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YOU WHAT THE WHAT, NOW?!

T he car hums along the road as the botanical gardens fade into the distance behind us, my heart still fluttering from the proposal. Timmy’s hand rests on my thigh as he steers, and he keeps looking over and smiling at me, his eyes bright and kind. The air between us feels light and giddy—like a dream I don’t want to wake from.

I send my good friend, Paulo, the picture I snapped of a beautiful monstera earlier. He’s a plant zaddy, and I know monsteras are one of his faves.

I follow up with a cheeky text:

Me:

By the way, I just got engaged!

My phone rings within 10 seconds. Paulo calling.

I smirk, knowing what’s coming. I put him on speaker. “Hiiiii!”

“You what the what now?” Paulo’s voice blasts through the car speakers, incredulous and tinged with disbelief and perhaps a hint of amusement.

Timmy’s grin widens as he squeezes my thigh .

I bite my lip to suppress a laugh, but it tumbles out, still high on the rush of it all.

“He proposed,” I say, my voice lilting with happiness. “And I said yes!”

There’s a pause, just long enough for me to hear the gears turning in Paulo’s head.

“Oh… well… congratulations! That was quick, guys! But I’m happy for you!” The warmth in his voice is genuine, but there’s no missing the hesitation lurking just beneath it, the slight judgment coming through the speaker.

I know Paulo too well to be fooled. He’s happy for me—he really is—but he’s also wary, and his concern clings to the edges of his words.

But I’m delirious on the high of being engaged to this wonderful human, so I choose to disregard the hesitation and embrace the words, refusing to let anything negative kill the vibe.

Timmy perks up beside me. “I’m in love with your friend!” he calls toward the phone, loud and excited. “Tell him about the mongooses!” He glances at me with a playful grin, as if the mongoose brigade had been in on the proposal.

Before I can, Timmy speaks up again.

“They were totally watching,” says Timmy. “It was like the universe sent them to bless us.”

Paulo snorts on the other end, and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh. “Mongooses, huh? Sounds… magical.”

“And we fed sushi to koi at the lake,” I add, giggling at the memory.

Timmy leans closer, nuzzling my hair. “I’ve never asked anyone to marry me before,” he says softly, just loud enough for Paulo to hear. “You’re really, really special, Margaux, and I couldn’t ever hope to find someone like you again. So it would’ve been silly of me not to ask.”

I grin, feeling like his proposal was ridiculous, and I was kind of joking when I said yes, but wondering if this was meant to happen.

“I’m going to be Timmy Benson O’Malley. Like your dad’s name combined with mine. ”

My chest leaps. It feels like it’s meant to be that he and my dad would share the same name. Like a sign that my dad approves of this whole crazy situation. That he’s sent him for me.

It feels nice to be wanted. To be told I’m the missing piece for someone. Because I’ve always felt discarded, or not really seen. And here is this man who sees me. Who knows my past, sees all my flaws and doesn’t just accept them… he embraces them. Loves me because of them.

His words are sweet, but they stir a memory I’d buried—the moment my third husband asked me to marry him, just hours after meeting in person. His exact words echo in my mind: “Well you’re clearly way out of my league, so I needed to lock it down.” I should have listened… like, really listened, to his words. And ran.

I try to push the thought away, focusing on Timmy and the warmth of his hand on my thigh. This is different. Timmy is different, I remind myself. He’s nothing like my former husband. Besides, I can’t help it if everyone wants to propose to me quickly. Maybe I’m just adorable like that.

Still, Paulo’s silence on the end of the line feels weighted, as if he can sense the small flicker of doubt blooming in my chest.

“So,” Paulo says, clearing his throat. “You’re happy?”

“Of course I’m happy,” I reply quickly, my voice bright. “I’ve never felt more seen or loved in my life. He makes me feel like the most special person in the world.”

Timmy leans over and kisses my temple, his lips lingering as he whispers, “You are.”

The warmth of his affection washes over me, making the flicker of doubt dim, at least for the moment. “He’s like wearing rose-tinted glasses,” I tell Paulo. “But they’re for me. Everything I do makes him happy. Every story I tell, every fact I share… he loves it all.”

There’s a long pause on the other end of the line. “Well, as long as you’re happy…” his voice trails off, the care in his voice unmistakable. “This is just… quite fast, isn’t it?”

I roll my eyes fondly. “Yes, Paulo. It’s very fast. I know it’s quick, but it’s not about the timeline… sometimes when you know, you just know. It’s about how you feel in these situations, and I feel amazing!”

“Alright,” he says, but there’s a cautious edge to his tone. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again, that’s all.”

“I know,” I reply, the weight of his words sinking in. Paulo has always been there, through every breakup and misstep, not piecing me back together so much as quietly observing. He’s not trying to ruin my happiness—he’s just trying to protect me, like he always does.

Timmy squeezes my thigh, reassuring me.

“Thank you, Paulo,” I say, my voice gentle. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Margaux… just be careful, okay?” His words carry a quiet warning, one I choose not to dwell on.

“I will.” I promise, meaning it.

“I promise I’ll take really good care of her,” Timmy calls out.

I hang up, tucking my phone back into my bag. The car is quiet for a moment, the hum of the road beneath us filling the silence. I exhale, willing myself to stay present, to stay in the warmth of this moment with Timmy.

“You okay?” Timmy asks, his thumb brushing small circles on my leg.

“Yeah,” I say, smiling at him. “I’m more than okay.”

He grins, his joy radiating around us as he gives my leg a playful squeeze. “Good. Because I can’t wait to start the rest of our life together.”

And just like that, the flicker of doubt extinguishes—for now, I let myself sink deeper into the love bubble, savoring the feeling of being seen, cherished, and so intensely loved. Sabre is still at the quarantine station for a little while longer, so it’s just quality time with the two of us. No worries in the world. Well, except for paying this exorbitant rent without a corporate job. But I’ll worry about that later. Now is my time to just… feel. And be in love. And be loved.

Because for the first time in a long time, I feel like I belong somewhere. And that somewhere is here, with Timmy.