With the right person you don't have to work hard to be happy

 

Dylan made all of Tori's favorites or the ones she'd mention from the time he'd known her. 

There was roast beef with brown gravy and mashed potatoes. She liked broccoli, and of course, lemon squares. 

"We have to celebrate," it was good news that she was COVID free.

"But what if I have to test every few weeks," she looked at him as if this pandemic was not over. "You might have to be tested too."

"I know, but it's just good news right now," he said as he watched her face in the candlelight. "And the little things do matter."

She smiled back and they ate the comfort food as if it were a delight, and it was. Dylan felt he'd been stuck on a steady diet of nutritional bars trying to get from one job to another.

"Of course, we could have met the famous Deano tonight," Tori said as she finished off her mashed potatoes and gravy.

"What?" Dylan grinned.

"He took Caitlin away, didn't he?" He knew by her smile of satisfaction how she really felt about Caitlin.

"Evidently, he has no idea what he's in for," Dylan said thinking Caitlin was their archnemesis, somehow. Although, he couldn't remember Caitlin having a conversation with Tori. Yet, it was Caitlin who got Tori to move in and he guessed he would have never met Tori if she hadn't.

They didn't talk of Melvin. Dylan wanted to forget him too. Last he'd heard Melvin was still home. Hopefully, he was on the mend. But Dylan didn't want to mention COVID either. He wanted to have a fresh start with Tori.

He got out the personalized black tungsten ring plated in rose gold that said TORI 'heart' DYLAN. He almost held his breath thinking she would say no, but she smiled instead as if she were delighted.

"OH MY GOD," Tori smiled more as if he'd made her Christmas, Valentine's Day and Birthday a reality. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it," he smiled back as if the future was at their fingertips.

She took a deep breath as she let him put the ring on her engagement finger.

"I love it," she told him.

"Really?" Of course, he kept thinking of the pickup commercial where the woman took the man's black pickup and he had to go with the red one. Still, Dylan's heart pounded with joy. 

She nodded ever so quaintly. He got out another, just like her's only a size bigger and she put it on him. He hoped he wasn't dreaming. When had anything ever worked out totally right for him?