Chapter 455) Plans

San Sequoia
Connor & Keira's home

Flipping through the mail Connor’s mother Hailey had left for both of them during her brief visit with the couple, Keira halted, grimacing, she looked up.

“Con-Bear?”

“Keke?”

“Any particular reason why you would get mail from MY ex, but clearly addressed to YOU?”

“Hehehe, what? Hey – maybe Josh’s got a man-crush on me. Maybe I am just that generic type of handsome that I am everyone’s dream in the most non-binary ways. bet it’s the long hair. Is it a love letter? Or maybe a thank you note for taking you off his hands … hehehehe.”

Connor laughed as he joined Keira, trying to peek over her shoulder, but she turned and slapped his arm with the envelope, sticking out her tongue at him while trying to hand it to him, he only shook his head.

“Open it.”

“It’s addressed to you …”

“Keira … seriously? We have known each other since birth and with few exceptions spent most of our lives together. We have no secrets. Well, I have no secrets. Open book.”

“Well, if you are an open book, I am a menu card. One look and you know what you get.”

“Ha – plus delusional. But okay …” Connor gave her a peck on the cheek, while Keira tore open the seal, eagerly read the few lines, even though it was already obvious what it was.
A wedding announcement!

She gasped, while Connor chuckled.

“HA – whaddaya know, it’s from both our exes … congrats, it’s a new couple. Oh, married bliss.”

“You have GOT TO be shitting me! Josh married YOUR crazy ex-girlfriend?! What the ACTUAL fuck kinda lamest and most predictable ever plot twist crap is THIS now?!”

“Why do you care? And blame Rohan. He made me do it.”

“Made you do what? And which Rohan? You mean Rohan Sharma? What has he got to do with this? How would he know Josh? I am confused …”

“You know Rohan’s my favorite colleague – and he knows Lexie, so during a coffee break conversation I poured my sad little man-heart drama out to Rohan, you know about Lexie power-stalking me when she wasn’t busy making me look like a total asshole at work, obviously he had witnessed big chunks of drama at work firsthand. Before he could go all Hinduism for Dummies on me, we got called to triage, and wouldn’t you know it? Lo and behold there was Josh bringing in some coworker who had some accident, Lexie was already there, she and Josh had little hearts coming from their eyeballs, so Rohan told me he’d take care of Josh’s coworker so I could introduce Lexie and Josh and see what happens … well …. I think you can guess the rest. I am a really good cupid, evidently, cos she has been nothing but a pleasant coworker since that day, no more #MeToo cubicle drive-bys, no more ‘let us try again’ speeches. And Rohan is my guru.”

“Right. Yay Rohan and Connor the Cupid. Ahem, Con-Bear?”

“Yes, Keke?”

“Are WE gonna get married some day?”

“The ring on your finger says yes. Why?”

“Just so. Do you want kids?”

“I dunno, I guess … Not right this second though, Morpheus is all the kid I can handle, cos that pup can be a handful! Yesterday I came home from work and that lil bugger was up in a tree. How dafuq does a dog get in a tree? Better question was, how do you get him back out? Took me almost 2 hours! But maybe one day we feel like taking on new drama that we both created, and just one single kid, way … waaaayyyyy … down the line. You?”

“Agreed on all counts and I raise you a swim in the ocean for Morphy. You had just left for work, I step outside with a coffee to let him do his thing, that sucker runs to the cliff, looks down, then jumps. If I still had a heartbeat, I would be your patient, or you’d be planning my funeral! Getting him back out took all morning and two fishermen helping. But yeah, I think one day we may be ready and I agree, one is plenty. A girl, preferably.”

“Anastasia, after your grandpa’s first wife. I remember.”

“You ARE a genius! Yup. Incidentally, she was a Cameron by birth too. So, this would be like full circle. Plus, it’s a very pretty name.”

“Plot twist: what if we end up with a boy?”

“I don’t know. Maybe leave him on your grandpa Blaine’s doorstep to raise and try again for a girl.” Keira laughed, while Connor put her in a playful headlock, then kissed her head.

A few days after that, Keira came in from her studio shed, Connor was on the small piano they had bought for cheap on a whim from an estate sale they had walked past on one of their many soul-searching, headspace-clearing walks together. Something outdoorsy Connor had insisted on not long after they had moved here, Keira wasn’t too keen at first, but after the first walk together, she realized this was a very different form of spending time together while also getting out of one’s own head, from then on she looked forward to their walks. This was also how they got familiar with their new home. First, they explored just their neighborhood, then the next one, until they almost had every spot covered and found some special places they both loved the most. When she walked in they smiled at each other while Keira enjoyed the familiar melody, Connor started to sing along and Keira recognized it as one of their favorites, called “Somewhere Only We Know”. He pulled her into his lap and she took over the keys from memory. Both were children of career musician parents.

With seeming ease he flipped her around to face him, they kissed.

“I have been thinking … Marry me, Keke.”

Giggling, thinking it was him teasing her she replied

“We already did that, grandpa. Twice even. Already forgot? Maybe we need to get you some Ginseng …”

“Not an engagement, I mean, marry me.”

“Oh. OH! You mean, the actual deed, not the promise.”

He nodded.

She pulled away from him, climbed off his lap, slowly, staring at him, as he got up too now.

“Ahem … may I ask why? I mean, we only just got back together. We should probably wait and .. ahem …”

“And what? Get to know each other?” he wondered amused.

Frowning at the irony, since they both have been together since birth, she shrugged.

“Is this because of Lexie and Josh?”

“Maybe a little bit. Maybe it was Leonie and Zeke’s vow renewal we somehow ended up invited to, even though we hadn’t even told any of them officially yet that we moved here, let alone had them over for a housewarming … oops. Either way, one couple at the very beginning of their lives together, the other has raised three children, who have children of their own now. I mean .. if that isn’t a hint from the universe that maybe we are ready too … “

“I didn’t realize you were the monkey see, monkey do type if it comes to weddings. People get married every day, I don’t see the inspiration to do it too, just because of that.”

“Seriously Keira, why not? I mean, things like that take planning, and shopping around and talking to family and all that. It wouldn’t happen overnight, probably a year or so out once we got serious about it. But I don’t want to end up in some rush situation just because you maybe got knocked up or something …”

“Knocked up!? Excuse me? Connor … you are WAY ahead of schedule here … like off the radar. I am not knocked up now, and I will do my darndest to keep it that way for the foreseeable future!”

“I didn’t mean on purpose, Keira, I am saying it’s possible to just happen. Unlikely, the way we both are responsible about this, but not impossible. I ran into Lexie today at work and she told me the real reason for the very quick nuptials. She’s pregnant by Josh. It happens, Keira, I would know I am a doctor and …”

“Connor! No. No medical lectures now, please. I know that. And I know about that Cameron Curse thing. But there is so much rubbing me wrong about your reasoning … I can’t even entertain your point because of how it sounds.”

“Okay, how about the main reason then? I love you, Keira, and I don’t want to ever be without you again. We tried that. It turned both of us into people nobody recognized. We found our way back together, both agree that is where we both belong, we are already engaged again, so, you might as well become my Mrs. Cameron.”

“YOUR and Cameron? So, you just assume I’ll take your name? And you assume ownership over me?”

“Ownership? For saying you’re mine and I am yours? Huh? And whatever, fine, we’ll take your name. Or hyphenate or come up with a completely new name even or some shit, I don’t know, who cares? Just a figure of speech. No reason to turn all women’s suffrage on me.”

“I just want to make sure if we do this, expectations are clear. We agreed we’d travel and see the world together first. We have been so wrapped up with the move and now you are talking about weddings, which need so much planning and they are expensive. And even if we get married, I am not going to stand there waiting for you each night to come home from work with your slippers in my hand, dinner on the stove, and half a dozen kids running about. And yes, I know you work shifts, hours are unpredictable and neither of us needs dinner. But still … “

Connor grimaced.

“THAT is what you think I want after knowing me since … no, even BEFORE we were born!? Does everything ALWAYS have to be a drama with you?! It’s a simple progression of things for two people who loved each other for as long as we have, no matter our age. Then again, we are in our mid-twenties, not 15! Are you for realz girl!?”

“I said I just want to make sure we are clear about our roles.”

“Roles? This isn’t an act, Keke. I want to marry you because I can’t imagine life without you. Way to bunch up my romantic moment and shove it up my ass!”

Connor turned and rushed out of the house, slamming the front door open so hard, it swung all the way open, bounced off the wall and flew shut again with a loud bang, startling their dog, who acquitted it with a bark and a snort before finding a quieter spot to resume his nap, away from his inconsiderate owners.

With a sigh, Keira followed him quietly. She knew this one was on her, she accidently hurt Connor’s feelings for no real reason. She knew he wasn’t the type for such old-fashioned expectations. Luckily, he hadn’t gone far, was just standing there in the front yard.

“I am sorry, Con-Bear. I just have this thing about not wanting to lose myself again, or my freedom.”

“And you think that is what I want?!”

“No. I know you don’t. I love you, Con-Bear. And I am sorry.”

“Hm.” he grumbled.

“And this is why I call you Con-BEAR. Stop grumbling. You are way too cute .. and way too hot to act like one of the grumpy old men from the Muppet Show.”

“You forgot to mention smart. Or do you only like me for my body?” he grumbled, trying hard to hide a smirk.

“That’s a big part of it. And you’re smart? Never noticed that …” she joked.

“How could you? My intelligence far exceeds your mental capabilities.” he countered.

“At least I am pretty and a good lay.” she served back in the same style.

“True.”

“Connor, look, I am sorry. I reacted badly. You are right. You are ALWAYS right. Like, literally my Mr. Right.”

“Oh my God, if that’s your idea of a romantic apology, I need to get some boots to wade around the bullshit in …”

“Oh, zip it! You know I think you are the best, you know I love you, you know I want you, and yes, of course do I want to be your wife. I just freaked out a bit, that’s all. All better. Forgive me?”

“Yeah, sure .. why not. House is too small to deal with you being bitchy anyway.” he pulled her into his arms.

“Such a smooth talker.”

“Straight back at ya.”

“Maybe that’s the problem. Too much talk, not enough action … we still have half a Blaine pyramid to blow through … ” she kissed him, giggling, and in unmistakable terms made her intentions clear.

He seemed to agree as he picked her up and went inside with her, offending Morpheus who assumed it was bedtime, but then was kicked out of his owner’s bedroom with the door shut in his face, while they seemed to have fun times in there. Without him. Well, that would cost them one of their precious shoes … minimum!