From the time that he had laid eyes on her, he knew that somehow, someway, they'd be together. They'd struck a fast friendship when she came to visit the frat, first with her brothers, then with her husband. It killed him that she was married to Dirk the Jerk. She was everything Dirk wasn't. He feigned happiness for them. Really, what more could he do?

So when rumor started to go around about Dirk leaving her, he worried about her a lot. So, he decides that he's going to cheer her up the only way he knows how.

A large box had been delivered to the house in the Hamptons for her. Inside was a note.

"Noelle,

I thought this might cheer you up. I'll come see you when I can get away.

Your friend,

Doug"

And in the box...

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/dscn2019.jpg

Noelle had suddenly, and unexpectedly shown up in the Pi compound not long after he had send the last gift. After the radio show, he had made a bee line to the indoor pool area. That's where everybody seemed to gather these days. And if there was any news of the frat, it was bound to be heard there.

The bros told him that she was staying with Chloe in the guest house. That's all it took for him to beat feet straight away. When she answered the door he embraced her tightly and spun her around. They talked all afternoon and into the night. Just two friends catching up. They talked about the twins, the radio show, and other different little things.

During a movie, Doug had fallen asleep on the couch. He woke up the next morning with a kink in his neck for his trouble and his clothes were a wrinkled mess. He fixed a quick breakfast before heading out to the show.

So when Noelle woke that morning, yet another note, this time on the bedside table.

"Good morning Noelle. I had to go do the show. I'll be back soon.

Love,

Doug"

The note was sitting on top of this:

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/BREAKFAST_TRAY.jpg

He had been to see her every day since she came back to the compound. So when things got a little hairy between her and Dirk, Doug decides she needs a little time away to relieve the stress. He had reserved and paid for a day for her at the local spa.

Doug had also been sleeping on the couch at the guest house every night as well. The routine had been to get the twins down for the night and then sit and snuggle on the couch with a movie. And wouldn't you know it, he fell asleep on the couch each time.

Sitting on the bedside table when she woke was a note and an envelope.

"Noelle,

I thought you might like a day of pampering and spoiling. Gods knows, after all the crap lately, you deserve it. I'll be back soon and will take care of the little ones so you can have a good time.

Love,

Doug"

And in the envelope was the pamphlet and reservation for the spa.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/RJ2XRKMXLWFBU8S32J4D_L.gif

(The rest of that day was played out in the Random Short Stories thread)

A few weeks later, the alarm goes off, jolting Doug awake. Groaning, he sits up and wipes his face with his hands. "Ok ok, I get it..." and he smacks the alarm clock off. Laying back down, he curls his arms around Noelle and kisses her softly. He didn't want to wake her. Neither of them had much sleep the night before.

As he showers up he thinks about the night before. It had been bad, very bad. Her mother had called while they were grilling steaks out and told Noelle that she wanted her to come home. When Noelle told her that she was going to stay and was with Doug, her mother threw a fit. "Doug's just a baby, he can't even take care of himself. How can he take care of you and two babies?" Noelle finally relented and agreed. Joel would be there by morning to pick her up.

They spent a long while just sitting on the couch, holding each other. Neither of them wanted the night to end, or what the morning would bring. Being young and impulsive, Doug had grabbed some twine, then went down on his knee, asking her to marry him. It was the only way he could think of that would keep them from being separated. And Noelle surprisingly agreed. He wrapped the twine around her finger. It wasn't much, but all they had at the time.

They'd lied to Dirk about why they were wanting to go out. He came down to watch the little ones while Noelle and Doug left the house. Dirk was being surprisingly good about her and Doug being together. Of course, how could he complain?

They'd found a jewelry store and bought the rings, then a local minister who said he'd be happy to perform the simple ceremony. The minister's own wife standing as witness to the marriage of Doug and Noelle.

The marriage had been consummated and there was no turning back. Not that either of them wanted to.

So he had woken up and taken a shower. Leaving a note by the bedside table and a small box that he had bought when they bought the rings.

"Mrs. Heuser,

Here is a keepsake box for all of our little memories. Inside is the receipt for the rings and the minister. Hopefully we'll need a bigger box soon.

I love you,

Doug"

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/97-1137_li.jpg

He had gone out for the morning and it proved to be a very busy day. After the show he had went to the store to pick up a few things. While inside he had been harassed by an older woman who had tried to sell him some tuna from a can. 'Just mix it up with a little mayonnaise and you've got tuna salad!" she kept saying. He finally got away from her to make his purchases.

When he got out to the car with his bag of stuff, he notices that the car's rear end is completely smashed in. Worse than that, nobody was around. No note, no nothing. Somebody must have been driving around in a car that looked beat to hell because his wasn't drivable at all. The rear fender on both sides were cutting into the rear tires. "Ah great!" he moans and pulls out his cell to call the house for a tow.

He goes back inside to grab something to drink when something catches his eyes. "Noelle..." he whispers and out of the jewelry case it came. He makes the purchase and by that time the guy had showed up with the tow truck. "Thanks man." he nods as he climbs into the cab of the tow truck. Back home they go.

He comes into the house and explains all of this to Noelle. Then he takes the small box out of the bag and holds it out to her.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/prdm_fz29155-084-2.jpg

"Better late than never. Happy anniversary, Noelle. It's been two months since you said you loved me."