How about another one instead?

"I can't believe she did that" Fernando said.

"I know" Iris answered. "I thought she was so nice!"

"What if it was him, though?" Carmen said.

"What do you mean?" Fernando asked.

"What if something Jimmy did made it happen?" she suggested.

"Like what?" Iris asked.

"Well, he did push the marriage forward. What if she was't happy with it?" your girlfriend offered.

"Then she should have told him" Iris said, "you don't do what she did."

"I suppose not" Carmen agreed, "but it is what it is. He didn't want to see her again and she doesn't get married."

Fernando grinned. "Guess you're next in line, huh?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Carmen asked of her father.

"Unless Luci comes home with a boyfriend, you and John are the couple in the family most likely to get married" he teased. Carmen looked at you and smiled.

"What do you say?" she asked.

"Well, I wasn't planning on it, but.." you said, getting up then sitting on one knee in front of your girlfriend. "Carmen Dodson, I know it's only been about half a year, but I know you well enough to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” you told her.

Iris gasped, hands clasped in front of her mouth. Fernando gaped at you. Luciana, from the other room, started coughing.

"Luci, are you okay?" Iris asked.

"I'm okay mom" the teen replied, "coffee refused to go down."

"Well, you better come out here, honey. John is proposing!" Fernando said.

With that intermezzo out of the way, you looked up at Carmen.

"Yes! Of course! Oh God, yes!" Carmen said, taking your hands and smiling broadly. She stood up and pulled you to your feet, kissing you hard on the lips as she embraced you. Grinning at you, she spoke between giggles: "Oh, the girls are going to be SO jealous."

Iris and Fernando joined you and congratulated the both of you, looking very happy. When Luci joined you, she looked less than happy but you put that down to her almost **** on her drink. She congratulated you too then left the room.

Afterwards, you went to the jewelry store while Carmen was texting her friends. She laughed out loud as she read the replies to you:

"I didn't even get to go on a date with him, this is bullshit!" she said. "That was Debbie."

"Dammit! Too slow again! Must be my giant tits" she continued.

"Aria?" you asked.

"Well, it certainly wasn't Julia" Carmen said with a grin. "By the way, she told me to tell you 'You better treat her right, or I'll be waiting.' So there's that, at least."

"I didn't want Julia. I wanted you" you told her as you took a right and ended up where you were going. You parked the car and got out, after which Carmen hooked your arm through yours.

After buying her a ring, Carmen insisted the two of you go to your house to show off her engagement ring. And give your family the good news, of course. But mostly the ring. You smiled and nodded, speeding off towards home. At that point Carmen finally had time to read Rose's text:

"I am so sad now. Pouty face. I am going to write bad poetry. Winky face. Congrats, you two. Smiley face" Carmen said.

"At least she's happy for us" you said, chuckling.

"The others are too, they just wish it had been them. Well, Rose and Julia do. I'm pretty sure, even now, all Aria and Debbie ever wanted was to get fucked" Carmen replied.

"Never say never" you teased.

"Oh, you just got your hooks in me and now you think you can just get a threesome going with me and one of my best friends?" she asked.

"Well, this all happened because you had me put my cock into a glory hole" you pointed out.

"Dammit, you're right" Carmen said. "So much for the moral high ground."

You laughed and put a hand on her knee. "Don't worry about it. For now, at least, all I need is your hot body."

"For now? Geez, thanks a lot" Carmen replied with a grin.

"Hi mom" you said, hugging her.

"Hi honey. Hi Carmen" she said, hugging first you then your girlfriend. "How is my favourite son's girlfriend?"

"That's what we came to talk to you about. That's not really the correct term any more" Carmen said. Confused your mom looked from your girl to you then back at Carmen.

"What do you mean?" she asked. In reply, Carmen held up her hand with a big smile. "Is that..?" your mom said.

"It is" Carmen confirmed. "An engagement ring."

"Oh, honey, congratulations!" your mom exclaimed, hugging Carmen tight and then you.

"What's all this ruckus about?" Dawn asked as she came into the room.

"John asked Carmen to marry him. She said yes" your mom said with a gigantic smile that seemed to brighten up the entire room.

"Oh my God!" Dawn said, running over to hug you tight. "Congratulations!" she said before going over to Carmen, hugging her too. "I knew this would happen, you know."

"Smartass" you said with a laugh, kissing the top of her head as she came back to hug you.