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I wait impatiently until Rafe finishes his talk for the “job day” Felicity’s school is hosting. Today, the kids listen to fifteen-minute talks about specific jobs and ask questions. So far, there has been a scrub nurse, a chef, and now firefighter, Rafe. He’s one of my buddies, and he loves kids.
Rafe might come across as tough, but he’s a hardworking guy who loves teaching kids about safety. That’s why he’s here on a Monday morning, talking to Felicity’s class about fire hazards.
“And that’s why you pour water on a low fire slowly. Never dump the entire bucket because the smoke will get to you. Remember, rule number one is never to play with fire in the first place.”
The kids are all mesmerized by Rafe’s explanation. He looks impressive in his firefighter outfit.
“Thank you, Rafe,” Felicity says. “Next up is my friend Colin. He’s a car mechanic.”
I get up and use my palm to swipe a bead of sweat from my forehead. I hope my nerves don’t mess this up.
“Remember, kids, let him talk first, and then we can do questions,” Felicity reminds them.
I sit on the chair at the front of the classroom, and twenty pairs of eyes zoom in on me. I swallow. “Hi.”
“Hi,” the kids reply in unison. One of them waves at me, and I crack a smile. I can’t wait to have kids of my own.
I take a deep breath and start the presentation I practiced with Felicity at home. I talk about what a day in the shop looks like for me, how I check the oil level of a car, how I rotate tires, and what the most common problems are. It all goes according to plan, but Felicity doesn’t know that I added something to my talk she’s never heard before.
“Would you join me for a moment?” I ask her.
She pushes away from the desk she’s leaning against. “Of course. What do you need?”
“Guys, your teacher is the best, am I correct?” I ask the class.
“Yeah,” one of the pupils calls out.
The other kids follow suit.
“I also think your teacher is the best. In fact, I like her so much that she’s my girlfriend.”
Felicity lets out a nervous laugh. “Colin, what are you doing?”
I wink at her. “You’ll see.”
The entire class giggles.
“One day, she came to the shop with a car problem. She said it had faulty blinkers.”
“And you fixed that problem?” a kid asks.
I nod. “I did. Even though nothing was really wrong, I couldn’t risk letting her drive home in that car, right?”
“When you love someone, you want to keep them safe. That’s what my mom always tells me when I can’t go to the playground alone,” another kid says.
“That’s right. When you love someone, you do anything to make them happy and want to be with them all the time. There’s only one problem. I don’t want your teacher to be just my girlfriend. I want more.”
“Because you looove her,” a kid shouts.
I grin. “Yeah, I do. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone. She’s sweet and kind and makes me happy.”
I reach into my pocket and get down on one knee. “Felicity, you’re the love of my life. With these kids as my witness, I promise you I will spend every day of my life making you happy. Would you do me the huge honor of becoming my wife?”
She puts her hand over her mouth and tears roll down her cheeks. “Yes, Colin. I want to marry you.”
Her hand shakes as I slide a diamond ring over her finger. I spent weeks looking for the perfect one. It looks gorgeous on her.
“Kiss her!” Rafe calls, and the kids all start shouting and clapping for us.
I plant a chaste kiss on her lips so I don’t do anything inappropriate in front of her pupils. She hugs me, and I whisper into her ear: “Tonight, I’ll be kissing a lot more than just your lips.”
“You better. I want to make love to my fiancé all night long.”
“How about the rest of our lives?”
She smiles at me. “That sounds just perfect, Colin.”
***
Read Rafe’s story next in Taught by the Firefighter, book six in the series First Times in Trout Creek.