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Rob smoothed his hair again before reaching for Melissa’s doorbell.  He pulled his hand away to check the shine on his shoes one last time.

He ran his fingers under the knot of his tie again.  It was too tight but he couldn’t loosen it.  He didn’t know how to make a real tie knot so he’d made a simple double knot – way too tight.  It looked funny but it would have to do.

He looked at his flowers.  They were starting to wilt.  The ring was in his pocket.  He smoothed his hair, gulped and reached for the doorbell again.

This was going to be the hardest, most important moment of his life.  He had to get it right – for everyone’s sake.  His shaking finger pressed the button then traveled back to his hair to smooth it one last time.

“Robbie,”  Melissa frowned as she opened the door.  “Does your father know you’re here?”

“No. These are for you.”  He held up the wilting flowers.  “I borrowed them from Mrs. Baker’s garden on the way over.”

Melissa smiled.  “Robbie, they’re only borrowed if you plan to return them.”

“Oh… well… okay.”

The best thing to do was to get down to business.  He smoothed his hair back and dropped to one knee.

“I bought a ring, Melissa, from one of those machines at the shopping center.”  He held it up, searching her face for some sign of acceptance.  “I didn’t even take it out of its bubble yet. You can have it if you’ll marry me and Dad.”

Melissa’s face relaxed but she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but we’re never going to get back together.  Not after last week.”

“You love me, don’t you?’  Robbie felt more unsure of himself than ever.  If the flowers and the ring didn’t work he had nothing else to offer.

“Of course I love you, Robbie.  You’re the best little boy in the world.  Things didn’t work out between your father and me, that’s all.”

Just then the phone rang,  Robbie felt relieved for a chance to think up another argument.  He hadn’t realized this was going to be so hard.

“Hello, Bob…

Yes.  He’s here…”

Melissa sounded cold and businesslike.  Robbie smoothed his hair and listened.

“No he….

“No…

“LISTEN!  He just showed up at my door a few minutes ago…

“He must have walked…

“He came to propose…

“Yes, he’s brought a ring, flowers, the whole thing. He even put on a suit and tie.  You know how he ties it.  He looks like he’s choking…

“No, of course not,  he proposed for me to be his Mom.”

The longer she talked to his father, the more her voice softened.  Now she sounded like Melissa again.

“I’ll bring him back right away…

“Okay, but I don’t mind…

“Okay, We’ll wait here.”

Melissa hung up the phone and smiled down at Rob.

“You must be tired after such a long walk.   Let me help you get that tie off.  Your Dad’s coming to get you soon, but he’s got an errand to run first.

An hour later, Robbie was lying on the Melissa’s couch watching cartoons while she rubbed his feet.  An empty ice cream bowl sat on the coffee table in front of him.

Rob felt like crying when the doorbell rang.   It was Dad coming to get him.  Now he would have to say goodbye to Melissa forever.

His father swept into the room carrying a bouquet of roses.  His tie was in a double knot.

“So you didn’t have any luck?”  Dad was looking down at him and ignoring Melissa.  “Maybe we should both try.”

A smile spread over Rob’s face as he struggled back into his shoes.

“You don’t need a ring, Dad.  I brought one.”

“I’ve got one too.  Let’s get this over with.”

Bob and Rob dropped to their knees, and held out their rings.  Bob’s contained a real diamond.

“Melissa.” Bob said.  “I’m sorry abut last week.  I love you… WE love you.  Will you be our wife and mother?  Will you marry us?

Melissa smiled at the two earnest faces turned up at her.  Then she spoke to each in turn.

“Yes… Yes…”