"Come in, Marcella," Tony opened the door for her.
He usually throws his keys on the cabinet in the foyer. He took some effort to hang it on the key holder. He cannot act like an uncultured swine in front of her.
He looked at the floor in the space between the threshold of the door. His heart started to pound. It was an odd feeling; excitement and joy.
This was the first time she steps into his house.
A little more than a decade ago, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and it was a big deal. Everyone noticed that he put his left foot first.
He wondered why the foot he used was significant. Why make a big deal about that?
He was watching the moon landing in Don DeAngelo's house back then. His grandmother couldn't afford a TV so he watched television in Don DeAngelo's house, with Marcella, of course. They celebrated as he planted the flag.
He personally didn't feel that it was anything to do with him. But everyone else was excited as if they themselves stepped on the moon with Armstrong.
Seeing the pale legs wearing Mary Jane shoes crossing the threshold of his door and stepping inside his house for the first time…
Right foot.
She put her right foot inside his house first.
He noticed it. And he had a feeling that he won't forget that she put her right foot first for the rest of his life.
This was just a small step. But it was not a giant leap for mankind. It was his treasured moment. A moment that he would never forget till the moment he breaths last.
It is amazing how much something that could be considered insignificant for one, might mean the world to another just because they care.
Ah… her pretty foot…
He wanted to mark that place with… something. He wanted to kiss the floor she was standing if she allowed him.
He still couldn't believe she asked him what he wanted all his life.
She asked me to marry her!
He wanted to jump in glee.
Ah, right! Can't make her wait. Need to move.
"Make yourself at home. I'll be back in a minute," he said and walked to his study.
He needs to find something.
Marcella nodded. She clutched her skirt for courage as she took a walk. He might have been polite when he asked her to make herself at home, but she took it literally. She was curious.
The kitchen was small but he had made the best use of it. Although he said he doesn't get time to cook, he had all the necessities to cook a good meal. His top-tier refrigerator had stacks of beer but no vegetables or meat.
He was not lying when he said he doesn't have the time to cook…
She walked to the living room. There was a television cabinet. On it were some pictures. She heard him shuffling through something in the room. Out of curiosity, she looked at the pictures. They all had a thin film of dust on them.
He mustn't have much time to clean, it seems.
He had a picture of his grandmother at the front. It was the only silver frame. She knew he loved his grandmother a lot. She was his only family.
Cynthia Crawford, Tony's grandmother was standing by a lavishly decorated Christmas tree. She looked closely as the background looked awfully familiar. That photo frame with her baby picture on the mantle… It was her house!
She didn't know why her lips curved into a smile. Maybe the bright smile of Cynthia was contagious even through the photograph. She was an amazing woman.
The next picture was him in a graduation gown holding his law degree. He graduated from an Ivy League university. The smile on his face was beautiful.
There were other small frames. One frame had Tony's picture with her father when he was in middle school. Her father had a proud smile as he was patting Tony's back. Her father was always proud of how great Tony was in his studies.
Behind all these frames was another frame. It was facing the wall and it was relatively cleaner than the other frames.
He must have picked up this frame recently…
Getting more curious, Marcella picked up that photo frame. It was a simple 4"x 6" photo frame. She turned the frame. Seeing the picture, her heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't hear him shuffling through stuff anymore. She replaced the frame just as she found it and took a seat. She patted her chest to calm her heart which threatened to jump out of her chest cavity.
He still has our prom picture!
Her eyes ended up on the picture frames once more. She patted her cheeks. If he still has their prom picture on display, does that mean that he does not bring women home? He's not dating anyone?
A pang of guilt hit her. She doesn't know anything about his private life and yet she asked something so big of him. She distracted herself with the couch. It was very comfortable to sit.
Wow! This couch is made of real leather! Just how rich is he?
Marcella was used to luxury. She was a princess back in her home. Her mother loved to spend money on fashion and on everything couture. They had the latest stuff in their home.
But for the past ten years, she was devoid of any luxury. She barely managed her expenses. The life of luxury she used to lead back then felt like a distant dream for her right now.
She looked around. Tony didn't have much stuff but most of them were expensive. She knew because she makes it her pastime to read fashion magazines and home improvement magazines. She knew the latest trend.
She bowed her head and took in a deep breath. If Aiden was here, he would have told her that she asked Tony to marry her because he was rich. Will Tony think the same too?
She might have been the most selfish person on the planet. She imposed such a heavy burden on Tony who just wanted to help her.
She is no match for Tony.
"Found everything. Let's go. We have to get there…" Tony paused seeing Marcella looking down.
"Tony," Marcella stood up. "I want to be honest with you. Do you want to know why I asked you for the marriage?" she asked.
Taking advantage of Tony's kindness is too much of a burden for her to bear. She wanted to come clean.