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Sam showed me to a booth and sat as my eyes started to run with tears.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened?" He asked with some genuine concern in his voice. I hiccupped and tried to form the words but nothing came out. "It's alright, you don't have to talk." He placed his hand on my back to comfort me more and through my blurry vision I could see him mouth something to Lora who had just come out of the back, head cocked, wondering what was going on. The wolf moved around the corner and flipped the open sign to closed.

"Is he alright? What happened?"

I could hear Sam reply. "I don't exactly know, but I think it has something to do with Akira."

"Oh." Her voice took a sudden drop. "I'll be right back."

Through one eye I saw her race back to behind the counter and move about making a drink.

My sobs filled the shop as well as the rain that pattered on the windows. My hands played with the little box that I still held, opining and shutting it to hear the loud CLAP it made.

"Did you propose?"

The question suddenly stopped my tears but didn't stop the feeling, I still wanted to bawl my eyes out but nothing came. All I did was shake my head.

"Then what's in the box?" His questions seemed obvious but who am I to judge? I pushed it toward him and he opened it with me looking the other direction. I heard the little squeak that was made when you open it followed by him take a sudden breath and holding it.

"Ethan...this....this....this ring!"

The first thing close to words came to my mouth, "uggh."

"It's....it's....it's absolutely incredible! How did you manage to afford this?" He paused to gawk some more. "Lora, look at this!" I heard rustling and someone walking followed by an exclamation.

"It's not as pretty as it seems." I said with a monotone voice.

They were both surprised by the words and I sat up, "It's just a ring." Sam closed it with a CLAP and handed it off to me. "Did she say no?"

My mouth opened but no words came out and my head shook. "O...O...I...I...I didn't get a chance."

"No?"

"Mmhmm, no. She told me that...that she'd come to break up with me."

Lora sat on the opposite side of the booth and handed me a cup. Her paw brushed with mine sending shivers down my spine just like whenever I touched Akira's fur. The cup was warm and felt as though I had to wrap both my hands around it, even if I didn't take a drink.

"It's hot-chocolate." She said pulling back. "I know it seems a bit weird to have some in June, but the weather seems to have turned on us."

She chuckled a bit forcing her muzzle to show a slight smile and a fang, just like Akira does. The memories that it brought wanted me to plunge back into the sobbing state but I held it back.

"What happened between you two?" Sam asked again, this time expecting an answer.

My shoulders shrugged and I blew a sigh. "I don't know. I told her to meet me at the city park; I was going to propose under that big tree there." They both nodded, knowing the one. "I had set up a nice picnic and had the ring in my pocket. But once she got there she seemed.....different." My hand stretched from the cup for the box and played with it. As if creating a visual for the turmoil that my head was in. "She just came to me a....a...and said I was a hypocrite."

Sam and Lora stole a glance at each other and then focused back on me. "A hypocrite? Why?"

I brought the cup to my lips and took a quick sip. "I...I don't know. She said that she heard from one of her friends that they saw me with another girl, but that's just a misunderstanding, she was helping me design the ring. She also complained that I had canceled all of our planned dates for the past three weeks and didn't even give me time to explain that I was designing the ring, planning, and getting permission from her parents. It took quite a bit of time."

Sam nodded the entire time giving slight "mmhmms" every now and then.

"Then she said I never said 'I love you' to her."

The room went quiet as Sam and Lora thought I was going to continue.

"W...well have you?"

My heart sank and my eyes drooped to the table, "no, I haven't."

"Well why the hell not!"

The outburst caught me by surprise, not expecting that type of language in this moment.

"Well, my father never said it to anyone until he knew he was going to merry them and they're still together. I wanted to do the same thing. I decided a long time ago to wait until I proposed."

"Well that's just stupid."

My face turned sour, "No it's not! I wanted to know!"

Sam put his arms on my shoulders. "Son, when did you know you wanted to marry Akira."

My eyes moved around as I tried to recall the time, "I guess it was a month after we were dating. I still felt like I did around her as I did when we first met. I wanted to spend my life with her."

Lora butted in. "That's love honey. You still have that feeling?" I gave a feeble nod toward the wolf. "You picked the right choice, even though it's human and furry. People are going to give you plenty of strange looks but it's worth it." The two stared at each other. "And the law may not like it, but they're ways around it, we found one." She gave a loving sigh, "It's totally worth it."

My head fell back and I put the cup back on the table. "It's too late though, I blew it. She's gone."

Lora leaned in and with her paw brought my face down so her muzzle was less than an inch away. "What did she say before she left?"

"uhhhh." I said thinking. "She said, 'see you around.'"

A big smile formed on her muzzle, "you've got a chance. She still loves you and she probably always will."

I didn't understand how she came to that conclusion. "Wh...how?"

Her finger hushed my mouth. "She said I'll see you around. She still wants to see you, she doesn't want it to really be over."

My heart rose a little bit as I heard the news, it wasn't over! But where would she be? "But she's gone by now."

A knock at the door made everybody's head turn, Sam stood up. "I'm sorry but we're closed...." His voice trailed off as he stole several quick glances at me. "You so sure about that?"

"Sam please let me in, I...I...I didn't know where to go."

My ears perked up, it was Akira! The man moved around the booth and opened the door for the fox. "I'm sorry. It's been a...hard day." She paused as if regretful.

Sam used his paw and stroked her arm. "Believe it or not, I know."

"Wha? How?" Her eyes scanned the room and found me sitting in a booth by the door. "oh."

I quickly pulled the box off the table and hid it between my legs. "It's you."

Sam moved into her line of sight. "Akira, he has something to say. Hear him out."

I took a quick stance, while Sam moved out of the way. There she was, the most beautiful fox in the world, the most beautiful female in the universe. Her fur was the perfect combination of style and beauty, I wanted to reach out and touch it but I had to restrain myself.

"W...what is it?"

I took a deep breath, here it goes. "Akira...I...I love you. I love you , I love you, I love you! Since the first day we met I've wanted to be with you a..a...and the past three weeks have all been just a miss understanding! I swear! I...I just wanted to wait until today to tell you."

She looked a little off balance, trying to keep her face. "Wh...why."

"Because, Akira I had to be sure."

Her stance began to loosen and her face became less hard. "Sure of what?"

It was now or never, now was the time for I Ethan the human, to propose to Akira the fox. My hand revealed the box and I took one knee staring deeply into her eyes. Her muzzle dropped as she realized what it was. One of my hands presented the box while the other slowly opened it.

"I had to be sure of what you would say. Akira, I love you, I'm sorry I waited this long. But, will you be my mate?"

Akira stood there for a couple of minutes while I held my breath and bit my lower lip waiting for the answer.

"Ethan...." She dropped to her knees and jumped on me locking her muzzle to my lips giving me a deep kiss, in between letting her voice out. "I'm sorry Ethan, I'm so sorry. I was blind."

She backed up. My eyes stared into her deep blue wintery eyes, they filled with tears. "I love you...I would love to be your mate."

Outside the rain began to soften up and the pitter patter of it on the window began to slow. The June sun started to shine through, illuminating us. She licked my nose and I smiled as the rough texture drew across my face. "When do you want the wedding?"

"Hmmmm." I said thinking aloud. "How about December?"