A Perfect Fit

Damian was nervous and excited. Today was Lauren's graduation. He'd gotten her a special present. He hoped she liked it. He didn't want to give it to her at her party, preferring to wait until they were alone. Damian and Lauren had been going out for over a year and he wanted to "take their relationship to the next level," so to speak. Not physically, of course. They'd both agreed that they wanted to wait for anything like that. But more of a sign of their devotion.

"Young love, our love, we share with deep emotion…" he hummed to himself as he waited for Lauren to take the stage to receive her diploma. He'd flown all the way from Derry to Texas to be here for this occasion.

When the ceremony was over, Damian rushed out to the lobby to find Lauren. She jumped on him from behind, squealing delightedly in his ear.

"You're here! You're here!" she said. "I've missed you so much!" He smiled and planted a "hello" kiss on her lips.

"Congratulations," he said. "Now you've got four more years to fight through." She laughed and playfully punched his arm.

"How long are you staying in town?" she asked.

"I leave in the morning," he said. "I booked a hotel for the night."

"You're coming to my party, right?" she asked.

"No, I flew nearly five thousand miles just to watch the ceremony, then leave," he said sarcastically. "Of course I'm coming. I'm not leaving your side for the rest of the day." He put his arm around her shoulder.

"You will right now, because I need to pee!" She slipped out from under his arm and handed him her bag. "Hold this." Damian laughed as she rushed to the loo.

At the party, there were a lot of people Damian had met at Lauren's high school. She got lots of presents. Her aunt had joked by getting her a map of the state so she could drive to college on her own and "be able to find her way back home" on weekends. Damian had a card to give her at the party so people would not get suspicious of his lack of a gift. It played music when she opened it and she laughed at the cheesy joke it held. It was a Calvin and Hobbes card and it played "It's a Jungle Out There" from the TV show Monk.

"Thanks, Damian. I love it," she said and kissed him. As the party died down and people started to leave, Damian constantly double-checked his pocket to make sure he had the box. Finally, Lauren and Damian went on a quiet stroll through the streets. It wasn't quite dark outside yet. They went to a little spot in the woods behind her house and climbed a big tree. They sat on a large branch, Damian leaning against the tree, and Lauren leaning against him. They sat there for a while, looking at the colors of the sunset through the trees. Damian would hum or sing off and on for a while.

"Lauren?" he whispered. She'd started to doze and blinked her eyes open.

"Hmm?"

"I have something else for you," he said. She sat up and turned around on the branch to face him.

"More?" she asked. "What is it?" Damian talked as he reached into his pocket.

"I don't want you to think of this as a sudden thing," he said and revealed the little box. Lauren eyed it nervously. "We don't have to even begin to plan anything for years, if you don't want to. But, Lauren Pfieffer." He opened the box. "Will you marry me?"

Lauren stared at the beautiful Claddagh ring. It wasn't too big or gaudy, and she was grateful for that. The heart was diamond and the crown had a Celtic knot design to it. It was perfect. Lauren felt a tear drop down her cheek and wiped it away, sniffing.

"Aye," she said. That was one of the few words she really picked up from Damian and the lads. She even said it with the same Irish lilt. "I love you." She pulled him in for a kiss and he put his hand on her jaw, savoring the feel of her lips on his. He broke away and took the ring from its box, setting the little square on the branch between them. He took her left hand in his right and smiled, looking into her eyes as he slid it onto her ring finger.

It was a perfect fit.