TNT ... Chicago 16
1 Springtime in Chicago was entirely unpredictable. 2 A sneak peak of summer in the afternoon could be chased out of town by a derecho wind storm that would usher in a sudden frost by nightfall. 3 You could leave in the morning in a wind breaker, strip down to shorts for lunch, and be wishing you had a hat and gloves for the trip home -- all in the same day.
4 Angel had grown up in the city so he knew that to be the case. 5 He could afford to bide his time when it came to his plans, and to wait for the afternoon when the temperature slipped above 50 degrees for the first time. 6 He knew that by doing so, he'd have the whole city behind him.
7 Windows would be opening for the first time in months to take advantage of the opportunity to replace the stale air of Chicago winter with something a little more invigorating. 8 Strangers would be smiling, because everyone was friendly with everyone else when sharing in the communal experience of knowing that winter would almost be in the record books. 9 The city would be crackling with an energy that only came around but once a year -- with the promise of renewal and revival and rejuvenation on the breeze for all to experience.
10 On that day -- on *this* day -- he would revive his plans from New Year's that got disrupted by the emergency birthing that had happened in the back seat of his car being used that holiday night for the ride-share service. 11 Of course, he still had the ring. 12 He had hidden it in a safe place, far away from Sharlene's prying eyes.
13 He had intended to propose on New Year's Eve because that was her favorite holiday -- but he wasn't about to wait another whole year to pop the question. 14 By the next New Year's Eve, he was determined that they would celebrate as husband and wife. 15 Truth be told, if he had HIS way, they'd be at that future party with non-alcoholic beverages as he hoped she'd be pregnant by then.
16 There was just something about how it all went down with little Gabriella being born on his watch that had triggered something in him. 17 He wouldn't let the fact that the two of them lived paycheck to paycheck keep him from expanding their family.
18 But first things first. 19 Before the pregnancy would have to come the wedding. 20 And before the wedding would have to come the engagement. 21 And before the engagement would have to come the proposal. 22 Before the proposal would have to come the first day in Chicago above 50 degrees.
23 Angel grabbed his cell phone and looked at its homepage. 24 The time read 3:15pm. 25 The forecast was "sunny and breezy". 26 The temperature said 52 degrees.
27 He headed to the dining room table and yanked on each side, exposing the cavity in the middle that was the space where the leaf would go. 28 Luckily for him, they had had no guests since the holidays, and so his hiding place for the ring had gone undiscovered.
29 He grabbed the phone, the jacket and the ring and he headed out the door. 30 Springtime in Chicago was unpredictable and the temperature would most certainly fall when darkness arrived. 31 There was but a small window of time for the conditions to be just right, and it was his intention to make the most of it.
13 He had intended to propose on New Year's Eve because that was her favorite holiday -- but he wasn't about to wait another whole year to pop the question. 14 By the next New Year's Eve, he was determined that they would celebrate as husband and wife. 15 Truth be told, if he had HIS way, they'd be at that future party with non-alcoholic beverages as he hoped she'd be pregnant by then.
16 There was just something about how it all went down with little Gabriella being born on his watch that had triggered something in him. 17 He wouldn't let the fact that the two of them lived paycheck to paycheck keep him from expanding their family.
18 But first things first. 19 Before the pregnancy would have to come the wedding. 20 And before the wedding would have to come the engagement. 21 And before the engagement would have to come the proposal. 22 Before the proposal would have to come the first day in Chicago above 50 degrees.
23 Angel grabbed his cell phone and looked at its homepage. 24 The time read 3:15pm. 25 The forecast was "sunny and breezy". 26 The temperature said 52 degrees.
27 He headed to the dining room table and yanked on each side, exposing the cavity in the middle that was the space where the leaf would go. 28 Luckily for him, they had had no guests since the holidays, and so his hiding place for the ring had gone undiscovered.
29 He grabbed the phone, the jacket and the ring and he headed out the door. 30 Springtime in Chicago was unpredictable and the temperature would most certainly fall when darkness arrived. 31 There was but a small window of time for the conditions to be just right, and it was his intention to make the most of it.
