Grateful Hearts (Home for the Holidays)

Chapter Twelve

Joker stood in the kitchen. The diamond ring he planned to propose to Clover with was sparking in his hand. He took a deep breath and practiced his speech for the hundredth time.

He was getting ready to walk into the dining room, where everyone was finishing up their late lunch, and he was going to propose to Clover.

“Clover, you are my everything, and I can’t imagine my life without you. I want our story to—”

He suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Panicking, he looked around for a place to hide. Seeing the first door his eyes found, he dashed into the pantry, gently closing the door behind him just in time as he heard Clover’s voice entering the kitchen.

“Hey, Dad,” Clover shouted, her voice coming from just outside the pantry door. “I’ll grab those oyster crackers that you like with soup.”

Shit! Joker’s heart started to race. His track pants had no pockets, and there was no place to hide the ring. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a box of Captain Crunch from the shelf and shoved the ring inside.

The slight jiggle of the doorknob threw his heart into overdrive. Before he could blink, the door swung open, and Clover stood there, her eyes wide with surprise, staring at him.

“Joker? What are you doing in the pantry in the dark and with a box of Captain Crunch?”

He forced a smile, trying to act nonchalant. “Uh, just getting some cereal,” he told her, holding up the cereal box.

Clover raised an eyebrow. “You hate Captain Crunch.”

Oh, shit. She wasn’t wrong. He despised the shit.

He hesitated, holding the box tightly as she reached for it. “I, uh, changed my mind?”

She narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it. “Joker, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he answered. Apparently, he answered too quickly.

“Give me the box,” she said, trying to pry it from his hands but not giving in.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Clover…”

“Joker…”

Realizing he couldn’t keep the secret any longer, Joker sighed as he lowered to one knee. He was still clutching the box of cereal like it was his lifeline.

“Okay, you got me. There’s something I need to ask you.”

Clover looked puzzled, but then her eyes slowly widened as she realized what was happening. “Oh my God, are you…”

Joker opened the box and pulled out the ring, holding it in the palm of his hand. “Clover, will you marry me?”

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the stunning diamond, set in a white gold setting.

“Yes!” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she bounced on her toes, holding her hands close to her chest. “Of course I will!”

Just as Clover leaned down and kissed him, the pantry door opened wider, and Zach stood there, staring at them in shock.

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” he asked, looking between Joker and Clover.”

Before either one could answer, Jenelle walked up beside Zach with the rest of the family trailing behind her.

“What is all the shouting about,” she asked, looking into the pantry.”

Joker chuckled, looking up at Clover, who was still bouncing in place with a smile that wasn’t coming off her face for the unforeseeable future.

He looked at her family, who were all looking at them.

“She said yes!”

Their faces all lit up with excitement as they realized what he meant. Seconds later, the room erupted in cheers and congratulations.

Joker stood up, and Clover’s dad stepped forward and shook his hand. “Welcome to the family, officially, son.”

Joker grinned, pulling Clover into another kiss. “Thanks. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

Clover laughed, leaning into him. “And I’m the luckiest girl. I can’t believe you hid in the pantry with a box of Captain Crunch.”

Joker chuckled, looking around at their family and friends. “Well, it’s a story we’ll never forget.”

As they all gathered to celebrate, Joker couldn’t help but feel grateful for this crazy, wonderful moment. While it wasn’t the romantic moment that he had planned, it was still everything he had hoped for and more.