"Dad!" She called as she closed the front door behind her. "Where are you?" She asked as she slipped off her shoes and placing them on the shoe rack before padding down the hallway in her socks.
"I'm in the kitchen." He replied, his voice carrying through the house as he spoke over the sound of the kettle whistling.
"There you are." Elijah grinned when he finally spotted her. "How was university this week?"
"Long." She huffed and sat down on one of the vacant bar stools, dropping her weekend bag by her feet.
This had become their routine for the past couple monthâ since they had their huge falling out. Luckily, they were able to move past it by communicating more clearly with each other and just being transparent and more honest in general. She was just glad that time healed, otherwise she would still be painstakingly mad at her dad, not that he didn't deserve it, of course.
Darcy spent the weekdays with Thelonious and studying at university while she came home for the weekend. Sometimes he would join and travel back early on Sunday morning to get back to the hotel but since he had a couple of deliveries coming in that day, he couldn't make it that weekend.
While she was disappointed, she understood and was supportive of the fact that his hotel was his business and very high in his list of priorities. She knew that if he could, he would follow her down here in a heartbeat.
"Green tea?" Her dad offered, already sliding the mug across the counter in front of before taking a seat himself.
"Yes, please." She sighed and accepted the cup of tea graciously.
"Did Thelonious not come down with you?" He asked, glancing at the door almost as if expecting her daughter's boyfriend to peek his head through the door. He had even made a third cup of green tea specifically for him.
She shook her head, no. "He's busy with some hotel business today and tomorrow so he won't be joining us this weekend."
"So, he's free on Sunday?" His voice was laced with a hint of hope.
Darcy eyed her father suspiciously over her mug. "I guess, maybe. Why?"
He avoided the question. "When are you heading back up to London?"
"You've got me all weekend." She stared at her father warily. "Is there a reason as to why you're asking these weird questions?"
Elijah coughed to clear his throat and warmed his hands with the mug. "There's actually something I want to talk to you about."
"Is it something serious?"
He chugged a large gulp of his tea, nervous. "Pretty serious."
"Dad, are you okay?" She was concerned now. Her mind travelled in all sorts of directions as she was met with silence, her father clearly thinking of the best way to break the news to her.
"I'm going to propose to Stacey." He finally blurted out.
Darcy stared at her father, shocked. She hadn't expected that. "What? Really?" The words rushed out of her mouth.
Elijah chuckled at his daughter's reaction. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while now. What do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea."
"Really?" He asked, hopefully.
"Of course!" She insisted.
"I won't propose if you don't want me too." He told her jokily. There was only a small amount of truth in his words.
"Don't be silly." She jumped off the stool and walked over to pull her dad into a congratulatory hug. "I actually like Stacey and I know she makes you happy. That's all I want you for, dad."
"That's all I want for you too, kiddo." He pressed a kiss against her forehead and sighed in content. "Your approval means everything to me."
Darcy returned to her seat and nursed her green tea. "So, how are you going to do it?"
"Our anniversary is actually next weekend, so I was thinking of doing it over dinner."
"That's so sweet." Darcy cooed.
"I want you both to be there."
"I'll make sure Stacey is there." She nodded eagerly, already formulating a plan on how to lure her dad's girlfriend to the restaurant without raising too much suspicion.
"No, I meant Thelonious."
"Wait, you want Thelonious to be there?" She asked, surprised. A very pleasant surprise.
"He's family now. It's only right he's there too." He reasoned, unaware of the way his words warmed her heart. Just as he did, she wanted nothing more than for her father to approve of the man she was madly in love with. It meant everything to her that her dad loved Thelonious, even more so that they got along so well.
"You sure we won't be intruding?" She asked, suddenly concerned with going on a double date with her dad, and on his anniversary dinner too.
Elijah pursed his lips, thinking over it.
Darcy rolled her eyes and chuckled. He clearly hadn't thought too much into it. "Why don't you take her out for a dinner and then when you bring her back here, you can propose?"
"You think she'll like that?"
She nodded eagerly. Thelonious and I would be here and we could decorate the place for you to make it all the more special. That way, she won't expect it either and it'll be a great surprise."
Elijah reached across the counter and gave her hand a thankful squeeze. "I appreciate you so much, kiddo. Thank you!"
Darcy grinned as she finished the rest of her tea.
Next weekend couldn't come any sooner.
-
It was like a movie moment as Stacey gazed at the new addition to the garden furniture; a swinging bench. The moonlight cast a beautiful shadow on it, fairy lights wrapped around the legs of it, sparkling and shining in the dark. A small red, heart-shaped pillow sat perfectly balanced in the middle of it, two simple words stitched into it.
Marry Me
When she turned around, a gasp escaped her lips.
Darcy leaned back against Thelonious and placed her hands over his, watching with tears in her eyes as her father got down on one knee, presenting a ring box to the love of his life. A ring which she had helped pick out especially for this beautiful moment.
They were watching the scene through the kitchen window so they couldn't hear what was being said, but she could see her father's lips moving, no doubt reciting the poem he had written for that exact moment. They both held their breath as Stacey â now a blubbering mess and rightfully so â nodded her head frantically and held her hand out so Elijah could slip the ring onto her finger, sealing their fate together for the rest of eternity.
That was the moment both Darcy and Thelonious chose to look and move away from the window, opting to give her dad and her soon-to-be step-mom some privacy after such a magical moment.
They moved into the living room where he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and giggled softly. "I can't believe they're engaged." She exhaled airily.
He hummed and rested the side of his face against the top of her head, her hair tickling him. "How does that make you feel?"
"Honestly," she glanced up at him. "Excited."
"I'm happy you're happy." He leaned down and pressed a kiss against her lips, his mouth hot and the kiss hard. They pulled away too quick as the sound of laughter grew louder in sound before Stacey and Elijah came into the room, large smiles on both of their faces.
Darcy untangled herself from her boyfriend and rushed into her father's arms, giving him a hug. "I'm so happy for you, dad."
"I know, kiddo." He kissed her forehead. "I'm happy for me too." He grinned and, in that moment, she knew, only Stacey was capable of making her dad so happy and for that, she loved her too.
Stacey pulled Darcy into her arms before both women sat themselves on the sofa to fawn over her engagement ring, the diamond a beautiful cut and sparkling under the overhead lights.
"Congratulations!" Thelonious smiled widely at Elijah.
"Thank you." Elijah grinned and gave him a quick hug. "Thank you for being here and for helping set up."
"It was all Darcy." When Elijah cocked a knowing brow, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I helped set up the bench. It was definitely a two-man job."
"Let's give the ladies a moment to calm down. You want a drink?" Elijah suggested.
"I would love one."
Elijah paused to glance at the two most important women in his life. "They'll come find us once they realise we're gone."
Thelonious laughed and followed Darcy's father into the kitchen where he grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed him one.
"I love Darcy."
"I know."
"I just wanted you to know that." He said, not really sure where he was going with this conversation. As stated, he just wanted her father to know that his feelings were no joke. After this magical evening, he felt like he needed to step up his game.
"She loves you too, you know?"
He chuckled and nodded, his heart warming.
"She's absolutely crazy about you. Every Sunday morning when you leave, she gets so sad and mopey but when you call her once you're back at the hotel, it's like she comes alive again." Her dad laughed at the memory, no doubt picturing Darcy experiencing all sorts of moods whenever he would have to leave, even though she knew that they would see each other the next day after she finished her classes for the day.
Hell, sometimes she even woke up early just so she could see him before she had to head into uni.
Those words hit him so hard Thelonious couldn't stop the words from blurting out. "I'm going to marry Darcy one day."
Elijah paused, surprised. "Have you spoken to her yet?" He asked cautiously, wondering why his daughter hadn't mentioned this to him.
Thelonious shook his head. "She isn't ready yet, but the moment she is, I'm going to get down on one knee for your daughter. I just wanted you to know that."
"Well," he offered him a small smile and raised his beer for a toast. "I look forward to having you as my son-in-law someday."
Just as predicted, Darcy and Stacey made their way into the kitchen after having finished gushing over the beautiful engagement ring and now moving on talking about planning the wedding. It was both of their first weddings, which made it all the more special.
"Thelonious," Elijah called out to him with a large smile on her face. "I know it may be too early but Stacey and I have been talking. Would you host our wedding at your hotel?"
"It would be an honour." He grinned as Darcy wrapped an arm around his waist, beaming up at him, immensely proud of her man. She knew he would do a great job of bringing alive their vision for the wedding. She had seen him host weddings at the hotel before and each one of them was beautiful and absolutely precious in their own, unique way.
"What are your rates like?"
He shook his head and scoffed. "I couldn't possibly charge you."
"Weddings are so expensive." Elijah argued, not fond of the idea of not paying him for his services. Hosting their hotel for free would be putting Thelonious out of a lot of money, but the man didn't even blink as he extended the gesture.
"Nonsense, we're family." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, but once they were out there, he didn't want to take them out.
Thelonious had never had a proper family before and this one, including the boys at the hotel, really felt like a family to him. He didn't know much about what a conventional family was like, but he knew he called these people his own.
"That's' right. We are family." Elijah stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back. "And that's why I'll accept a family discount, but not for free. That'll be modern daylight robbery." He laughed at his own joke.
Thelonious smiled softly, those words music to his ears. For once in his life, he felt like he truly belonged.
-
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Layla Knight
01.06.2020