“Hey Soapie. Hey….hey! Soapie—hey, Soapie! Sooooo-peeeee!”

Sophie merely held her book closer to her face. Did Chris have to barge in at a time like this? Maurice was about to leave his girlfriend for the nanny! Surely whatever Chris wanted wasn’t that important. Sophie pressed an index finger to her glasses and pushed them up her nose until they rested on the bump in the middle of it. She blinked so the words would move back into focus and let out a steady sigh when it was silent.

“Hey Soapie.”

Spoke too soon.

Sophie huffed and focused on Maurice’s words.  Then came the poking to her arm. The short yet consistent jab, jab, jab made her clench her jaw but still she tried to ignore him. She only had a few minutes before she had to take the cake out of the oven—the cake that he somehow convinced her to make.

“You’re a chef! Do something with that talent—make me a cake!” Chris had ordered over their ritual get-togethers at a little café in town. He took a coffee stirrer and attempted to suck whipped cream through the little hole while Sophie leered at him from across the table, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose. “Your special chocolate cake!”

“What’s the occasion?” Sophie had asked.

Chris shrugged and gave his goofy half smile that held many secrets.

Now, when she wanted a moment of peace after making his cake he wouldn’t leave her alone!

“Soapie, hey…hey!”

What could he possibly want?

“Soapie—pull my finger!”

“What?” Sophie shrieked, finally having had it. She memorized the page she was on and closed her book with a loud snap, turning her wide, hazel eyes to meet his brown ones. “You wanted my attention so you can ask to pull your finger?”

“No,” Chris laughed while revealing the ring that he had been hiding behind his back. “But I do want you to say ‘yes’ to marrying me.”