He brought his head up and replied, “Uh…no. Now if you keep talking about it I’ll take back my elaborate return greeting.”
He paused for a moment seemingly lost in his thoughts.
“Let’s just change the subject sweetie”. Then he smiled some and added, “By the way, Karen is going to eat with us tonight. Hope that’s alright. I mean I don’t want to make dinner too uncomfortable. But you’ve said that you like Karen so I didn’t think there would be a problem…”
Walt just stood there with a goofy smile and Lynn turned her head a bit and asked, “Why are you so happy?” Then she squealed and said, “Oh my God, you asked Karen to marry you, didn’t you?”
“How the hell did you get that out of me saying Karen was coming over for dinner?
She hugged him again and squeezed harder than ever, “Because of your big doofus grin. Besides it’s a woman thing. You wouldn’t understand it. So when did you ask her? Did she say yes? When’s the wedding? Did you pick out a ring yet?”
“Slow down will you. For now just save the date for the last weekend in September.”
“Oh dad…I’m so happy for you. What made you decide to go for it?”
Still smiling he replied, “She wore me down. Karen’s very convincing you know?”
Then he added, “I don’t have the right to be this happy punkin’.”
As she held on tight she said, “It’s been five years since the divorce, daddy. Let it go, just let it go. You have every right to feel this happy. Besides, I hear the second times a charm…”