Sophie was more nervous than the day she revealed to Ryan that bickering was a shield for her affections. Sophie cascaded into love with the woman she was about to propose to. If you asked the Commissioner, she would tell you that Ryan was the romantic one. Beneath the cowl that protected the city of Gotham was a woman who made every moment empyrean. There was something knowing about walking into a silent room and being hit by the sound waves of another person’s heart. She enlisted Jordan and Jada to execute the perfect plan— a team bonding Muy Thai session for all the executives at Jet Industries was currently entering its final fifteen minutes. Jada hired the best wedding planner in America to decorate the backyard.
Her future mother-in-law asked Sophie what her vision was, “I don’t know. I want her to float. I don’t want to feel extravagant or even unexpected. I want it to feel exactly like who we are each day but with a little bit of romance. If I could make the outside look like my electromagnetic radiation… that’s what I want.”
Jada and Jordan had delivered on their end. It was now up to Sophie. She paced the backyard, manically checking the time often. She didn’t want a moment out of place. It was timed to perfection. It could be said her brain was doing too much. Temporarily broken out of her spiral, she checks her phone.
Jordan: Ryan is on her way. Take a shot and a few deep breaths. Do not fuck this up.
Sophie: Real encouraging, Sis
Jordan: There’s no benefit to switching up on you now. Ryan loves you. You could hide a ring in a dollar store donut and she would think it’s the most romantic thing ever
Sophie: Provided she doesn’t choke biting into the donut
Jordan: The point?
Sophie: Right. I get it. Now I gotta go.
Jordan: don’t fuck it up. Meditate on that.
As she set the phone aside, a gentle huff and the sound of fur flopping at her feet release some tension, and a smile bundled across her face, “Judah, do you think we’re ready for this?” The chocolate labrador’s paw is flush with his Mama’s right foot. Sophie is shoeless. There was something about foot and soil that brought Sophie calm. It would be considered out of character for a woman who cleaned, religiously. Ryan ensured that their backyard had a perfect grassy area for Sophie. They connected on the energizing nature of the earth. It also spoke to the ways in which Sophie wanted this moment to feel like coming home.
“You have the most important part. Don’t mess it up. Who am I kidding? The only person here who could ruin this moment is me.” She leaned down and kissed Judah’s temple, “she’s going to be here soon. How do I look?” Sophie posed for their furbaby. In the theme of home that anchored this proposal, Sophie was dressed in a beige jogger set. Judah was wearing a matching collar for the occasion. Their security system chimed each time a door to enter the home had been opened, “Mama’s here. Let’s get in position.” Sophie had sent Ryan an earlier message to say she would be at the back when she came home. It wasn’t out of the ordinary; this was Gotham. It was important to know exactly where your partner would be at all times.
When Ryan shifted the curtain that open the sliding door, she gasps. Her feet were frozen in place. The shorter woman felt an excited anxiety about what was about to happen. Sophie stood with two champagne flutes halfway between the patio and their yard. On any other evening, they would be seated at the patio table flanked by the oasis Ryan had dutifully created for them. After willing herself to move, Ryan opened the door and stepped into, “My love. This is the story of us,” The backyard had been transformed into stations of memories from their relationship— not simply the part where they were in love but the moments that shifted them together and separately.
“Soph–, baby, what’s going on?” Sophie stepped forward and laced her hand with Ryan’s, “I have something I need to say to you but every time I try to put the sentences together they didn’t quite sound the way you make me feel.”
“My love,” Ryan brought their joined hands to lips, softly peppering her lover’s hand with comforting lips, “you show and tell so much even when you’re not saying anything.”
“I know but– let me. Come,” She took Ryan’s hand and proceeded to walk through time with her. Nestled to the right was the interrogation room– the place they first met- a coffee mug, a box of Crispy Joe’s wontons. Ryan’s laughter billowed through the air.
“Not even an enemies to lovers, eh?” Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Who knows where and when the love of your life might find you?” Sophie leaned down and kissed Ryan’s temple.
“True. You haven’t screwed up my coffee order since,” Sophie walked them over to the berry patch in the corner. They planted it together. There was a cluemaster card hanging from one of the branches.
“Oh no, do I have to guess?” Ryan looked at Sophie with the eyes that have disarmed her a thousand times. She cupped the shorter woman’s cheeks, lowering to meet her lips, speaking just before closing the final gap, “no guesses tonight my love just memories.” They moaned into each other before Sophie pulled back. “Turn the card around.” On the other side was a photo of Sophie with braids from the night Ryan blew Sophie’s cover trying to infiltrate False Face’s gang.
“Inextricably linked?” were the words she shared as she held the card in her hand. As they walked through moments in their life, Ryan was eager to get to what seemed to be a large art piece towards the back fence. Even though it was covered, Ryan couldn’t stop her mind from wondering what was there.
“Is that?”
“A replica of the bar counter of The Hold Up? Yes. Sitting on top of the replica bar counter was a glass of whiskey neat, Batwoman’s cowl, a mini-replica of Ryan’s van, and a potted desert rose. Ryan fell back into Sophie, a love fall if you will.
“Falling for me again?” Sophie teased.
“Sophie Moore, loving you is like floating. I am in our backyard floating on memories of moments I never expected would lead us here. A place where things are ours. A moment that is us,” Ryan didn’t seek permission. She demanded her lover’s lips by pulling the taller woman into her, “I love you,” she whispered into their kiss, “the desert rose?” she asked with an undertone of grief. It was her Mama’s. This wasn’t that plant.
“I would have wanted nothing more for Cora to be here. I know you didn’t make that decision lightly. I wanted to rewrite that. With Coryana now safe and the desert rose is thriving again, a friend called in a favour. You should look at the bottom of the flower pot.” It was an exact replica of the original flower pot. If not for the desert rose itself growing in a different pattern, one could easily assume it was the same plant.
There was a note at the bottom, “for the woman who loved her the most first.” - Jada
She could feel the tears but she didn’t want them. This would be a tear-free moment. Sophie entered Ryan’s space, wrapping her arms around her soon-to-be fiance’s waist. She leaned into the Commissioner, “so what’s under that,” cheekily shifting the mood.
“So impatient, my love.”
“And you still love me now… don’t keep me waiting.”
“Aht aht! I am still in charge,” Sophie whistled and called for Judah. He dutifully sat beside the frame. They had rehearsed this moment for weeks. Sophie was certain Ryan could hear her heartbeat.
“Judah, you’re a part of this too. I bet your Auntie Jordan was too.”
“I do the interrogating around here.” Sophie stepped behind the giant sheet and pulled it down in a fast and smooth motion.
Ryan gasped loudly. “Ryan Wilder, I knew then what I absolutely know now,” the tears couldn’t be held back any longer as Ryan looked at the oil painting of the moment they celebrated officially becoming a thing. Ryan and Sophie went to The Hold Up. After a few drinks and a lot of dancing, Sophie stepped away to the sound booth and whispered, “does the DJ take requests?” The moment the song played was unexpectedly captured and posted on The Hold Up’s Instagram page. It was Ryan leaning into Sophie’s chest, her eyes closed, her smile peaceful, Sophie kissing the crown of her head as Somi’s Ginger Me Slowly stitched their beginning together. The canvas painted was draped with replicas of Poison Ivy's vines and pepper lights. It was propped up by a stand that was modeled in the fashion of the cabin: the backdrop of their first kiss. The realisation of the synergy of all these moments led to a small chuckle, “so you like it?”
“Sophie Moore is that even a question? You can ask me but you already know my answer,” Sophie took that as the moment to queue Judah into action. As she turned to look at him, he sensed something and went running at the fence.
She called out to him, “Judah, back boy, back!” He ran to the furthest end of the fence and was ferociously growling and digging. Sophie and Ryan ran over to see what was wrong as Judah let out a whimper it happened. The family of three was collectively skunked. Sophie was deflated.
“Judah, you had one job,” Ryan looked at Judah’s collar. His name tag had been replaced with a ring. Sitting there smelling like rotting onions and burned plastic Ryan chuckled as she reached across to wipe the tear from her lover’s despondent face.
“Given our history, this is smelly perfection.”
“Is it?” Sophie huffed.
“You plotted each moment to the minute. The to-do lists that keep you grounded. I love your to-do list and the way life always reminds you that moments can’t be planned. I love your instant disappointment when things shift just a millimeter left of your plan. You told me the story of us. So, I hate to break it to your stinky face, but you do have the words. So, can you ask me now because I am really looking forward to my part?” Judah started rubbing his face on Sophie’s jogger pants.
The woman hung her head, covering her face with her palm. They were all sitting on the grass, the culprit was long gone. Ryan gently opened Sophie’s hands, “I’m waiting.”
The former Crow took a conciliatory breath, “Ryan, will you–,” She cut her off.
“Yes. Every day, yes,” she took Sophie’s into hers, snarled at their stinky ringbearer, “Alexa play ginger me slowly.” Sophie collapsed into Ryan as they affirmed their smelly family of three.