Ticketed

"Nothin'," Bruce said with a shit-eating grin. "What are you tellin' me?"

"Nothin'," Matt said with a smile that also said it all.

"Okay. Um...good to know," the sergeant replied. "I gotta admit Donna's pretty amazing."

"Yeah, she really is and you and DeeAnne seem to be um...getting along rather well, too."

"You could say that," was Bruce's vague reply.

"So is it getting serious?" Matt asked knowing he needed to get moving.

"You could say that," Bruce said still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Good to know," Matt said continuing to use vague language to avoid coming right out and saying 'we're sleeping together, too.'

Things were getting serious with Bruce and DeeAnne as they began spending nearly every available moment together.

Then again, Matt and Donna began doing the very same thing after that first night together. When they weren't able to be together they were on the phone or texting. Matt was having flowers delivered on a regular basis which started with a pretty floral bouquet that soon became a dozen red roses. That prompted Bruce to do the same thing and within a few days of that, the other women who worked with them wanted details.

"How is it we haven't even met these guys?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, maybe you two are sending flowers to each other for all we know?"

DeeAnne put her arm in Donna's and said, "So what if we are? Lesbians need love, too!"

That caused Donna to blush and everyone else to roar with laughter. Both of them promised to get their new boyfriends to make a personal appearance in the very-near future to satisfy their curiosity.

It was nearly a month later when Bruce and Matt told the 'girls' they were finally coming by at 6pm the following evening. The officers changed shifts at 5pm while the nurses stayed until 7 o'clock.

When the two of them showed up in uniform, every available female nurse on that floor gravitated toward the main desk to check out the men in blue.

DeeAnne almost ran into Bruce's arms who picked her up and swung her around as they kissed causing no small stir.

But the bigger surprise came when Nurse McPherson put her arms around the very young, very handsome younger officer who kissed her, too. There were even more noises and happy chatter among the other women when they saw just how young (and good looking) Donna's boy...friend was.

"Normally, I'd have to consider calling child protective services," the charge nurse, who was maybe 50 and rather...large, said. "But he is so handsome I'm thinking about having an orgasm right here on the spot!"

Donna just covered her face with her hands while everyone else roared with laughter. Even Matt couldn't help laughing as Donna endured the good-natured embarrassment.

Much to her relief, Bruce asked for everyone's attention which got everyone quiet very quickly.

"Matt and Donna may be the more...unusual couple," he began which brought some polite laughter.

He took DeeAnne's hand then turned to face her and grabbed the other. He was talking to everyone else but only looking at her. "I just want to tell this amazing, beautiful woman how much she means to me."

They all watched as DeeAnne smiled and drank in Bruce's words.

"In fact, I've thought a lot about this for a while now and I know how much all of you mean to her." He took a brief look around then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, white box.

"Oh, my God!" DeeAnne said as he began to get down on one knee.

"DeeAnne? I've never been in love before. Not until I met you anyway. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Honey? I love you with all my heart."

He opened the box then said, "Will you marry me?"

None of the other women were even breathing as they watched in total silence.

"Say something so we can take a breath!" the charge nurse said.

DeeAnne was blinking furiously and her hands were shaking like leaves when she began nodding her head before saying, "Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you!"

Bruce slipped the diamond onto her finger and as he stood up, everyone burst into applause as they hugged then kissed.

There were congratulations and hugs all around before things settled back down.

Matt noticed Donna's eyes were also filled with tears and he hoped they were tears of happiness. Ironically, he'd planned on telling Donna he loved her for the first time and now there was no way he could do that without sounding insincere or being a 'copycat.'

"I'm so happy for them," Donna said once everything returned to normal.

"Yeah. Me, too," Matt told him. Donna's eyes were still very wet and he was now sure there was something more going on.

"You okay?" he asked.

She wiped her eyes with a tissue she had in the front pocket of her scrubs.

"Oh, sure," she told him. "I'm just happy for DeeAnne. That's all."

As he stood there looking at her, Matt realized he not only loved her, but that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Perhaps it was a case of subliminal projection or whatever the term was, but he now knew for sure he didn't want to live without this beautiful woman in his life.

"Hey, I was thinking. How would you like to try going back to The Purple Cafe?"

"That sounds nice," she said forcing a smile.

"How about tomorrow night?" Matt suggested.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that," Donna said trying to get control of her emotions. She smiled bravely then said, "I promise not to be a...selfish little...girl this time if a former acquaintance sees me."

Matt smiled back then said, "I'll stop by around eight if that's okay?"

"Of course," she said finally recovered from the disappointment she was feeling. She hated herself for feeling that way, but Bruce had just done what she'd hoped for some time now that Matt would do.

After having blurted out 'I love you' that one time, she'd been careful never to say it again or drop any hints at all about what she really wanted from their relationship. She'd decided that it was unlikely she'd ever hear those three words let alone the four she even more desperately wanted to hear. And at 53, hearing them was probably more than she had any right to expect to hear from a man as young as Matt. Yet as she looked at him, her heart literally hurt from wanting to hear those words more than anything else in the world. Besides, what right did she have to expect more from someone who could have virtually any woman he wanted, especially those closer to his age? Still...

"So...I'll see you then, okay?" he told her.

"Oh, right. Yes, see you then," she said smiling the best smile she could.

Matt hadn't walked ten steps before the tears began to flow. She managed to stay silent until she heard the door close. After that, there was no stopping it. It had to come out. The heartache was more than she could bear as was the fact she could never share this with the man she'd fallen in love with. She made it to the nurse's lounge and was grateful to be there all alone as the tears began to fall and kept falling until she was emotionally drained.

Matt Jamison rarely brooded. He believed in taking action rather than swimming in a sea of emotions. And yet Bruce had so thoroughly and unexpectedly upstaged him, Matt wasn't quite sure how to proceed. Telling Donna how he felt seemed as though it would come across as an afterthought. An 'oh, by the way, I meant to tell you the same thing' sort of affair. It wouldn't seem genuine following so closely on the heels of his friend's declaration of love for Donna's friend and colleague. And yet Matt knew he loved her. Hell, he knew he was in love with her. He didn't care that they would almost certainly never be able to have children. Yes, he wanted them, but he wanted Donna even more and he wasn't sure he could live without her—children or no children.

For the rest of his tour of duty, he mulled over every option he could come up with and by the time he got home he was even more confused than he was when he left her home that morning. But just before he went to bed alone and back at his apartment, the answer hit him and when it did, Matt Jamison couldn't stop smiling until he fell asleep.

Donna was still feeling down the next morning but just as she'd decided to enjoy her relationship with Matt to the fullest, she now steeled herself for another dose of reality. She could love him and make love with him; she could probably even live with him. But marriage wasn't a realistic possibility and as much as it hurt her to have to accept that, accept it she must. She put on her game face as she headed out the door, five minutes late—again.

She'd stopped looking for Matt since that time he'd pulled up next to her. He had a job to do and chasing her around wasn't one of them. Perhaps that's why she was so startled when she saw the blue lights from a motorcycle cop flashing in her rearview mirror.

"What in God's name is he doing now?" she asked herself as she pulled over.

It was indeed Matt getting off his bike, but Donna also saw two other motorcycles pulling up behind him. And then there was a squad car. And then another. By the time Matt was standing next to her window, there had to be ten police vehicles in front, behind, or next to her car.

"Okay, what's going on?" she asked.

She already had her window rolled down and knew it was Matt. "You can't seriously be ticketing me again." She looked around and saw police officers all around her car then asked more seriously, "Can you?"

"No, you're not being ticketed," Matt said. "Can you please get out?"

"Matt, I'm going to be late," she said.

"I know. I already called the head nurse so no worries."

As Matt opened the door for her she said, "You did what?"

Matt led her to the sidewalk as all of the other officers gathered around.

"You're starting to scare me," Donna said until she noticed everyone was smiling.

"Donna? You'll notice this is the exact spot where you and I first met," Matt said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Um...yes. Yes, it is," she said her eyes shifting left then right.

"Well, I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now and I'd planned to do that before..." Bruce walked up and stood next to Matt and smiled as he told Donna good morning. "Before this guy stole my thunder at the hospital."

"Okay, now I'm really confused," she said. "And it's cold out here."

Matt took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders then said, "I've been wanting to tell you...I love you...for some time now, and I'd planned to say it the day Bruce proposed to DeeAnne. But after that it felt like it wouldn't be as meaningful, so I was going to say it tonight at The Purple Cafe."

"So you wanted to have all of your fellow police officers here when you told me?" she said now not noticing the cold nearly as bad now as her heart began to warm.

"No, I wouldn't have asked them to join us for that, although I do want you to know I love you very much," Matt said as he reached for her hands. "I'm also very much in love with you, too."

"I love you, too," she said suddenly feeling like she might start crying again but for a very different reason. "But why do you need..."

"These are my closest friends on the force, Donna. And I wanted them here to share something very important to me."

Bruce reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, fuzzy, blue box and handed it to Matt who took it then spoke to the woman he loved.

"Donna? I love you with all my heart. I never knew whether I'd find true love or how it might come, but somehow I found in you. And now, the thought of not having you in my life is the only thing that scares me, and I not only want you in my life, I want to share mine with you in every possible way."

Matt got down on one knee and opened the box. Donna knew what was going on from the moment she saw Bruce hand it to him, and that's when the emotional dam inside her burst again. She'd started crying as soon as she saw the box, and was now almost sobbing as her hands trembled and her entire body shook.

"Donna Allison McPherson, I love you more than anything on earth. I don't want to live without you, and I want us to spend the rest of lives together, so...will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?"

Donna could barely breathe let alone talk. She had tears and...other liquids streaming down her face and she looked like the most beautiful mess Matt had ever seen as she tried to wipe away some of the um...stuff with one hand while holding out the other. Somehow, she managed to get the word 'yes' out and as she did the small group of police officers along with a few curious pedestrians who'd stopped to watch began to applaud.

Matt stood up, and completely ignoring the snotty mess on her face, took her in his arms and kissed her.

"I love you, honey," he said as they embraced.

"I love you, too," she gurgled.

"Did I manage to surprise you?" he asked quietly.

"Maybe just a little bit," she choked out before laughing and slinging more snot around.

"Sorry!" she said when it hit his shirt.

"That's okay. Love is longsuffering," he said with a smile.

"Yes, it is," she agreed.

She didn't care who heard her as she told Matt, "I'd given up on this ever happening well, quite literally this morning."

She used her wrist to wipe away more tears then said, "I just knew you'd never propose and I was trying to make peace with that. So...to say you surprised me may be the biggest understatement of my life."

Matt smiled, nodded at Bruce, then said to Donna, "I couldn't let that guy upstage me."

Everyone laughed and applauded again as Donna gave Bruce a big hug, too.

"When did you find out about this?" she asked him.

"About an hour ago," he told her. "But I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Congratulations!"

They hugged again before Bruce said, "All right people! We got work to do so let's get to it!"

Everyone filed by and shook Matt's hand and either hugged or shook Donna's hand before leaving.

The newly-engaged couple was now all alone and looking into one another's eyes.

"I...I guess I should get to work, huh?" Donna said having finally cleaned up the mess on her face.

"Me, too," Matt told her.

"Are we still going to the Cafe tonight?" she asked.

"Unless you don't want to," he told her.

"I do," she said. "It's just that if...this...was the reason for going..."

"It was," Matt told her, "but now we're going to celebrate our engagement."

Donna held out her hand and looked at the diamond ring and felt herself about to cry again.

"That was my grandmother's ring," he told her. "I didn't have time to buy you your own because I couldn't wait another day to ask you. But I promise you'll have..."

"No. No, this...this is perfect, sweetheart," she said still admiring it. "It's the one you proposed to me with and no other ring will ever have as much meaning to me."

Donna didn't care or even notice it was nowhere near the size of the ring she'd worn the last 15 years of her marriage. All that mattered were the feelings behind it and the man who gave it to her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"As sure as I am I love you," she told him. "And I'm absolutely certain about that."

They stood there and held one another for nearly a minute as the traffic whizzed by.

Donna finally pulled back then as she looked at Matt said, "I can't ever remember being happier in my entire life."

"Wow. That's a long time!" he teased.

"If I didn't love you so much, I'd punch you!" she told him trying not to start crying again.

"I'd love you just as much if you did," he assured her with a smile.

"I wish I didn't have to go," Donna told him.

"Same here," he said.

"Oh, you're gonna need this," she said as she gave him back his jacket.

He saw her admiring her new ring again and smiled. She looked up and smiled back before he led her back to her car and opened her door.

He closed it then said, "Ma'am? Please slow down. I clocked you doing 15 over the limit."

"You did not!" she said with a pout.

"Actually I did. I could write you another ticket right now," he told her with mock seriousness.

"Well, if that ticket could bring me this much happiness, I'd beg you to write it," she told him unable to stop smiling.

Matt bent down and kissed her goodbye and told her again how much he loved her before stopping traffic to let her pull back into the flow.

He waved at her and saw her raise her hand as she drove off.

That night they decided a date and four months later they sealed their love by promising to love, honor, and cherish the other until death do they part and the biggest surprise of their lives came a month later when she told him that against all odds, she was pregnant.

*****

"Dad, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Well, I wanted to wait until you were old enough to appreciate it," he told his daughter. "Your mom would be very proud of you."

"I miss her so much," Charity Jamison said.

"Me, too. But you were our miracle baby, honey. You can't believe how surprised your mother and I were when we found out she was pregnant at 54. Then when you born and everything was fine, we both cried as she held you."

"I can't believe she's been gone for two years now, Dad," she said with sadness in her voice. "It just happened so fast. How does someone who never smoked get lung cancer?" Charity was old enough to understand that sometimes that did happen and there was no good explanation for it.

"I don't know, honey. But if people really do look down on us from heaven, she'll be there tonight watching you receive your diploma and she'll be there in September when you start school at the U Dub."

"I really want to be a nurse, too, Dad," Charity told him. "Just like my mom."

"She'd like that, honey. And she'd be so proud of you," he told her as he hugged her.

For the briefest of moments, Matt Jamison felt the only connection he could with his late wife as he held the miracle baby they'd created together not knowing how much time they'd have. Sixteen years wasn't long enough, but they'd lived and loved every day as though it might be their last until Donna took her last breath just over two years ago with her still-handsome husband and beautiful daughter by her side.

Matt knew he would always love her and although he would never see her again—at least not in his lifetime, he could still be reminded of the day he'd ticketed her for speeding every time he looked at the beautiful girl they'd created; a day that had changed his life forever in the best possible way.