The engagement

On Christmas Eve, I was very sleepy. I knew I didn't have to get up for hours, so there was no reason to get out of bed.

Albie kept checking in on me, waking me up and then apologizing for it. I fell back asleep.

Around 1 p.m., he finally came in and sat down next to my side of the bed and said, "the kitties want to ask you something."

"Yeah sure," I mumbled, while pulling my comforter and two blankets up to my chin and rolling over.

I was sure it had to do with breakfast, since Pip and Sophie usually don't get fed until I get out of bed in the "morning."

"Hold on," Albie said. "I'll go get them."

I fell back asleep again, then I woke up when Albie, carrying both cats, came up to the bed and kneeled down by my side. I noticed Sophie was wearing a pink bow - it was nice to see her "dressed up for Christmas."

"The kitties would like to know..." Albie started, while both kitties stared me straight in the face, "...they would like to know if you want to make our family arrangement more official."

"Yes," I said immediately, still not really understanding what was happening. We had already talked about this. He knew I wasn't going to say no if he proposed.

I reached out my left hand to scratch Pip behind the ears, and I noticed he was also wearing something around his neck. It was black yarn. Then I felt the ring attached to the yarn. I touched Sophie again, and she was also wearing a ring tied onto her bow - my grandmother and step-grandfather's engagement rings.

"Oh," I said, then I started laughing. "I get it now."

As we kissed, Albie put the kitties down. It wasn't until a few seconds later we realized we still had to retrieve the rings, now being carried around the house by four-legged critters not too eager to slow down...