Polly waited at the door, watching Howie and Cait walk up the driveway. When they reached her Polly was amused to see Cait nervously smoothing her black satin skirt and pale blue sweater, tucking strands of her long hair behind her ears, taking deep breaths in a last attempt to calm herself. Polly gave her a reassuring smile and opened the front door.
"Mom! Dad! We're home!" She called as she slipped her shoes off and set her purse on a hallway table.
"Howard!" A little dark haired woman with Howie's eyes hurried into the hallway and threw her arms around Howie.
"Mom!" Howie wrapped his arms around his mother, blinking back tears, but smiling ecstatically. Cait watched the display between mother and son with loving eyes. Her love for Howie had just grown even deeper, if that were possible. While she watched she felt, rather than saw, someone come into the room and stand next to her.
Howie pulled away from his mom and grinned. "Dad." The man standing beside Cait stepped forward and wrapped his youngest son in a strong embrace.
"So you're finally home, Howard."
"Yeah, I'm home." Howie smiled and stepped over to where Cait stood, taking her hand in his. "And I have someone I know you want to meet." He squeezed Cait's hand gently. "Mom, Dad, this is Caitlyn Scott. My Cait." Howie looked down at Cait, his feelings shining in his eyes.
"Cait. It's so good to meet you. Howard has hardly stopped talking about you since he met you." Howie's dad hugged her gently. "And he wasn't exaggerating when he said you were the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen."
Cait flushed. "Howie." She gave him a look.
"What?" Howie smiled and tried to look innocent. "It's the truth." Cait blushed harder.
"Now Howard, stop teasing." His mother admonished. "Cait, I'm so happy to finally meet the girl who captured my baby's heart." Howie's mother gave Cait a smile and clasped her in a warm hug.
"It's so good to meet you, too, Mrs. Dorough." Cait smiled. "And you, Mr. Dorough."
"Oh, please call us Paula and Hoke." Howie's mother insisted.
"Okay."
"Mom, Cait and I have some news for you." Howie said, waiting for a lull in the conversation. He pulled Cait's back against him and wrapped his arms around her. "We're getting married."
"Oh Howard!" Howie's mom hugged Howie and Cait, her eyes shining with delight.
"See, Mom." Howie held out Cait's hand so his mother could see the ring he'd given her.
"It's beautiful, Howard."
"Well, AJ helped me choose it." Howie admitted. "He's dating Cait's best friend, Anna, so I figured I could get some inside information on what Cait likes."
"Well, you boys have good taste." Hoke said, the smile on his face letting Howie know he didn't mean just the ring.
"Thanks Dad."
"Well, Polly, what do you think of your brother getting married?" Paula turned to her daughter, who had been watching the proceedings with a smile on her face.
"Oh, Howard already knows I think it's great." Polly grinned. "I already knew."
"You already knew." Hoke looked confused. "Howard?"
"Don't look at me, Dad. She figured it out on her own." Howie explained. "The only ones who knew were AJ, Brian, Nick, Kevin and Anna."
"It's true. I did figure it out myself." Polly looked at her parents. "I saw the way they were looking at each other, plus you couldn't miss that gorgeous ring when you're out it the sun."
"Well, John and Angie are coming for Sunday dinner." Paula changed the subject. "Are you going to tell them then?"
"Yeah, I will." Howie said, groaning slightly. "John's going to tease me, you know that, right?"
"Of course. He wouldn't be your brother if he didn't." Hoke laughed.
"You should phone Jerry and tell him, too." Paula said, referring to her son-in-law, who had been married to Caroline. "Elizabeth and JD will be excited."
"I'll do that tomorrow. Right now I am almost too exhausted to eat." Howie sighed.
"Almost?" Polly quirked her eye brow at her younger brother.
"Well, I'm never completely too tired to eat Mom's home cooking." Howie grinned. "Only almost."
"Then come to the kitchen. Your mother's been cooking all day because you were coming home." Howie's father chuckled.
"Woohoo." Howie grinned, pulling Cait towards the kitchen, leaving his parents and Polly in the hallway.
Polly grinned at her parents. "No doubt about it, they are head over heels in love."
"Our little boy is getting married." Paula sighed happily, her eyes tearing up slightly.
