Page 149 of The Nanny and the Nerd
“You’ll like this, Penny! Delores and I came up with the name,” Phoebe said, grinning ear to ear as Rowen dropped to his knee, and the audience gave a collective gasp.
“With these enchanted tokens, Princess Penny, will you grant me, Rowen Gale, a do-over?” he finished, holding out not a halo but a ring—a sparkling diamond ring.
“You called me Penny?” she said, her heart melting in her chest.
“Is that okay?”
She nodded, speechless.
“Penny Fennimore, will you grant me the kind of do-over that starts with you accepting this ring and ends with me proving my love and commitment to you and to Phoebe every day for—”
“For infinity and forever and ever,” Phoebe finished, dropping to her knee next to her uncle.
Penny blinked back tears as Phoebe cleared her throat. “There’s more, Penny,” she whispered.
“More?” Penny asked as tears trailed down her cheeks.
Phoebe reached into her hot dog backpack, retrieved an arrow made out of construction paper, then handed it to her uncle.
He pressed it to his heart. “We had a whole fight scene sequence with the alien archers, but Delores suggested we skip it and get to the good part.”
“And what’s that?” Penny asked, laughing through her tears.
“It’s the part where I say this arrow might have pierced my heart—”
“But you’re the one who’s stolen it,” Penny finished, dropping to her knees. She stared into Rowen’s eyes, then brushed a tear from his cheek. “I didn’t think robots cried.”
“I’m not a robot. Not anymore. I’ve learned a lot about myself. The past isn’t holding me back. I trust myself to give you and Phoebe the love you both deserve. Your heart is my heart, Penny, and I will protect it with my life. I love you. What do you say, Princess? Will you grant me a do-over that lasts forever?” he finished, holding out the ring.
A ribbon of silence wove its way through the auditorium. Penny looked out at the audience and found her family and friends, teary-eyed and smiling up at her. Then she turned her attention to Phoebe and Rowen—the two people who would always live in her heart. “I never want to be without either of you ever again.” She exhaled a slow, even breath. “Do-over granted.”
The entire place erupted with jubilation, but the only thing she cared about was the two people kneeling in front of her. With trembling hands, he slipped the ring onto her finger as another roar of applause exploded. Rowen helped her to her feet as they looked out into the crowd at the people they loved.
Rowen waved Phoebe in. “I’m going to kiss your soon-to-be-aunt. Are you good with that?”
Phoebe’s eyes went wide before she tapped her foot twice.
“Phoebe!” she and Rowen cried.
Phoebe huffed an exaggerated sigh. “I’m sayinghoo-ray,” the child corrected.
They chuckled, but Rowen’s gaze grew serious as he cupped her face in his hands. “I’m sorry, Penny,” he whispered against her lips. “I promise, I will never be careless with your heart. I will not screw up this do-over.”
She smiled as more tears fell. “How could I turn you down? You know I have a thing for do-overs, hot nerds, and hot dog fairies,” she answered. And she was home. Rowen pressed his lips to hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, so ready for this man to kiss her into oblivion when a little hand tapped her leg. She pulled back, and they glanced down at Phoebe.
“You forgot the ending,” the child explained.
Rowen lifted the girl into his arms, and she whispered in their ears.
Rowen wrapped his arm around her as he held Phoebe with the other. The three of them turned to the audience.
“On three,” Phoebe instructed.
“Three,” the child said.
“Two,” Rowen continued.
“One,” Penny finished as Rowen gazed into her eyes.
