Atticus was nervous, and this made you nervous in turn. What was wrong? Did it have to do with you? Work? Family? Whatever it was, he wasn't talking.
"(Y/n)?" he asked, taking your trembling hand in his. "Are you alright?"
"Are you?" you asked.
He sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Never mind that; you're shaking."
"I am?" you said, laughing anxiously.
"What is it?"
"You're nervous."
"Yes, so I am. What has that got to do with you, miss?" He rose from his seat next to you and began pacing.
"That makes me nervous, Atticus. You're not talking, and I..." you faltered.
"I don't know how to ask this," he muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Will you marry me?" he asked as he stopped pacing. …show more content…
You aren't that old, and how dare you say, 'hopefully'? I said 'yes', didn't I?"
"You did."
"You're not old, Atticus."
He took your hand in his and squeezed it softly. "I love you."
"I love you, too," you told him as he kissed your hand.
---
Your mother took it better than you had imagined she would, and Atticus's parents had already known. Alexandra, Atticus's older sister, took quite a liking to you and seemed certain that you would do well in carrying on the Finch family tree, for whenever she saw you she talked about children. Jack, of course, knew you already, and was happy for the both of you.
A few days later, after teaching and grading papers all day, you knocked on Atticus's door, and he answered, his jet-black hair untidy and his tie and jacket nowhere to be seen. "Are you alright?" you ask.
"Work," he mutters as he holds the door open wider. "Come in."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember that case I told you about a while ago? The Negro was found guilty? Hmm. I'm trying for the appeal..." He sighed.
"This town won't allow that—"
"Don't you think I know that?" he said exasperatedly. "I can try, though, can't I? I wasn't defending him, but..." he trailed …show more content…
"I also like Jean.... What if it's a boy?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I thought I'd name the girls and you'd name the boys."
"And I thought this relationship was a democracy," Atticus said and grinned. "If you really can't think of a boy's name.... Andrew? Travis?"
"Travis is a nice name...," you mused. "But how about Jeremy?"
"Jeremy. I think that's it, (y/n)."
He placed a hand on your stomach and stared at it for a moment before saying, "Y'know, I never thought I'd be a father."
"Really? I think you'll be fine, Atticus."
"That wasn't what I was saying, although I'm nervous about that requirement as well. I never thought I'd get married and have children, especially after I hit the age of thirty-five."
"I'm nervous, too, and I spend time around children all day. Older children, though... I've no idea how to take care of a baby."
"I think that will be the easy part; there isn't much you can mess up when they're that young. But when they're older.... How are we supposed to teach them how to be decent people?"
"Set an example?" you suggested. "When they ask questions, answer them. I get complaints from parents all the time; they try to shelter their children and then I give them the answers their children want but aren't given. Let's not be those
"(Y/n)?" he asked, taking your trembling hand in his. "Are you alright?"
"Are you?" you asked.
He sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Never mind that; you're shaking."
"I am?" you said, laughing anxiously.
"What is it?"
"You're nervous."
"Yes, so I am. What has that got to do with you, miss?" He rose from his seat next to you and began pacing.
"That makes me nervous, Atticus. You're not talking, and I..." you faltered.
"I don't know how to ask this," he muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Will you marry me?" he asked as he stopped pacing. …show more content…
You aren't that old, and how dare you say, 'hopefully'? I said 'yes', didn't I?"
"You did."
"You're not old, Atticus."
He took your hand in his and squeezed it softly. "I love you."
"I love you, too," you told him as he kissed your hand.
---
Your mother took it better than you had imagined she would, and Atticus's parents had already known. Alexandra, Atticus's older sister, took quite a liking to you and seemed certain that you would do well in carrying on the Finch family tree, for whenever she saw you she talked about children. Jack, of course, knew you already, and was happy for the both of you.
A few days later, after teaching and grading papers all day, you knocked on Atticus's door, and he answered, his jet-black hair untidy and his tie and jacket nowhere to be seen. "Are you alright?" you ask.
"Work," he mutters as he holds the door open wider. "Come in."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember that case I told you about a while ago? The Negro was found guilty? Hmm. I'm trying for the appeal..." He sighed.
"This town won't allow that—"
"Don't you think I know that?" he said exasperatedly. "I can try, though, can't I? I wasn't defending him, but..." he trailed …show more content…
"I also like Jean.... What if it's a boy?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I thought I'd name the girls and you'd name the boys."
"And I thought this relationship was a democracy," Atticus said and grinned. "If you really can't think of a boy's name.... Andrew? Travis?"
"Travis is a nice name...," you mused. "But how about Jeremy?"
"Jeremy. I think that's it, (y/n)."
He placed a hand on your stomach and stared at it for a moment before saying, "Y'know, I never thought I'd be a father."
"Really? I think you'll be fine, Atticus."
"That wasn't what I was saying, although I'm nervous about that requirement as well. I never thought I'd get married and have children, especially after I hit the age of thirty-five."
"I'm nervous, too, and I spend time around children all day. Older children, though... I've no idea how to take care of a baby."
"I think that will be the easy part; there isn't much you can mess up when they're that young. But when they're older.... How are we supposed to teach them how to be decent people?"
"Set an example?" you suggested. "When they ask questions, answer them. I get complaints from parents all the time; they try to shelter their children and then I give them the answers their children want but aren't given. Let's not be those