Page 50 of Dr. Do-Right
“You’re the one who decided you didn’t want to stay in Chicago anymore,” I accused, poking her side as she squirmed away.
“I just…need more right now, Ri. You know?” She opened and closed her hands, as if the words she needed would fall from the sky. “You and Mal moved in together. My dad’s retiring. Maybe it’s the whole life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment, but I feel like I’m not doing what I’m meant to be doing, yet. I’m, like, play-acting as an adult. I need to find my life.”
“Hi, I’m your whole life. Sitting right here.” I waved my hand before reaching over to smoosh her face. I let her go, smoothing back some of her hair as I retreated. “I know what you mean, though. I felt like that, too, before I found nursing. I was just getting pulled along by a current, and then suddenly I felt like I had something to row toward.”
“Yes!” Sonnie snapped her fingers, pointing at me. “Yes, that, minus the boat analogy, because you know ya girl don’t row. Butyes, you get it. You get me.” Her head dropped onto the couch cushion, eyes squeezed close. “I’m going to miss you, loca.”
“You too, spider monkey.”
We sat together for a few more moments, quiet, soaking in the last seconds of us in this apartment together. Tomorrow, while I was at work, the movers would come to pack all of this away. By the first of next month, someone else would be on some other couch, sitting right where we were. The tape marks from the hundreds of string lights we’d crisscrossed along the ceiling would be painted over. Our epic parties in this place only a memory. We’d only been here for two years, and I’d always known it was temporary. But leaving this apartment was an end of an era. The Rija and Sonia era.
The apartment was fine, but it was her I grieved. Sure, we’d talk and text all the time, and FaceTime, and visit each other. But…that wasn’t the same as living with her. I couldn’t help but feel, on some level, I’d just traded one Dobrev for another. Like I wasn’t allowed to have both full time.
When I’d mentioned this to Sonnie, she’d blown a raspberry in my face and told me I was being tragically dramatic, then made me paint her toenails electric blue.
When I’d repeated it to Mal, he’d pulled me into his arms and swayed back and forth, assuring me that my feelings were valid, and change could be challenging, and he was here for me, whatever I needed. After a while, when I’d calmed down, he tucked some hair behind my ear, leaned down and whispered, “There can only be one,” then laughed hysterically while I beat him with a throw pillow.
“Come on, let’s go see what my stupid brother is up to.” Sonia heaved to her feet, pulling me up with her. We both took one last look at the apartment before we closed the door and headed to the elevators.
Maybe it was just a fact of life that I couldn’t have my best friend and my boyfriend at the same time. I’d have to learn to take Sonia in smaller doses—long distance and only during special occasions. I’d done that once with Mal, hadn’t I? And now I couldn’t imagine a world where I woke up without him next to me, Siggy sneaking in between us for an unsanctioned cuddle.
“I’m glad you two finally came to your senses. Thank God for me.” Sonia loved to take credit for our relationship, blatantly ignoring me anytime I tried to tell her that Mal and I had beena thing, even unofficially, for months before her meddling. Even with her leaving, and how awful it was going to feel to learn to live without her long-term, I was forever grateful to my friend for understanding my relationship with her brother.
“You’re welcome for this, too,” she muttered, giving me a cryptic smile as the doors slid open to the penthouse. I shuffled away, not trusting the sneaky gleam in her eye. I was so wary it took me a second to notice the candles lining the foyer and hallway.
“What?” I asked, peering out at the tea lights flickering in the dim apartment.
“Go see,” Sonnie whispered, pushing me out of the elevator. She smiled when I looked back at her, blowing me a kiss and waving me forward.
I nearly stumbled, staring at all the candles. There had to be dozens charting a pathway from the elevator to the living room. When the living room came into view, I mentally recalibrated my math. There weren’t just dozens, there werehundreds. Tiny lights danced on nearly every available surface. What wasn’t covered in candles held massive vases of fresh flowers. It smelled like a garden center.
And there, in the middle of it all, was Malachi, standing in one of his tuxes. At his feet, Siggy sat perfectly still, sporting his ownlittle bowtie. The only movement from my favorite dog in the world was his wildly thumping tail.
“Mal?” I wasn’t sure what question to ask. What was going on? Was this what I thought it was? Was he trying to burn our apartment down? At the sound of my voice, Siggy hopped up to all four paws.
“Sigmund,” Mal warned. “We practiced this. Sit.” The dog obediently sat on his haunches, looking up at Malachi, who offered him a treat from his pocket before looking up at me. “Hi, Kitten.”
“Hi, Honey. Quite a welcome home.”
Mal nodded, looking around at his handiwork. He must have been setting this up for hours, the whole time I’d been downstairs helping Sonia pack. He’d told me he had work calls. What a stinker.
“It’s a good ambiance,” he agreed, his gaze drawing back to me like it was magnetized. My heart fluttered in my chest. His face in the candlelight, with that soft, adoring expression, was almost more than I could handle.
“Yeah, it is.” I swallowed, watching him stand perfectly calmly in the middle of our beautiful living room. The home we’d built, were re-building, together. “What the hell is going on?”
“I could have done a really great speech telling you how much I love you and the life we have together, but you already know that.” He quirked an eyebrow. I didn’t deny it. He told me every day, both aloud and through all the little things he did for me, how much he loved me. “I thought about some very epic, emotional proclamations telling you how you’re the only woman I’ve ever truly loved and the other half of my soul and all that. But every time I started practicing, my throat got a little tight, and I didn’t think that was a good idea.”
He gave a little cough, sounding like his vocal chords were squeezing, regardless. Mine were rapidly constricting, my pulse hammering harder and harder.
“Mal—”
“But really, I’ve been waiting to do this for a while and I thought at the end of the day I should just make it simple.” Mal squared his shoulders, looking me in the eye. “You said you wanted to make new, good memories here, Rija. I’m really hoping this makes your list.”
He lowered down to one knee, pulling a velvet box from his jacket pocket. My hands flew to my mouth, tears already forming in my eyes. My answer already forming on my lips.
“Rija,” Mal paused, glancing down at Siggy. “Sig, kneel,” he hissed. My puppy lowered into a little play bow. My poor heart couldn’t take this level of surprise and cuteness and joy. I laughed as tears started rolling down my cheeks.
“Rija,” he began again, looking back up at me with shining eyes. “Will you make me and Siggy the happiest creatures on the face of the earth? Will you marry me?”
