#7. everybody's working for the weekend by loverboy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

caleb-p-lo · 8 years ago

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She Said Yes || Self-Para (Ft. The Whole Gang)

It was another cold January night in Lima, Ohio. It was the last weekend before the kids started heading back to school and that called for one last get-together. At their children's insistence, Brittany and Santana had offered to host. So they stocked their fridge and their liquor cabinet in preparation for the night ahead. This would be the last time for a few months everybody was under one roof so they had to make it a good one. Oh if they only knew.

The evening had started with Caleb, Lucky, Sammie and Mimi’s boyfriend losing their shit over the Football game. Not even the arrival of Kurt, Sebastian, and the girls was enough to distract them. Noah had been getting cooking lessons in the kitchen, while baby Frankie was taking his nap upstairs in the master bedroom. So when Kurt and company arrived, the sports fanatics were left to their own devices. As the game was coming to its final quarter, the Puckerman clan, including Janey's girlfriend Candy, had joined the party. After that, the chaos in the living room really got going.

The St. James family had showed up fashionably late as per usual, after the game had already ended. But they were just in time for the real fun to begin. Drinks were poured, music was turned up, food was served, and coversations started flowing. From there the night became a mix of activities as everyone drifted off to do their own things.

The clock only hit a little after 11pm but things were jumping. Everyone was feeling a nice little buzz from the drinks they had been consuming, but no one was trying to knock them back tonight. Everything was going well, but then someone broke out the party games. Just like that, it was war.

The only conditions for the night were that the den not be destroyed, and none of the equipment that was strategically placed around the room be moved. There was a projector screen in the far corner of the room, in front of the sliding doors leading out to the backyard. The projector itself had been tucked away for most of the night, but Mimi and Janey had just gotten it out of its hiding place. Then there were the cameras that were positioned at just the right angles. Even the seats moved from other areas of the house were carefully placed. To a good percentage of the house's occupants the whole reason for the elaborate setup was a home theater premiere of a short film Caleb had worked on. They were supposed to record their reactions and any feedback they had about it. But for those privy to the secret of what that was just a cover for, they knew an even better reveal was in store.

As for the man of the hour, as the night went on and the hours passed, his nerves started to show. But it wasn't until the projector was brought out that could really feel himself start to freak out a little bit. So when everyone was otherwise occupied, he snuck away and locked himself in the guest bathroom. And that's where he'd been for a good 11 minutes and 37 seconds according to his watch.

Caleb stared at his reflection in the guest bathroom mirror. He watched as the droplets of the cold water he’d just splashed on himself, ran down his face, wiping them away with a towel just before they rolled down his neck towards his collar. He’d needed a moment to gather himself before everything took place; and by gather himself, he meant try and remember how to breathe like a normal person. He’d even had to use the 4-7-8 method to get his chest to stop constricting like an asthmatic.

What made the whole situation crazy was Cal couldn’t even explain why he was so nervous. He'd never been more sure that he was doing the right thing, in his entire life. Plus after all the planning and re-planning, surely the nerves should’ve been gone by now. Up until now, Cal was sure they were. But he supposed it was like the opening night of a show; you work so hard on getting everything just right but even still, when that curtain goes up, so does your heart rate. Taking one last look in the mirror, he finished drying off his face, and reached for the door.

As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, the sound of his family and friends, talking and laughing hit him. It was calming almost, knowing that even if he was freaking out on the inside, nobody knew. And even if they suspected, they let him have his space. He made to walk back into the den where the current form of entertainment was a game of Guesstures, Team Puck and Team Sebastian fighting for the championship.

He’d only made it a few steps before hands clapped him on the shoulders and began massaging them. “You ready for this man?” Lucky’s voice came from behind him, and he wasn’t at all surprised that Lucky was waiting for him. His best bud was almost as dramatic as he was sometimes.

Caleb took a deep breath and blew it out before nodding his affirmation. “Yeah, I think so.”

Hands stopped massaging as Lucky clapped him on his shoulders again, harder this time. “Great, cause its show time. Everything’s set, so it’s all on your timing bro.” He moved to stand in front of Caleb and made a show of fixing his clothes. Even going so far as pretending to lick his hand and fix Cal’s hair. “And just remember…” He said, now fixing the hem of Caleb’s sweater. “…if she says no, we have the car waiting out front.” He placed his hands on the sides of Caleb’s face and pulled him in to place a very overdone kiss on his forehead. Just as he opened his mouth to continue his teasing, he was cut off by a hard smack to back of his head.

Janey came up besides the boys with an eye-roll. “Lucky, go make yourself actually useful and grab the cameras from upstairs.” She turned her attention to Caleb. “Don’t listen to him C, she’s not going to say no.”

Lucky jumped in to defend himself, “Hey I’m only parroting Sir-Doubts-A lot over here. He’s the one that had the crazy idea she’d say no.”

“Well she won’t.” Janey stated, exasperated. “She’s gonna say yes, they’re going to be grosser than ever, and make us all want to gag for the rest of our natural lives.”

“Well sure…” Lucky shrugged his shoulders. “I know that, and you know that. But loverboy over here was just hiding in the bathroom, so clearly he ain’t convinced.”

Caleb let out a laugh, drawing the attention of the pair. “You know Lucky…” He put a hand on Lucky’s shoulder. “…I can’t wait until it’s your turn at this.”

It was Lucky’s turn for an eye-roll. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Janey turned to fix Lucky with what had long been dubbed her ‘Mom stare’. “Didn’t I tell you to go get something?”

Lucky made his way towards the stairs, calling back a “Yes mother!” as he went.

“Anyway,” Cal continued “I’m not even worried she’s going to say no anymore. I shouldn’t have been in the first place but you know how my mind works sometimes.” Janey had been his best friend long enough to know by now that when his mind really got itself going, there was nothing in the world that could stop the overthinking. “Now my only concern is getting my words out without stuttering.”

Janey just shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you get so nervous for things involving her.”

Caleb threw his hands up, “She makes me short-circuit, what do you want from me?”

Janey chuckled, “You’re so lame. I can’t wait to tell the army of kids the two of you are bound to have about this one day.”

As Cal reached out to flick her on the forehead, Lucky came jogging back over cameras in hand. “We doing this thing or what?”

Janey answered on Caleb's behalf. “Lucky shush. He’s ready when he’s ready.”

Caleb jumped in before Lucky really got himself whacked. “No it’s okay. I’m ready….” He fought back the nerves. “...I think. Quick, let’s get it going before I second-guess myself for the umpteenth time.”

Lucky positioned himself behind Caleb once more and let out a whoop as he started herding his bro towards the den. “Atta boy!” He draped his arm over Cal’s shoulders as he came to walk on the opposite side of him than Janey was on. “Let’s do this Brutus!” He leaned in to stage-whisper. “Oh and I took the liberty of stocking up your nightstand for later. I didn’t know what size you use so there’s a variety in there. You can thank me later.” With a wink and a pat on the chest, he jogged into the room ahead of the other two.

Janey let out a heavy sigh and an “Oh jeez.” before following after him to go about her own tasks.

Cal stopped by the entryway and took one last moment to calm himself. It was easier this time around with his best friends’ antics to distract him. He owed Lucky and Janey a lot for helping him out with everything.

For all the grief Lucky gave him, Caleb owed him a whole hell of a lot. As much as Lucky poked fun, he more than earned the right to do so. When Caleb called him up and asked if he would be his camera man for a “project” with no further explanation, Lucky cleared his schedule. When the day came to ask Mr. Hummel for his blessing, Lucky waited the 15 minutes it took Caleb to get out of the car. Then the other 10 in the front yard it took him to knock on the door. And when Caleb wanted company to go pick out a ring, Lucky agreed to fly out with no hesitation. Not to mention all the talking down he’d helped do over the last few months. Even now, Lucky was acting as an errand-boy with no questions or complaints. He never once asked for anything in return throughout the whole process. So if all Cal had to do was put up with a few jokes, he could certainly do that. Besides, he’d get his revenge in time.

As for Janey, well credit where credit is most certainly due, she did as much as anyone could ask of her over the last few months as well. Janey had been Caleb’s voice of reason, especially in the beginning. He had needed someone that wasn’t afraid to call him out, and wasn’t afraid to side-step the sugarcoating. And Janey was the only person that could get the job done, besides Izzy herself. On top of that, Janey had helped edit the video he was about to show. Which is a feat in itself considering the girl’s out of control school schedule. Caleb did most of the editing himself but he always liked getting second opinions for things, so when he was done with a section, he’d send it to her to have it checked over. And between schoolwork and maintaining her own relationship, she’d dedicated the time. Together they’d put together something he was pretty excited about. She too had her own list of last minute things to make sure were prepped. First and foremost, she was in charge of making sure all of the cameras that had already been set up in the room were recording. Then make sure the video was set to play at the touch of a button. Once she was done with that, her final task, along with Lucky, was to use the handhelds that were just brought down, to catch specific reactions in detail.

Cal couldn’t have asked for better partners in crime. If he was honest, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done without their help.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a loud cheer from ‘Team Sebastian’ who’d apparently just won the tiebreaker match they’d been playing. And he figured this was as good a time as any to interrupt. He walked to the front of the room where everybody would be able to see and hear him. “Hey everybody!” he called out, getting the attention of the crowd. “We’re gonna start in a minute so get comfortable, alright?”

As people moved to take their seats, Noah came running over and tugged on Caleb’s hand to get his attention. When he bent down to her level she asked, “Is it time now, Daddy?”

Caleb had made it a point to include Noah in this plan of his as much as possible. It was important to him to have her approval and her involvement, and he knew it would mean a lot to Bella as well. “Yes it is baby girl. Do you remember the plan?”

Noah nodded her head proudly. Caleb had given her a very important job for the night. ‘The most important’ he’d even told her. “Stand with Titi Sammie and wait for the signal. And then I give you Mommy’s ring.”

Caleb put his hand out for a high five. “Then it sounds like we’re all set to me.” When Noah’s hand slapped his, he stood up and pointed her in Sammie’s direction, before making his way to his seat.

Sammie was dubbed ‘the Ringkeeper’, as was her name in the ever annoying groupchat, not too long after Cal had purchased the ring. He had been trying to think of a place to put it where Bella wouldn’t find it, but in his paranoid state, nothing was working in his mind. Then one day, Sammie had come over to visit and it hit him. She was the only one that met Cal’s qualifications. Those being 3 things: 1) Since she went to NYFA, she was close enough geographically that if he had to make any last minute alterations to the ring, he could. But she would also stop him from making any unnecessary or extravagant ones. 2) She was super responsible and organized, so there was next to no chance she’d lose the ring. Or forget it at home when the time finally came. And 3) She wasn’t an asshole who texted him at midnight on the day he went ring shopping with “Hey bro, don’t forget to put the ring in a really good hiding spot so she doesn’t find it.” Then when he responded with “WHAT?!?! I GAVE IT TO YOU!!!!”, texted back with, “Nah man, I don’t have it.” (Yeah, Lucky almost died that night.) But that’s how Sammie for sure got the job. She was also responsible for giving Noah the ring on a cue, so she could hand it to Cal during his speech.

On his way back to his seat, Cal looked over to his sister. She patted her pocket and gave him a quick thumbs up. The pat to her pocket being for reassurance; the thumbs up, for good luck. He made a show of taking a deep breath before giving her one back, a thumbs up that is, and carrying on. When he got to his seat, a loveseat placed just a few feet back from the center of the room, he saw Bella sitting there talking with Arie. She had baby Frankie in her lap, the little guy was getting so big. Lucky was perched on the arm of the chair, making faces at his son. When he saw Caleb walking over he nudged Arabella and stood up.

Arie grabbed baby Frankie from her sister and followed suit. As Caleb came alongside them, she reached out and grabbed his hand in a brief gesture of encouragement. Caleb smiled and mouthed a thank you. The way Caleb figured, he owed Arie about as much as he owed Lucky. When he texted her at 11pm her time, freaking out and begging for her help with ring related things, she didn’t turn him away. And she even flew out with Lucky and the baby the weekend he went shopping to help out. When he actually was deciding between rings, she put up with all the pictures he sent her of the hopefuls. All the while hiding said pictures from her sister, whom she was keeping distracted. She was his first choice whenever he needed a distraction for Iz, and after a lifetime of experience she was the only master of the art. Even earlier in the day she’d played that role. She kept Izzy’s curiosity at bay when Cal and Lucky suddenly decided to take the kids and leave the girls to do as they please for the day. Basically Arie was the entire reason this entire operation hadn’t fallen apart from day one. He was going to have to think of a dope ass gift to get her for her birthday.

Anyway, back to the present, Arie had taken her seat and Caleb watched fondly as the little familia got situated. He was looking forward to the day when it was their turn at this. Finally getting to his seat, he dropped into the chair beside Bella and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and let the other rest on the side of the chair. “Well hello gorgeous.” He leaned back into his chair and she settled into his side. When his leg started bouncing on its own, she simply put her hand on his knee and squeezed. It was one of those moments that reminded him why he was here tonight. She probably didn’t even know why he was jittery, but without any provocation she was ready to be a source of comfort. By the Gods he loved this woman.

Just as he was relaxing at last, Mimi came over and grabbed his shoulder. She bent down beside the chair so she was level with him and handed him the remote for the projector. “Janey says everything’s good to go. So whenever you’re ready, just press play.” She pulled his head down for a short side-hug, before moving to handle her last task. As she walked over to the far side of the room to dim the lights, Cal found himself caught up in his own thoughts once again.

Mimi had been a force to reckon with when it came to planning this event. Like Lucky, Mimi had been sure to tease Caleb non-stop. But once she got the jokes out of her system, she went right into helpful big sister mode. She made sure that whatever Cal needed done, got done. She had taken time off to join the boys on their ring hunt and Cal was grateful. Having a woman’s eye come along was definitely helpful. Besides, bless Lucky’s heart for trying, but the boy was more lost than Caleb was at the time. So it was nice to have someone who understood the jargon and could narrow things down before Cal even knew there were things to be narrowed down. She also made sure the P-Lo house was set up for the evening. Mimi directed the redecorating of the den; lights, seating arrangements, all of it. She had even helped explain away the cameras to their guests, falling back on their perceived role as feedback givers, to do so. But her most important and definitely highest valued role? Keeping their mothers at bay. Brittany and Santana were absolutely relentless in trying to figure out what was really going on, but after 20+ years of practice, Mimi had dodged their attempts at subterfuge with ease.

The lights dimmed to a wonderful balance between being able to see everyone’s faces, and still setting the intended energy of the room. Cal fidgeted with the remote in the hand still resting on the arm of the chair. He turned it over again and again until he saw Mimi take her seat. His leg started bouncing again, so he closed his eyes and took a few silent breaths. He felt Bella’s hand slide over his that was draped over her shoulder, and her fingers slide into the spaces between his. He looked over and realized that in a few minutes, there would (hopefully) be a ring on that hand. And that was all it took. He was ready. Cal lifted the remote, and aimed it at the projector. He pressed play, and as the opening shot came up, the butterflies in his stomach went nuts.

_______________

The video opens with a shot of a butterfly Lucky had taken, standing outside of Kurt’s house, while he waited for Caleb to knock on the door. You can hear Lucky talking to the audience.

“Well it’s a lovely day here in Lima, Ohio folks. 81 degrees, good visibility, not too humid. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping…” he says in a radio announcer-like voice. “And if you listen real close, you can hear the sound of someone having an anxiety attack.”

Caleb’s voice can be heard from a distance. “Oh shut up! It’s not funny!”

“Actually it’s hysterical, you just can’t see that right now.” Lucky responds, amused. “But don’t worry, we have it on video. Sort of. So one day you can look back on this moment, and laugh at yourself.”

Caleb just groans ��You know what? Laugh it up now buddy boy. It won’t be so funny when you’re standing in my shoes someday.”

Lucky scoffs, “Oh no doubt. But in the meantime, I’m gonna enjoy the shit out of this.”

“Whatever." Caleb’s voice gets nearer as he walks over to Lucky. “Alright, let’s do this. Before I lose my nerve.”

The camera view drops to follow Lucky’s shadow as he follows Caleb across the yard. A moment of silence, aside from their footsteps passes, and the sound of Caleb knocking on what is presumeably a front door can be heard. A beat later and the hinges of the door squeak a bit as the door opens. Caleb’s voice sounds far again as he clears his throat. “Good afternoon, sir. May I come in?”

_______________

Back in the P-Lo den, it was so quiet, if a pin dropped it would be heard. Caleb had to stifle a laugh when he looked around the room. He knew there would be some confusion as soon as Lucky started speaking. They purposely hadn’t mentioned Lucky’s involvement or said anything about where the “short film” was supposed to take place. They had done this so there would be enough reasonable doubt to keep anyone from asking too many questions before the time was right.

_______________

The next shot shows Caleb sitting at a table. There is someone sitting across from him, but the camera is looking over their shoulder so you don’t see much of them. He takes a deep breath and sits up in his chair. “Wow…uh, this is more nerve-wracking than I anticipated.” As he speaks, some music kicks in softly in the background. And the words flow.

“Sir, I am here today because I have something very important that I need to ask you.” You can see the nerves, but also the determination in his eyes. “Now, you've known me my whole life, and you've watched me grow into what I hope is a pretty decent man. And I hope that in that time I've given you a reason to think somewhat highly of me. Because...I am absolutely head over heels in love with your daughter.” A small smile forms on his lips.

“I mean, we've had our ups and downs like everyone does. Driven each other nuts, and been each other's safe haven. But throughout it all, I never for a minute doubted how I felt about her. She has absolutely changed my life by being a part of it. And I wouldn't be the man I am now without her influence.”

He looks the man in front of him in his eyes. “I know that's your little girl so believe me, I take nothing lightly about being here in front of you today. I know you would go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe and happy. That you want nothing but the best for her. So I want to assure you that I want the very same.”

“Now I can't promise that she'll always be happy with me; She'll probably want to throttle me at least once more before the month is up, if I'm honest.” He laughs at the truth in his words. “Instead what I can promise you, is that no matter what may happen, she will always come first in my heart. I can promise you that I will go above and beyond to protect her from unnecessary pain, to make sure she wants for nothing, and above all else, to love her with everything in me.”

“I know that's an enormous promise to make, and I can tell you in a million ways that I mean it. But you and I both know that words don't mean much when it comes to making a promise. It's the actions you take to keep it, that mean everything. That is why I'm here sir. To ask for your permission, to make good on my promise.” He takes a deep breath, to settle himself, it seems.

_______________

Back in the P-Lo den, Caleb’s heart was beating a mile a minute. He knew that there were just seconds left before everyone in the room was on the same page about what exactly was going on here tonight. He was excited though, to see the reactions around the room. Hence all the cameras. As it was, he could see Lucky and Janey start to turn in their seats, cameras in hand. Lucky would be focused on Caleb and Bella. Janey would be catching any extra reactions the main cameras might miss. But in all honesty, the only person whose reaction he cared about at the moment was still tucked into his side.

_______________

“Mr. Hummel…”

_______________

The gasps came from behind him before anything else. Followed shortly by a “Wait, what?” and a “No way.” From his Momma and Mami, respectively. But when he felt Isabella sit up ever so slightly and squeeze his knee again, he had to hold back a laugh.

_______________

“…It would mean the world to me if I could have your blessing, to ask Isabella to marry me.”

_______________

Bella was sat all the way up now and turned to look at Caleb. Surprise and confusion were written all over her face before it morphed into amusement. She leant back into her seat and laughed. “I am such an idiot for not realizing this sooner.”

He just laughed with her and leaned over to speak so only she could hear. “If it’s any consolation, it was really hard to keep secret.” Her eyes flicked back to the screen just as Kurt’s face came back on screen.

_______________

Kurt’s face was unreadable. “Well I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Just one question though…” He starts. “She’s not pregnant is she?”

Caleb laughs in an interesting combination of disbelief and nervousness. “No sir. She’s not pregnant.”

“Just checking.” Kurt carries on. “Honestly Caleb, I’ve thought about what I would say to you when the moment did come. I could tell you I don’t like that you’re both so young. I could tell you that I don’t think you’re ready. I could tell you that you’re not prepared for what life has in store.” Kurt pauses and looks directly at Caleb. “I could tell you all that, but those would be the words of a very jaded man. And all things considered: How long I’ve known you; how long you’ve been together; what you’ve both already been through as individuals and a couple; Even just who your parents are; it would be unfair to see through you through that lens.”

The honesty with which Kurt speaks, surprises Caleb. “So instead what I’m going to say is this.” Kurt continues. “If there is anyone in this entire world I would trust to love Isabella the way she deserves to be loved, and to keep her heart safe, it’s you Caleb.” His tone is totally sincere. Even when his next words follow. “But let me be clear. If you break that trust, if you hurt my baby…Caleb they will not find your pieces.” A beat passes. “Oh and also if you ever call me Mr. Hummel after this again, I swear…”

_______________

The tension in the air was broken by laughs around the room. Kurt stood up for a moment and took a bow, drawing some applause from his fellow parental units in the room. As the next section of the video plays on, the room settles back into its anticipation.

_______________

Caleb’s face comes back up on the screen, only this time he is alone, and in a whole new setting. He sits by himself, facing the camera.

“Well that was a kick.” He laughs. “Hey baby! So I just talked to your Dad and uh…it went well. It went really well. Better than I thought it would actually. I got his blessing and now I’m both excited and nervous. I’m nervous because there’s so much I want to do and I hardly even know where to begin. But I’m excited, because I can’t wait to take this next step with you. I love you so much, mi amor and by the time you see this, we’ll be one step closer to our own little forever. In the meantime, it’s time for the fun to begin.”

_______________

Everyone was totally enraptured by what was on the screen. Everyone besides Lucky and Janey that is. Having had a part in the making of the video, they both were more focused on the reactions of the crowd and capturing it. Janey had gotten Kurt’s bow earlier and Brittany’s eyes misting over just moments ago. Lucky, meanwhile, had kept his camera trained on the happy couple.

_______________

The second half of the video begins to play with a new shot of Caleb talking again. “So apparently this has all been a surprise to absolutely no one. Check this out. This is what happened when I asked everybody ‘What would you say if I told you I was going to ask Izzy to marry me?’”

Clips of Janey, Lucky, Mimi, Sammie, and Jason come on screen. All of them react to varying levels of amusement but Caleb was right, no one is surprised in the slightest. Once the laughing and the teasing is over and done, their genuine reactions start to show. Mimi and Sammie are their usual, wonderfully supportive selves. It is a level of mushy that if it wasn’t caught on camera, all three siblings would deny ever happened. Jason lets his sensitivity shine through and dials back the jokes long enough to give Caleb a heartfelt congratulations. Even Janey and Lucky take a break from the ribbing to tell their best friend how proud they are of him, and how happy they are for him. It doesn’t take too long for them to start back up however, and the clips cut off just as Janey starts talking about a certain promise Caleb made her about 8 years prior.

“So that was a thing that happened. Also, I’m pretty sure there was another bet involved, but I don’t know for sure. Honestly though, I can’t even be mad about it. Cause I mean, they were right weren’t they…” Caleb fades off screen again, only to be replaced with a series of photos of him and Izzy. Photos going back to when they were super young up until a few weeks ago.

_______________

When he was editing the video, this was Caleb’s favorite part to work on. He had gone through all of the photo albums back home, even social media posts, to find some of his favorite photos of Bella and himself. He managed to get a few of their best spanning across their entire life together starting from when they were kids. Watching them all play back, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Especially when he looked beside him and saw Bella sitting there with the same expression on her face. Without thinking, he reached down to grab her hand and bring it up to his lips.

_______________

Once the slideshow is done, Caleb comes back. “…It was only a matter of time for us, wasn’t it?” The screen fades. “But actually there were even a few reactions I wasn’t anticipating.”

Arie is the next to appear on screen. Caleb’s voice comes from off camera as he talks with her for a moment. Unlike everyone else, Arie already knows what he’s up to when he sits her down to talk. “So you and I both know that I’ve already asked your Dad for his blessing. But, not to undermine his importance, your relationship with Izzy is unrivaled and takes precedence over any other. It would be totally out of the question to not ask you for yours as well. With that being said, I’ll stop the rambling before it begins and just ask. Arabella…may I have your blessing to ask Izzy to marry me?”

“Well I’m glad you asked Daddy already. Good call P-Lo.” Arie side-eyes him with a smirk on her lips. “I’m also glad you know that twinny bond beats everything. As for my blessing, all I can say is….” Caleb knows Arie is messing with him but he still sweats a little bit. “…It’s about damn time! Yes, of course you can marry Isabella.”

The shot fades out just before Cal gets up to give her a hug.

_______________

Cal was nervous but also excited. The anticipation was starting to take center-stage. He’d been waiting for this moment for months, well…probably way longer than that, really. He was about to do something that up until recent years, he never dared to dream he would get the chance to do.

_______________

Noah’s little face fades onto the screen. She is sitting at a piano, playing what little she can and singing. She looks toward the camera and stops singing for a moment. “Daddy, why are you recording me? Are we pranking Mommy again?” She goes back to her playing.

Caleb laughs from behind the camera. “No Princesa, we’re not pranking Mommy again. Daddy just has something he wants to ask you. But you know how when we prank Mommy, we have to keep it a secret? Well this time, we still have to keep a secret, but it’s more like a surprise.”

Noah looks at Caleb, and she considers his words for a moment. “A surprise?” She seems to come to a decision. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Cal echoes. “Noah…how would you feel if I asked Mommy to marry me?”

Noah pauses with a confused look on her face? “Wait, aren’t you married already?”

_______________

Half of the room exploded with laughter at Noah’s question. The other half voiced their agreements. Leave it to the kid to call it like it is.

_______________

Caleb bursts out laughing behind the camera. He can’t believe it. “You know what little one, I’m starting to think we might be at this point.” He shakes his head off-camera, unbelieving at what was just said. It seems like the popular consensus is they’d been married for years and hadn’t even known it. “No, we’re not married already. But I would like to be. You think if I asked Mommy, she’d say yes?”

“Duh, of course she will, silly!” Noah answers.

“She will?” He asks, playing up his disbelief. “Why do you say that?”

Noah doesn’t even bother looking at him. She speaks like her words are just common knowledge. “Because you make her heart happy. And you’re her knight in shiny armor. And she loves you more than anybody in the whole wide world except me. So you should ask her. Then she will say yes and you can be married and live Happy Ever After. Like Ariel and Prince Eric!”

Caleb’s heart had swelled in his chest as she spoke. And if he wasn’t sure of himself before, he sure was now. “Okay little one, because you said so. Will you help me figure out how to ask her?”

“Okay Daddy.” She pauses her playing to look at him. “But can we do it later? I wanna show you what I learned.”

Another laugh from behind the camera. “Okay Little Princess. Show me.”

As the video comes to a close, Caleb is back on screen for one final shot. “So we’re here. It’s been a few months in the works but we’re here. Video is done, minus this part, but this is just gonna be added on at the end. Everything else is ready, now it’s just waiting for the day to come. But before this video ends, I wanted to take a moment to thank everybody who helped me with this. I know I’ve been a royal pain in the ass, so thanks for putting up with me, and I owe you guys. I couldn’t have done this without you.” He smiled fondly at the thought of his loved ones. “Baby, if you’re watching this, one of two things have happened. I’ve either made a terrible mistake and left this out somewhere you could see it before it was time; or I’m sitting beside you right now trying to stop my stomach from doing backflips. Hopefully it’s the latter, cause if not, this is really awkward. Anyway before future me goes into cardiac arrest, if you don’t mind, I’d like to give myself the floor. Future me, we’ve been waiting for this moment for longer than we will ever admit, to anyone who isn’t Bella. We got this.”

_______________

Caleb stood from his seat on shaky legs and pulled the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows. As he did so, the rest of the room’s occupants turned to face him. He took a few steps forward, and a look around, meeting every set of eyes as he went. Some were a bit glassier than others. Rubbing his hands together, he squared his shoulders and turned around to face the love of his life. Swallowing the last of his nerves, he cleared his throat.

"Hi..." There was a slight rasp in his voice, a sign that the throat clearing wasn’t entirely successful. He dropped his gaze and tried again. When his eyes snapped back up, they were accompanied by a sheepish grin. "Now I know this whole thing didn't exactly leave any doubt as to what's going on here.” He gestured behind him, making reference to the evening’s setup. “But I wrote a whole speech for this, so before you say anything just let me finish, okay?"

His cue to continue was a breathy chuckle and a nod from Bella. "Okay..." He started fidgeting with his hands, but kept his eyes up. "So funny story, as this whole thing was coming together, I had an epiphany. It was something I've always known, but just never really thought about.” His body relaxed as the rhythm of his practiced speech got going. “And what I realized was…” He paused slightly for some dramatic effect. “We've known each other essentially our whole lives."

Around him he could hear a mix of reactions take place. There was quiet laughter from one direction, groans from another, and even a muttered “No shit Sherlock” from somewhere. He turned to the audience and held up his hands. "Wait, wait. Hear me out.” Cal stifled a laugh at the looks of mild annoyance he saw around the room. He let his gaze make its way back to Bella. “The reason it came up was because people who didn't really know us, kept asking me things like, ‘But you're so young. How do you know you're ready for this?’ and it was kind of frustrating.”

With his momentum finally kicking in, Cal felt his confidence return. “The thing was, I couldn't ever really form an answer.” His hands got more expressive as he went on. “So I started trying to think of one, that way the next time someone asked me, I could blow them away with this incredibly romantic, life-changing answer. But the harder I thought about it, the harder it became to find the words.”

“Then, I don't know if you'll remember, but there was that one day Noah decided we needed to have Disney character shaped pancakes for breakfast. And somewhere between my pitiful attempt at Nemo, and your 'I swear you practiced' Mike Wazowski, it hit me.” He smiled at the memory. “I mean, it wasn't actually anything too out of the ordinary for us. We were still in our PJs, belting out whatever Disney song was playing, probably driving our neighbors insane. Just another Sunday morning.” Once again laughter filled the room.

Cal let his voice carry through the room like years in theatre taught him. Even still, the fondness in it remained. “But in that moment, I figured it all out. I realized why it was so hard to explain to other people why I was one hundred percent positive I was ready.” His full attention was focused on Bella now. As far as he was concerned, there were no cameras, and there was no audience. He was speaking directly to her. “As simple as it’s going to sound, the reason is, they aren’t me. They don’t experience life in the same way that I do, it just isn’t possible.”

The emotion was building and Caleb knew it was only a matter of time before he couldn’t hold it back any longer. “Those people don’t wake up every day, turn over in their beds, and wonder which of the Gods they must’ve pleased in a past life to deserve waking up to you every morning. They don’t come home every night to arms and ears wide open, ready to take the stress of the day away. They don’t have their own personal cheerleader to root for their successes, or someone to lean on when everything’s gone wrong.”

Were anyone to walk into the Pierce-Lopez residence right at that moment in time, they wouldn’t believe their eyes and ears. Given everyone in attendance that night, the level of quiet the house had reached was near miraculous. The only things that could be heard were Caleb’s voice and soft sniffles as Caleb’s words really started making their impact.

“They don’t have someone to help mold them into a better human being, or to let them do the same. Those people will never understand how at 22 years old I can be so sure that my future is with you, because they have never loved or been loved by you. And it's because of that, they will never understand me.”

He didn’t even pause to take a breath. After so long of being locked away, his words were aching to be released. And now that they were finally getting to be free, not even the need for oxygen would put a stop to them.

“And I swear, I swear I will never understand how I got so lucky. To have you in my life in any capacity was already enough. But to be where we are today? That’s more than 12 year old Caleb could’ve even dreamed of. In fact, if you went back 10 years and told 12 year old Caleb I would be standing up here today, he would’ve looked at you like “Yeah, alright buddy.”

When he was writing his speech, Cal was sure to break up all the mushy stuff with at a couple of jokes. Otherwise he knew he’d never make it to the end without getting choked up.

“And 16 year old Caleb. For those of you who aren’t good at math, that was 6 years ago.” He joked with his audience to try and offer them a reprieve from the mush too. “16 year old Caleb would’ve had the same reaction. All the while, on the inside, thinking ‘Man I wish.’ But now we’re here. And this…it’s happening. I mean this is real.” He took a step closer to Bella to sidebar with her. “This is real right? Cause listen, the cameras? I told them the video was for keepsake purposes but in actuality I just wanted there to be proof that this, in fact, actually happened. That this isnt’t a super elaborate dream that I’m gonna wake up from and be so confused by.” He bought himself enough time to gain some control again before it was back to the mush.

“We’re here. We made it to this point. Quite literally our whole lives thus far have been spent together in one way or another.” He shrugged his shoulders. “So why don’t we make it a complete story, huh? Beginning to End, Me and You. Cause in all honesty Bella, I gotta tell you. Now that I know what it’s like to love and be loved by you, I don’t ever want to let that feeling go.” His throat tightened on his last few words and he was so glad he didn’t go with the extended draft of his speech.

He swallowed the lump that had found a home at the back of his throat and walked over to Bella. He held his hand out for her in a signal for her to stand with him. When she did, he led them back to the center of the room, his eyes never leaving her for a second. “So while there is still room left in my throat for words to make their escape I just have one last thing to say.” As Caleb lowered himself down onto one knee, he cleared his throat one final time for good measure. “One very important question I need to ask.” Noah came running over on her cue, little velvet box cradled in her hands. When she handed it to Caleb he whispered “thank you” and gave her a wink before she ran back to her spot. He looked up at Bella from his position and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the look on her face just then.

“Isabella Rose Hummel-Anderson…” He opened the little box in his hand and held it out in front of him, presenting the ring. “…will you marry me?” The smile that took over his face was a mix of pride and unparalleled happiness. He really did it.

Caleb could feel his heartbeat going crazy. He held his breath and waited for her answer. It seemed like the whole room was holding their breath with him. When Bella suddenly dropped to her knees in front of him, his smile faltered ever so slightly, and his heart jumped in his chest. But when she looked at him with watery eyes, bottom lip pulled between her teeth, the world around him froze.

“Yes!” Her voice was thick with emotion but there was no doubt to be heard.

He had to be dreaming. “You will?” Cal asked incredulously.

Bella laughed at the look on his face. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Her hands went to the sides of his head and she pulled him in, kissing him with every ounce of love she held in her. He was more than happy to repay her in kind. There were a few more yeses, and a few more kisses before they broke apart. When they did he took the ring from its box, placed the box to the side, and grabbed her hand. The moment he slid the ring onto her finger, he heard the room erupt around them.

He stood up, pulling her gently along with him. When they were both on their feet, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in again. But just before their lips could meet, they were interrupted by a little weight hitting their legs. When they looked down, Noah was smiling back up at them. “See Daddy! I told you she would say yes!” She yelled, excitedly.

Caleb bent down and picked her up, bringing her to their level. “You sure did Princesa. You told me.”

Noah beamed as she turned her attention to Bella. “Now you get to have your own Happy Ever After, Mommy!” she said excitedly. She leaned over to give her mother the tightest hug her little body could squeeze out. The rest of the room let the little family have their moment.

Caleb had just lowered Noah to the ground when he was wrapped up in a tight bear hug. Lucky was laughing as he yelled out “You did it bro!” And when Cal found himself suddenly lifted off of the ground, he could only laugh along. Arie took the opportunity to steal Bella away for a moment with Kurt and Sebastian.

Lucky spun Caleb around to pull him into a proper hug and wished him the most sincere congratulations. When Cal was finally released from his hold, it was only to be spun again into Brittany’s. Her hug was accompanied by a swat to the back of the head from Santana before she joined in. Their version of congratulations was a strange mix of reprimanding: “You are so lucky I wear waterproof mascara out of habit!” And joy: “We are so proud of you Baby Boy.” Once they were done with him, he was pushed to the side with a cry of “Now where is our future daughter-in-law?!” And just like that, they scurried off. Cal took the quiet moment to reach down and finally pick the abandoned ring box up off of the floor. But as soon as he stood up he was greeted with more attack hugs.

The next 10 or so minutes were a barrage of congratulations, teasing, and minor physical harassment. His sisters and friends in particular had quite a bit to say to him, and he was more than happy to let them say it. But he couldn’t help be a little distracted, or relieved when it was over. He took a break in the conversation happening, to slip away to find his…fiancée. (It felt so good just thinking it!) He spotted her and wasted no time making his way over.

Caleb snuck behind Bella and slid his arms around her waist. She jumped slightly before relaxing back into him.

“Hey there gorgeous.” He mumbled, as he nuzzled into her neck. “So on a scale of 1 to amazing, how’d I do?” He startled when she spun in his arms, to face him.

“Listen you!” She emphasized ‘listen’ with a swat to his stomach, and took a step back, breaking his hold on her. “You are way too good at keeping secrets from me. You better promise you won’t hide something so well from me ever again.”

When she first started speaking, Caleb thought he was in serious trouble. But the fear turned into amusement by the time she was done. As she mock-glared at him, he shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know if I can make that promise, love. I like surprising you.” Her glare began to crack, a hint of a smile starting to show. “How about I promise that my powers of deception will only be used for good, never evil?”

She resisted the urge to facepalm, instead she just closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them again, gone was the pretend glare, replaced by a grin that was barely holding back a laugh. “Fine. Fair enough.” She looked down and began fidgeting with her ring, grin still in place. “Dork.” She muttered, under her breath.

“What was that?” Caleb quirked an eyebrow. “You calling me names?” His arms shot forward in an attempt to grab Izzy, but not before she could turn herself away from him. “Huh? You calling me names?” His arms went back to their favored position, wrapped around her waist. His fingers dug into her sides, as he tried to tickle an apology out of her. “I thought I heard somebody call me a dork.” As she squirmed, he lifted her off the ground and spun her around a few times before letting her feet touch the ground again. He brought his head down once more to rest in the crook of her neck. “And you wouldn’t call me that, right my love?”

He released one arm to reach down and grab her left hand. The ring looked so good in it’s rightful place when he lifted her hand out in front of them, “Besides” he mumbled into her shoulder. “Technically, thanks to this bad boy, that would make you the future Mrs. Dork.” He interlaced their fingers together and placed a soft kiss to her neck. It was his intention to leave a trail of them but before he could even place the second, they were interrupted yet again. This time it was a yell of “Come on Primadonna!” coming from the corner of the room, nearest to the kitchen.

Caleb dropped Bella’s hand and his hold on her waist. They both found their attention being pulled to the sudden commotion. Santana and Kurt squared off while Brittany and Sebastian looked on fondly at their respective partners. Kurt fired back, “Come on, nothing. I am more than capable of financing the wedding thank you very much. Besides you only want to split the cost 50/50, so you can have a 50/50 say in everything.”

Kurt tried to walk away but Santana just followed, arms crossed. “Well obviously I get a say. But think about it. Between the two of us, the plans for this wedding are probably going to get a little more pricey than originally intended. At least let me pay for half of it!”

Caleb had started laughing to himself when Kurt was going on about the 50/50 thing. He’d dropped his head so he wouldn’t get caught. But when Santana said the words “plan” and “wedding” in the same sentence, he almost lost it. He placed his hands on Bella’s shoulders and started shaking her gently. He tilted his head back, faced the ceiling, closed his eyes. And let out an only slightly “mock”-anguished “What have we done?”

#Paras #She Said Yes #ooc: The length of this thing is craaazy.#I'll fix any mistakes later because if I stare at this any longer it will never see the light of day #also there will eventually be some stuff added so be on the lookout lol #Oh and pretend this was meant to be posted yesterday

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johnhardinsawyer · 6 years ago

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Any Given Sunday

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

6 / 3 / 18

Mark 2:23-3:6

“Any Given Sunday”

(Working for/on the Weekend)

Every Friday at 5 PM when I was growing up, the local classic rock station would play a special mash-up of songs to mark the end of the work week. From “I Don’t Want to Work” by Todd Rundgren to “Take this Job and Shove It” by Johnny Paycheck, they really played up the idea that the five o’ clock whistle had blown and the weekend was now beginning. All of this was usually followed up by a rendition of the 1981 classic, “Working for the Weekend,” by everybody’s favorite band, Loverboy.

Everybody’s working for the weekend,

Everybody wants a little romance,

Everybody’s going off the deep end

Everybody needs a second chance

You want a piece of my heart

You better start from the start. . .[1]

Oh, what great poetry! Anyway, you get the idea – the weekend is a time for fun, parties, romance, and relaxation. And everybody loves the feeling you get when you can leave your job – and all of the responsibilities that come with it – behind you for just a couple of days. It is good to celebrate the Sabbath!

If you ever go to the Western Wall in Jerusalem – the holiest site in all of Judaism – at sundown on a Friday evening, there is this undercurrent of excitement and energy. As the sun goes down, marking the start of the Jewish Sabbath, groups of young men will form circles and start to chant and sing and dance. Soldiers will put down their guns and dance, too. People embrace one another, families join together and then everyone goes off to enjoy their Shabbat dinners. Everyone has been working for the weekend and everything that follows is a gift from God and God is so good.

One of the things you often hear about the Sabbath is that on this one day of the week you should not do any work. Many of our Jewish cousins in faith have been and continue to be fairly strict about this rule. They get this from the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus:

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work – you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, but rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Everyone is supposed to rest on the Sabbath because the Sabbath was – and is – a gift from God. Somewhere along the line, though, people started taking this commandment to rest on the Sabbath so seriously that it grew to have a “Rest. . . or else!” kind of feeling to it. Some of you might remember that stores and restaurants used to be closed on Sundays. Some of you might not have been able to go outside and play as children on the Sabbath. At the time, these restrictions might have seemed onerous, but they weren’t as strict as they could have been, because in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, if you violate the Sabbath on purpose, you are subject to the death penalty.[2] Ouch!

So, in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus’ disciples are hungry and pluck some grain on the Sabbath to eat and Jesus then heals a man in the local synagogue on the Sabbath, it doesn’t just raise some eyebrows, it actually causes the Pharisees and the Herodians to start plotting Jesus’ death.

When Jesus is accused of the crime of Sabbath-breaking, he has several curious responses. First, he counters the Pharisees’ scriptural argument[3]about plucking grain on the Sabbath with a story from scripture: “Do you remember our ancestor David when he was on the run from King Saul?” Jesus asked. “David was very hungry and the only bread that was available was designated as holy bread. He should not have eaten it,[4]but he did. If David was excused out of necessity[5]because he was hungry, then why are my friends in trouble for plucking grain and eating it?”[6] Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath.” In other words, “The Sabbath was made to be a gift for us. we aren’t supposed to be slaves to the Sabbath.” Pastor and author Wayne Muller writes, “[teachings like this] clearly warn against the tendency toward legalism, which suffocates our joy, and drains the spontaneity and passion out of this gratuitous day of delight.”[7]

The Pharisees were clearly not delighted with Jesus’ words, and they really got riled up by what he did next. There was a man in the local synagogue who had a withered hand. In the original language, the hand was “dried up, damaged,” and possibly “paralyzed.”[8] We don’t know if the man had been born like this or if it had happened to him along the way. All that we know is that, for the Pharisees, it was important that people who were blind or lame, or had deformities and other handicaps were not allowed to draw close to God to make offerings.[9] They were not whole people, religiously speaking, and therefore were considered to be less than everyone else.

The Pharisees had reasons for feeling the way they did. They had the ancient laws of Moses backing them up. But anyone can use scripture to back up just about any side of an argument. In contrast to the commandment regarding handicapped people, there is a wonderful story of King David welcoming the grandson of a former enemy and showing kindness to the boy after the boy was paralyzed. He gave the boy – Mephibosheth was his name – land and titles and hosted him at the King’s table.[10]

It is good to follow the rules, but, according to Jesus, it is also good to be merciful. And if the rules (or the people enforcing them) aren’t merciful or just, then maybe we need some new rules or a different type of moral framework from which we make decisions. Jesus provides such a framework. In today’s story, Jesus calls the man with the withered hand to come closer and he asks the Pharisees,

“What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word. Jesus looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion.[11]

We don’t have to wonder about whether Jesus ever got angry, or not. The Bible tells us of the time when he angrily ran the money-changers out of the Temple – people who were dishonestly enriching themselves, robbing faithful folks of their hard-earned money.[12] And, in today’s story, Jesus gets angry when faithful people are hard-hearted and not merciful or hospitable to someone who is clearly in need of mercy and hospitality.

Of course, Jesus heals the man, making the withered hand as good as new, doing the work of grace – even on the Sabbath. Because if the Sabbath is about anything at all, it is about grace – resting in God’s grace, remembering God’s grace, giving thanks for God’s grace, dwelling in God’s grace, sharing God’s grace. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of healing and wholeness, a day of restoration, a day of peace, a day of joy. And, for Jesus, if a little work has to be done on the Sabbath to make these things a reality, not just for himself, but for everyone, then maybe that’s okay.

There are some who might use today’s story to justify working on the Sabbath – “If Jesus did it, then so can I” – but this is not the point of the story. We live in a culture where work has a way of sneaking into our Sabbath. 99% of the time, this “work” that we do is not an emergency or even necessary and has nothing to do with God or God’s kingdom. Our human work can wait a day. But mercy and grace cannot wait a day. And there are those in need of kindness and welcome and healing and wholeness and human decency who have been waiting and waiting for just a glimpse of empathy and acceptance and there is no time like the present to offer this grace – especially here at church. When it comes to God’s grace, no one should be turned away.

This is one of the reasons why we gather around this Table – to share God’s grace – and it is one of the reasons why we proclaim that all are welcome here. Putting God’s welcome into practice is a wonderful way of practicing Sabbath. Sabbath is not supposed to be a selfish act. Remember the commandment is for “. . .you, your son [and] your daughter, your male [and] female slave, your livestock, the alien resident in your town. . .” Normally, we might feel that the weekend is just for us. But scripture reminds us that it is for everyone. Many people work so hard during the week and it is good to be reminded to rest. But some people guard their Sabbath so well – especially in the summertime – that they feel they need to take a vacation from church, too. It is important to remember that Jesus did not work his Sabbath miracle alone, or in a vacuum, or with just his close family at the lake. He did it in public – in community with others. He did it by acknowledging the needs of people – their need to be fed, their need to be healed, their need for some kind of wholeness. Regular public worship reminds us of this and gets us in the rhythm of practicing Sabbath. And, while it might be good for us to get away from time to time, the life we live every day is lived in the midst of people who have the same needs we do. If Sabbath rest can ready us to meet those needs and share God’s grace, then this is good. And, when those needs arise and we can meet them – even on the Sabbath – then it is good to follow the example of Jesus.

Being able to share in God’s grace is a gift – each and every day. And when it comes to the work of sharing this grace, God is not just working for the weekend. God is always at work making us whole. This is a gift – for us, for you and for me – for all people. May we share this gift every day.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

---------

[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahvSgFHzJIc.

[2]See Exodus 31:14-15, Leviticus 24:10-23, and Numbers 15:32-36.

[3]See Exodus 34:21.

[4]See Exodus 29:33.

[5]John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries – Vol. XVI.ii(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009) 48.

[6]Mark 2:25-26, paraphrased JHS.

[7]Wayne Muller, Sabbath – Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives(New York: Bantam Books, 1999) 31.

[8]Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) 548.

[9]See Leviticus 21:19 ff.

[10]See 2 Samuel 4 and 2 Samuel 9.

[11]Eugene Peterson, The Message(Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 2002) 1379-1380. Mark 3:4-5.

[12]See Matthew 21:12 and John 2:15.

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