finery for Christmas, won't we? If we haven't, already."

Well. The scarf she's made is rather fine by her own standards, but it's hardly on the same level as jewelry. Besides, she hadn't thought to match it with emerald or pearl, color-wise. Surely they can come up with something fitting over the next few days.

[selkiesaoirse]

She nods, cheeks still damp, and snuggles into her family.

Her family. It's always been real to her, but now it feels official, like a stamp or a sticker, or the papers that Thomas makes for his one-of-a-kind trinkets that people special buy.

"Thank you, Dad," she says, voice a little wobbly.

[very_sharpe]

Thomas doesn't even try to put up a fight at the idea of getting him something that will match them. He's rather touched, even if he wants to insist that they don't need to. He hugs both of them close and presses a kiss to Greta's hair.

Then he laughs, a bit wet and a bit breathless. "Look at us," he murmurs. "We're down on the floor and any moment now the dogs are going to try to come in. Come on... we can at least reconvene on the couch."

Somewhere that they won't get all knocked over. Somewhere he can keep holding them.

[andhiswife]

"Good idea," Greta agrees, giving both of them a squeeze before getting to her feet. "Here, I'll let the dogs in while you two get settled, all right?" One of the grown-ups has to, and while it's been a moving evening for all of them, Thomas is the one who's been preparing little speeches and presenting jewelry; he ought to sit.

The dogs are both waiting by the door, and look ready to resume their gleeful prancing about until Greta mutters a stern, "Settle down." Then it's all ducked heads and sheepish wags, and she gives both of them a pat before making her way back to the living room, where Thomas and Saoirse have already settled themselves.

"Right, make room for your betrothed," she says with a giddy grin as she sits down beside Thomas, nestling as close as she can get without outright climbing into his lap. Betrothed. She was half-joking, but she does rather like the sound of that. She reaches across him to check on Saoirse, her smile taking on a more sympathetic look. "Bit of a day, eh?" she says softly.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse has curled up on one side of him, and when Greta returns, dogs heralding her approach, she smiles up at her. It's nice that she checks on her, too. Saoirse loves Greta so much, for so many reasons, and one of those reasons is that she cares about Saoirse even when she should be caring about herself.

"But a wonderful day," she insists.

She crawls over Thomas's thighs to sit on both their laps. She'll be off to bed before long, anyway, so they'll have plenty of alone, grownup time. For now, she wants to snuggle with both of her parents, even if they talk over her head about things. She looks at her bracelet, fingers running over the smooth beads, and smiles. She can't believe Thomas proposed fatherhood to her!

[very_sharpe]

Thomas can't believe how content he feels to be sandwiched between Saoirse and Greta. He slides his arm around Greta and gently rubs his hand over her back as she checks in with Saoirse.

"A very wonderful day," he agrees. "Does this mean we can skip Christmas? I suppose we could find something to do with all those presents..."

He's teasing, of course. But how wonderful to be a step closer to being an official family as they waltz into the holidays. Maybe it's only a bit of paper, but somehow it feels terribly important. Thomas knows well all the benefits a marriage offers and he wants Greta and Saoirse to have everything that he can give.

Thomas presses a little kiss to Greta's temple and murmurs another soft, I love you against her hair. He squeezes Saoirse against his side.

[andhiswife]

Greta oofs playfully as Saoirse clambers onto their laps, but makes no real objection. It's sweet -- and understandable -- and it means she's close enough for Greta to drop a kiss onto her hair and give her arm a little rub.

"Oh," she says, as if seriously considering the idea. "I suppose we could. Just set our presents aside until our next birthdays roll around. We'd be opening them before you knew it." Well, Thomas and herself would; Saoirse would have a much longer wait, and Greta gives her arm a light squeeze to show she's joking.

And then she's distracted by Thomas's attentions, a warm smile spreading across her face as his I love you registers. She hums in quiet acknowledgment, then leans back enough to press a sweet, chaste kiss against his lips.

If someone had asked her an hour or so ago, she could have made a convincing argument that they didn't need to be married -- that they were living as if they were already, and a bit of paperwork wouldn't have made that much of a difference. But that was before she saw how happy her answer had made him. She knows his previous life was relatively joyless, and she's taken no small amount of pleasure in increasing his supply here, plying him with love and affection and humor as if feeding up a hungry person with her baking. She doesn't know quite what the metaphorical equivalent of that this would be -- like loosening a belt, or taking out a hemline -- but if something as simple as a bit of paper could make him that much happier, well. They could go to City Hall tomorrow, as far as she's concerned.

They can work out the details later. For now, she keeps one arm curled around Saoirse, and with the other, she finds Thomas's hand and laces their fingers together. They're a bit of a tangle, really, but a very cozy one.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse listens to their teasing — and she knows they're teasing, just like she knows they're not going to save the presents for birthdays — and offers playful protests of her own.

But it's quickly quieted, as she snuggles with her parents, with Cú resting his chin on Saoirse's lap and Sadie curled up at Greta's feet. Later, she'll want cocoa, and maybe a book, and a bath before bed.

But for right now, all she wants is this. It's perfect.

[very_sharpe]

Thomas is content to just stay there for a while, cuddling Saoise with Greta. But when he realizes that the little girl is starting to fall asleep, he gently picks her up to carry her upstairs. It's the usual routine: making sure she's changed for bed, teeth-brushing, a story or two while she's tucked in.

He leans to press a kiss to Saoirse's forehead as he gets up. "Sleep well, darling. We'll see you in the morning."

He moves back so that Greta an have her proper turn and waits for her by the door. Thomas turns out the light and his hand finds Greta's on the short walk to their bedroom.

"Rather an eventful night."

[andhiswife]

It's both a relief and a slight surprise when Saoirse drifts off. Cozy as their arrangement might be, Greta can't imagine just falling asleep. Maybe it's because there was no music, or maybe it's because she was so taken off guard, or maybe she's simply excited, but she's been quietly fizzing with restless energy ever since Thomas popped the question.

She's masked it well enough, she thinks -- enough to not be mistaken for on edge, if nothing else. But she still feels as if she ought to be doing something, taking some sort of action besides the familiar routine of getting a half-dozing Saoirse scrubbed and into her pajamas and asleep beneath the covers.

A few options have occurred to her by the time they've eased themselves out of Saoirse's room and into the hall, some more practical (or enjoyable) than others. "It has that," she quietly agrees. She lifts their joined hands to press a kiss to the back of Thomas's palm, the engagement ring catching the light like no other bit of jewelry she's ever owned before. With a wry smile, she adds, "This will certainly take some getting used to." Thomas knows her background as well as she knows his; he's sure to understand that she's never worn anything so valuable in her life. Even if she'd owned such finery back home, it would have been kept under bloody lock and key, a family heirloom, and not worn daily. "I'm going to end up putting it away for safekeeping in my sleep. Probably ought to just apologize in advance."