Congratulations Are Due, Part 1
So I should give some congratulations first. Mary Sue and Daniel are expecting their first child.
She walked around grinning for the rest of the day. Couldn't wipe the smile off her face, even when she realised none of the rest of us had cleaned the toilet for a few days and that she'd have to do it.
Daniel was no use. He spent the entire day staring at things and slowly shaking his head. According to one of the guys at the Lair, he also spent a large amount of time at the local bar. That would explain why we didn't see him for a while, and all the crashing when he did make it home.
But anyway. There are more important things in the world than babies, such as what I did with my evening the night before this announcement.
“Why have you brought me here?” Alana had said when we arrived at the beach.
“You'll see.”
“Oh, aren't we Mr Mysterious?”
“I prefer Mr Amazing.”
'Oh, do you now?” She began to come in towards me, playfully looking up into my eyes. I pushed her away slightly.
“It's gorgeous here, isn't it?” I wandered towards the sea slightly, hoping she'd follow. “Not as gorgeous as you, mind.”
Here was perfect. She'd followed me like I'd hoped, although not without a little reluctance in her step.
“Yes, it's gorgeous. But why are we here, Shark?”
“How does becoming Mrs Shark sound to you?”
She gasped and started to dance around on the spot. I was going to take that as positive. Either that or her shoes were too small. Women do insist on wearing really stupid shoes.
“So?”
“Yes! Of course yes! Of course I'll marry you!”
I slipped the ring onto her finger, while she exclaimed how beautiful it was. I'd stolen it, but she didn't need to know that. Only the best for her, and I couldn't afford the best.
And then we were clutching each other on the warm sand as the sun set behind us. Perhaps this was what had drawn me to this island. Not just the lure of the criminal networks, but the beauty of it. The way the colours melted and the way my wife-to-be felt in my arms.
It was a nice feeling for a while, but life goes on.
We stayed there at the beach for a while, just talking. A teenage girl doing her homework made a sarcastic comment but we ignored her. Alana's far too sensible to rise to such unconvincing bait, and I have more important things.
“That's the Big Dipper. It has the same amount of stars as the Little Dipper.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“You don't make sense a lot of the time either, Shark.”
“You'll have to stop calling me that when you're a Shark too.”
“I might keep my name. And besides, I like it.” She glanced at me. “It's not the point, anyway. You make no sense. You love your bad boy reputation, but look at you planning sunset proposals and staring at the stars with a girl.”
“I like you. A lot.” It was the only answer I had. This still didn't make much sense to me either.
“Good. It'd better stay that way."
"It will. I couldn't handle you angry."
"You're right there."
We sat there until we got cold.
