As if shocked by a sudden surge of electricity, Angela sat up, questioning whether or not Shawn's proposal had been a dream. There he sat, just inches before her, meekly holding out the most breathtakingly beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. Well, maybe it was beautiful because it was going to be hers. Then again, maybe it was beautiful because it represented something Shawn felt that was greater than words could ever express.
She breathed in deeply, feeling as though moments had passed, when in reality, it had only been a split second. She could see Shawn's eyes growing more anxious, never glazing over as he concentrated on the stillness of her lips. An answer -- that was what he expected, and it was what she had to give. Before another thought could cross her mind, it was out, quick yet soft, like a butterfly out of a net. "Yes."
Shawn sighed with relief, letting air escape his lungs like he'd been holding his breath for a thousand years. For just a moment, at least, everything was beautiful -- the feel of the cool air against his skin, the subtle scent of Angela's slowly-fading perfume, the way he felt inside. She said "yes", and he'd never been happier. Shawn opened his arms and embraced his love gently, excitedly; neither of them had to say another word.
As each reluctantly began to pull away, a giddy, nervous smile crept across each of their faces. Shawn glanced back down at the delicate ring and pulled it out of its position in the box, ready to place it where it would stay until another simple token would someday take its place. Taking Angela's left hand, he slid the engagement ring onto her third finger, trembling ever so slightly.
"Shawn," she began softly, tones of bliss ringing in her voice, "we're getting married." Angela grinned brightly, still trying to convince herself that no dream could ever feel this wonderful.
"Yeah." He laughed in sheer astonishment. "We sure are." Shawn pulled his fiancee close to him and kissed her sweetly, marking the beginning of a new, complicatedly beautiful stage in their relationship. As the two kissed their way into a romantic embrace, both knew it was a beginning that neither would ever be able to forget.
***********************************************************************
Topanga smiled as she lifted a framed five-by-seven photo from its place on the shelf in the apartment's only bedroom. Blowing a light coat of dust from the glass cover, she examined the smiling faces of the people in the picture. Taken one night early in her sophomore year at Pennbrook University, the picture showcased Cory, Topanga, Shawn and Angela enjoying themselves at a Philadelphia amusement park, the couples posing hand-in-hand.
She couldn't help but giggle when she thought that before too long, they would all be "settled". No more breakup and make-up traumas; soon their biggest dilemmas would be where in the country to vacation and which activities to enroll their children in -- if Shawn's plans went well, that is.
"Cory," she called out, gently setting the photo back on the shelf. "Has Shawn called you yet?" She stomped her feet anxiously, dying to know how Angela had responded to Shawn's proposal.
Cory chuckled as he walked into the room with his wife. Topanga was almost as enthusiastic about her friends' fate as Shawn had been when Cory and Topanga faced difficult times. "Calm down, Honey. He'll let us know when he gets good and ready. I'm sure he and Angela have plenty of talking of their own to do." For once, Cory sounded more sensible than his wife, a feeling he truly enjoyed.
Topanga sighed, losing herself in dreams for the future. "Just think Cory, one day we'll be pushing strollers in the park together, buying school supplies together, taking trips to Disneyworld together." Her eyes lit up with hope as she spoke.
"Whoa, Nelly," Cory interrupted her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Kids? Are you trying to tell me something?" He cocked one eyebrown, looking at his wife suspiciously.
Folding her arms and cracking a good-natured smile, Topanga couldn't resist the urge to laugh at Cory's ridiculous paranoia. He seemed to wonder if she was pregnant every time she mentioned children, her weight or hunger for an unusual food. Although he acted worried each time, Topanga knew that he was just as excited as she was about the prospect of having kids someday.
"No, Cory, not this time." Her grin grew more mischievous. "But one day..." She planted a quick peck on his lips before turning to have a seat on the couch.
"So, um," Cory began in a pathetic attempt to sound casual, "if we were to have a baby, would you want a boy or a girl?" He masked his true interest with a blank, wide-eyed stare.
Topanga wanted to laugh out loud at Cory's sudden interest in the subject but instead played along for her husband's benefit. "Oh, I don't know, Sweetie. It really doesn't matter to me. What's important is that it would be ours and we would love it."
Seeming satisfied with her answer, Cory began to think about how much a baby would bring to their lives. They were both nearly finished with college, had solid career plans in the works and had been successful in saving money for a down payment on a nice house. Cory had been considering the possibility of having a baby for quite some time now, and he knew that the time would be right before too long. Seeing the delight in Topanga's face as she talked about having a child, however, gave him a newfound feeling of excitement about the future.
Before he could say a word to express agreement with his wife, Cory's thoughts were interrupted by the ring of the telephone on the table behind them. Infused with exuberance, Topanga jumped off of the couch and pulled the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Topanga, what's up?"
"Shawn!" She sounded thrilled to hear his voice. "I've been dying to know what happened last night. Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she squealed, clapping her hands impatiently.
Shawn laughed at Topanga's nervous excitement. Even though she couldn't see his face, however, his happiness was obvious. "Oh come on, Topanga. Do you really have to ask?" he teased his curious friend.
"Hmmm," Topanga pondered, placing one finger to her lips, thinking about the possibilities. As soon as she began to wonder, however, her sharp sense of reason made her realize that this was the biggest no-brainer of all. "She said yes. You finally worked up the nerve to ask her and she said yes," Topanga declared confidently, excitement rising in her voice.
Shawn hesitated to answer, slightly wondering how much fun it would be to leave her hanging. Smiling slyly, he opted to go ahead and spare her the agony of uncertainty. "Now see, why did you even need me to call and tell you that? You seem to know what happened as well as I do."
Topanga shrieked with happiness for her two close friends. "Oh wow, Shawn. That's so great! Congratulations." Cory stood behind her, patiently awaiting his turn to congratulate Shawn, with his arms folded and a contented smile on his face.
"Thanks, Topanga. We're both really excited. Is Cory around?"
Topanga turned to her husband and smiled. Cory himself looked happy for Shawn and Angela. His best friend had searched for happiness for a long time, and Cory was glad that he had finally found it. He reached for the phone, eager to talk to his best friend as his wife said goodbye. "Yeah, Shawn. Here he is. I'll talk to you soon." She passed the phone to Cory and rested against the back of the sofa, continuing to listen.
"Hey buddy, congratulations," Cory greeted his lifelong friend.
"Thanks, Cor. It's funny, you know. I always knew you'd be married before me, but I never would have dreamed I'd be following this close behind."
"Yeah," Cory agreed, "but when you find the right person, there's no other way to go, I guess. So when should we expect to be hearing wedding bells?"
"Well, actually Angela and I were talking about that earlier. We both want a winter wedding. You know, something ultra-classy, beautiful setup, good opportunity to keep warm on the honeymoon." Both men laughed sneakily for a moment before reverting back to their serious tones. "It's not much time, but we want to do this in six, seven months."
Cory smiled sincerely. "I guess that means only one thing."
"What's that?" Shawn asked, concerned.
"It sounds like we've got a great wedding to start planning," Cory said, optimism evident in his smile.
"Thanks, man. Listen, Angela and I are gonna head out in just a bit. There's so much to do, we better get looking around."
"You're right. But hey, if you guys get a chance, come by later. We can all go out to dinner, you know, to celebrate."
Shawn looked over his shoulder at Angela, who was standing in front of the mirror fixing her hair. "Yeah, we'll definitely do that," he answered, beginning to look a little worried. "One condition, though."
"Oh? And that is...?" Cory asked, watching his wife, who'd instinctively walked toward the closet to begin picking out a dinner outfit. It was amazing how she always seemed to know.
"No French cuisine." Shawn couldn't help but crack a smile. Cory laughed momentarily, assured him that escargo would not be an option, and the two friends said their goodbyes before hanging up.
As rushed and busy as the city outside may have been, Shawn was oblivious to anything that went on outside his and Angela's world. With thoughts of the busy year ahead fresh on his mind, the world was perfect. Despite all the heartache and stress he'd felt since Angela first stepped back into his life that dark and dreary night, the promise of happiness that accompanied it was exciting, beautiful and changing by the moment, like a glittering rainfall on the city that never sleeps.
*****************************THE END***********************************
She breathed in deeply, feeling as though moments had passed, when in reality, it had only been a split second. She could see Shawn's eyes growing more anxious, never glazing over as he concentrated on the stillness of her lips. An answer -- that was what he expected, and it was what she had to give. Before another thought could cross her mind, it was out, quick yet soft, like a butterfly out of a net. "Yes."
Shawn sighed with relief, letting air escape his lungs like he'd been holding his breath for a thousand years. For just a moment, at least, everything was beautiful -- the feel of the cool air against his skin, the subtle scent of Angela's slowly-fading perfume, the way he felt inside. She said "yes", and he'd never been happier. Shawn opened his arms and embraced his love gently, excitedly; neither of them had to say another word.
As each reluctantly began to pull away, a giddy, nervous smile crept across each of their faces. Shawn glanced back down at the delicate ring and pulled it out of its position in the box, ready to place it where it would stay until another simple token would someday take its place. Taking Angela's left hand, he slid the engagement ring onto her third finger, trembling ever so slightly.
"Shawn," she began softly, tones of bliss ringing in her voice, "we're getting married." Angela grinned brightly, still trying to convince herself that no dream could ever feel this wonderful.
"Yeah." He laughed in sheer astonishment. "We sure are." Shawn pulled his fiancee close to him and kissed her sweetly, marking the beginning of a new, complicatedly beautiful stage in their relationship. As the two kissed their way into a romantic embrace, both knew it was a beginning that neither would ever be able to forget.
***********************************************************************
Topanga smiled as she lifted a framed five-by-seven photo from its place on the shelf in the apartment's only bedroom. Blowing a light coat of dust from the glass cover, she examined the smiling faces of the people in the picture. Taken one night early in her sophomore year at Pennbrook University, the picture showcased Cory, Topanga, Shawn and Angela enjoying themselves at a Philadelphia amusement park, the couples posing hand-in-hand.
She couldn't help but giggle when she thought that before too long, they would all be "settled". No more breakup and make-up traumas; soon their biggest dilemmas would be where in the country to vacation and which activities to enroll their children in -- if Shawn's plans went well, that is.
"Cory," she called out, gently setting the photo back on the shelf. "Has Shawn called you yet?" She stomped her feet anxiously, dying to know how Angela had responded to Shawn's proposal.
Cory chuckled as he walked into the room with his wife. Topanga was almost as enthusiastic about her friends' fate as Shawn had been when Cory and Topanga faced difficult times. "Calm down, Honey. He'll let us know when he gets good and ready. I'm sure he and Angela have plenty of talking of their own to do." For once, Cory sounded more sensible than his wife, a feeling he truly enjoyed.
Topanga sighed, losing herself in dreams for the future. "Just think Cory, one day we'll be pushing strollers in the park together, buying school supplies together, taking trips to Disneyworld together." Her eyes lit up with hope as she spoke.
"Whoa, Nelly," Cory interrupted her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Kids? Are you trying to tell me something?" He cocked one eyebrown, looking at his wife suspiciously.
Folding her arms and cracking a good-natured smile, Topanga couldn't resist the urge to laugh at Cory's ridiculous paranoia. He seemed to wonder if she was pregnant every time she mentioned children, her weight or hunger for an unusual food. Although he acted worried each time, Topanga knew that he was just as excited as she was about the prospect of having kids someday.
"No, Cory, not this time." Her grin grew more mischievous. "But one day..." She planted a quick peck on his lips before turning to have a seat on the couch.
"So, um," Cory began in a pathetic attempt to sound casual, "if we were to have a baby, would you want a boy or a girl?" He masked his true interest with a blank, wide-eyed stare.
Topanga wanted to laugh out loud at Cory's sudden interest in the subject but instead played along for her husband's benefit. "Oh, I don't know, Sweetie. It really doesn't matter to me. What's important is that it would be ours and we would love it."
Seeming satisfied with her answer, Cory began to think about how much a baby would bring to their lives. They were both nearly finished with college, had solid career plans in the works and had been successful in saving money for a down payment on a nice house. Cory had been considering the possibility of having a baby for quite some time now, and he knew that the time would be right before too long. Seeing the delight in Topanga's face as she talked about having a child, however, gave him a newfound feeling of excitement about the future.
Before he could say a word to express agreement with his wife, Cory's thoughts were interrupted by the ring of the telephone on the table behind them. Infused with exuberance, Topanga jumped off of the couch and pulled the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Topanga, what's up?"
"Shawn!" She sounded thrilled to hear his voice. "I've been dying to know what happened last night. Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she squealed, clapping her hands impatiently.
Shawn laughed at Topanga's nervous excitement. Even though she couldn't see his face, however, his happiness was obvious. "Oh come on, Topanga. Do you really have to ask?" he teased his curious friend.
"Hmmm," Topanga pondered, placing one finger to her lips, thinking about the possibilities. As soon as she began to wonder, however, her sharp sense of reason made her realize that this was the biggest no-brainer of all. "She said yes. You finally worked up the nerve to ask her and she said yes," Topanga declared confidently, excitement rising in her voice.
Shawn hesitated to answer, slightly wondering how much fun it would be to leave her hanging. Smiling slyly, he opted to go ahead and spare her the agony of uncertainty. "Now see, why did you even need me to call and tell you that? You seem to know what happened as well as I do."
Topanga shrieked with happiness for her two close friends. "Oh wow, Shawn. That's so great! Congratulations." Cory stood behind her, patiently awaiting his turn to congratulate Shawn, with his arms folded and a contented smile on his face.
"Thanks, Topanga. We're both really excited. Is Cory around?"
Topanga turned to her husband and smiled. Cory himself looked happy for Shawn and Angela. His best friend had searched for happiness for a long time, and Cory was glad that he had finally found it. He reached for the phone, eager to talk to his best friend as his wife said goodbye. "Yeah, Shawn. Here he is. I'll talk to you soon." She passed the phone to Cory and rested against the back of the sofa, continuing to listen.
"Hey buddy, congratulations," Cory greeted his lifelong friend.
"Thanks, Cor. It's funny, you know. I always knew you'd be married before me, but I never would have dreamed I'd be following this close behind."
"Yeah," Cory agreed, "but when you find the right person, there's no other way to go, I guess. So when should we expect to be hearing wedding bells?"
"Well, actually Angela and I were talking about that earlier. We both want a winter wedding. You know, something ultra-classy, beautiful setup, good opportunity to keep warm on the honeymoon." Both men laughed sneakily for a moment before reverting back to their serious tones. "It's not much time, but we want to do this in six, seven months."
Cory smiled sincerely. "I guess that means only one thing."
"What's that?" Shawn asked, concerned.
"It sounds like we've got a great wedding to start planning," Cory said, optimism evident in his smile.
"Thanks, man. Listen, Angela and I are gonna head out in just a bit. There's so much to do, we better get looking around."
"You're right. But hey, if you guys get a chance, come by later. We can all go out to dinner, you know, to celebrate."
Shawn looked over his shoulder at Angela, who was standing in front of the mirror fixing her hair. "Yeah, we'll definitely do that," he answered, beginning to look a little worried. "One condition, though."
"Oh? And that is...?" Cory asked, watching his wife, who'd instinctively walked toward the closet to begin picking out a dinner outfit. It was amazing how she always seemed to know.
"No French cuisine." Shawn couldn't help but crack a smile. Cory laughed momentarily, assured him that escargo would not be an option, and the two friends said their goodbyes before hanging up.
As rushed and busy as the city outside may have been, Shawn was oblivious to anything that went on outside his and Angela's world. With thoughts of the busy year ahead fresh on his mind, the world was perfect. Despite all the heartache and stress he'd felt since Angela first stepped back into his life that dark and dreary night, the promise of happiness that accompanied it was exciting, beautiful and changing by the moment, like a glittering rainfall on the city that never sleeps.
*****************************THE END***********************************