#Paul wanted to seem so carefree and spontaneous when he proposed but he was definitely shaking like a newborn deer

[p1x1e-sims]

A few months after George’s death, a new decade rolled around. The twenties had arrived and changed everything around them. Paul decided to change too. 

  Katie had been back in Brindleton for nearly two years now. He forgot how much he had missed her. They spent their time walking up and down the coast where they had spent their youth, debating what to do, now that the war had ended and neither of them had employment. 

  Instead of finding a job in town, Paul decided to stay on the island he had always loved so much, working odd jobs like his father used to do. He had no great need for money, as Eva’s last will and testament had left everything to her husband. So he put her money to good use, fixing up and refurbishing the new house.

  Katie found that few people needed a governess in Brindleton. It wasn’t a surprise, as the town had always been a small farming community, but it didn’t diminish her need to make a living. But the old schoolhouse had been in need of a permanent teacher for quite some time, and Katie eventually agreed to become the town’s schoolteacher. 

  But she still had no real home. The boarding house she stayed at was a lovely one, but it was cramped, and Katie had grown tired of feeling like a vagabond. 

  Upon mention of this, Paul bristled, angry that he had not told her beforehand. 

  “You’ve never mentioned this! You should have told me.”

  “Oh, Paul, hush. This house is small, and it's yours now, anyway.” Katie waved her friend’s concerns away. “I imagine it's quite cramped with three children and a feline, now.” 

  “It’s cozy.”

  “Ha! Is that what you’re calling it now?”

  “It is! And if it bothers you that much to intrude on me, you could always marry me.” Paul smiled, ready to take her by surprise. 

  “What?”

  “I’m serious, Katie. Marry me, what’s stopping you?”

  In all truthfulness, Paul had been planning this for months. As spontaneous as it seemed, he had known from the second she had arrived back in Brindleton that he wanted to marry Katie. He was incredibly fond of his old friend, and the children needed a mother. As much as he loved Eva, the world was moving on, and he had to move on with it. 

  So, he got down on one knee. But he could hardly get his first word out before Katie said yes. 

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