Page 101 of Flirting with Forever

“It was all right,” Via confirmed. “It’s complicated, how I feel about her. But more than anything, I’m so grateful for Seb and Matty. For the life I have with them.” Via paused, looked around and then pulled Mary out of the concessions line by her elbow. “I, uh, told Cora that I’m going to ask Seb to marry me.”

“What?!” Mary squawked, instant tears rising to her eyes. “Oh, Via, I’m sohappyfor you guys!”

“Me too,” Via said, her cheeks pink as she shed a tear herself. “And I’m terrified. And excited. And all mixed-up. But yeah, mostly happy.”

“Do you have a plan? When? Where?”

“No. Not yet. Just whenever the moment is right, I think. Maybe sometime in the next three months or so. Before Christmas.”

Mary squeezed Via into a tight hug and hoped that her friend could feel just how happy she really was. “That’s just perfect.”

They got back in line, both of them flushed and loopy with Via’s news, and Via stocked up on snacks for the kids. Mary took her time to choose, so Via went back to their seats first. A moment later, there was Seb at her side.

“Hey.”

“Did Via forget something? She nearly bought out the entire snack car.”

He smiled. “She really doesn’t like the idea of Matty or I going hungry ever. We’re lucky she makes such healthy food or me and the kid would plump up Violet Beauregarde–style.”

“You’re lucky to have her.”

“I sure am.” He shifted on his feet and looked behind him. When he turned back to Mary, something tripped up her spine. She wasn’t a clairvoyant like Fin, but she was definitely getting a déjà vu–style vibe. “I’m gonna ask her to marry me. I talked about it with Cora’s parents this weekend.”

Mary eeped, squawked and then forcibly threw her hands over her own mouth so she wouldn’t spoil anything. She was so bad at secrets.

“What?” Sebastian asked, reading her reaction.

“I’m just so happy for you!” She threw her arms around Seb’s neck to hide her expression from him. “That’s amazing! Incredible! I had no idea you guys were thinking about that! I’m flabbergasted!” Okay. Maybe she needed to dial it back a touch.

Seb laughed and patted her back. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Wanted to take it slowly, make sure that Matty was comfortable with the direction everything was headed. But then I caught him online the other day.”

Mary’s brain broke. No. Nonono. Matty was too young to be looking at naughty stuff online. Matty was her little baby boychkin. She couldn’t hear this—

“He was googling ring bearer pillows,” Sebastian said, half laughing, half bemused.

Mary burst out in relieved laughter. “Oh, thankGod.”

Sebastian chuckled as well. “I asked him what it was for. And he told me he’d just started thinking about weddings recently and was curious about it. I took that as a sign that he was ready to start talking about the future with Via. He told me I should get a move on. So. Here we are.”

“Do you have a plan?” Mary asked. She cleared her throat, trying not to sound rehearsed. “When? Where?”

“No plan,” Seb said, shaking his head. “I think I’ll know when the moment is right. Maybe sometime in the next six months.”

Mary nearly swallowed her tongue. “Maybe sooner?” she croaked.

“Maybe.” Sebastian squinted at her. “Mary, you’re acting weird. Do you know something...?”

“No! I know nothing! I have to pee! Two Coronas with lime and a bag of pretzels.” She thrust her money into Seb’s hand and skedaddled out of the snack car, back to where they were all sitting. Safety in numbers.

She practically collapsed onto John’s lap, pressing her lips to his. “Help me,” she groaned. “Save me from myself.”

He laughed. “What do you need?”

She gave him the CliffsNotes version and he agreed to help her field any more awkward questions.

Luckily, they made it back to Grand Central unscathed. They piled onto the subway together, and all of them, unwilling to part ways, immediately jumped on Via’s invitation to feed everyone dinner.

When they came aboveground in Seb and Via’s neighborhood, Mary pulled John back to walk behind the group. She liked seeing so many people she loved all clumped together, talking and laughing and evolving before her very eyes. And she loved, most of all, having John there by her side as she did it.

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