Rita smiled. I’ll get you a beer, she said. A moment later she handed me one and then went in and closed the door. I sat on the step and sipped my beer. The last few days had gone by in a savage blur, and I had been so entirely upended from my normal life that I actually enjoyed the moment of peaceful contemplation, calmly sitting there and drinking a beer while somewhere in the city Chutsky was shedding spare parts. Life whirled on around me with its sundry slashings, strangulations, and dismemberings, but in Dexter’s Domain it was Miller Time. I raised the can in a toast to Sergeant Doakes.

Somewhere in the house I heard a commotion. There was shouting and a little bit of squealing, as if Rita had just discovered the Beatles in her bathroom. Then the front door slammed open and Rita grabbed me around the neck in a stranglehold. I dropped my beer and gasped for air. What? What did I do? I said. I saw Astor and Cody watching from just inside the door. I’m terribly sorry, and I’ll never do it again, I added, but Rita kept squeezing.

Oh, Dexter, she said, and now she was crying. Astor smiled at me and clasped her hands together under her chin. Cody just watched, nodding a little bit. Oh, Dexter, Rita said again.

Please, I said, struggling desperately to get some air, I promise it was an accident and I didn’t mean it. What did I do? Rita finally relented and loosened her death grip.

Oh, Dexter, she said one more time, and she put her hands on my face and looked at me with a blinding smile and a faceful of tears. Oh, YOU! she said, although to be honest it didn’t seem very much like me at the moment. I’m sorry, it was an accident, she said, snuffling now. I hope you didn’t have anything really special planned.

Rita. Please. What is going on?

Her smile got bigger and bigger. Oh, Dexter. I really—it was just— Astor needed to use the toilet, and when she picked up your clothes, it just fell out onto the floor and— Oh, Dexter, it’s so beautiful! She had now said Oh Dexter so many times that I began to feel Irish, but I still had no idea what was going on.

Until Rita lifted up her hand in front of her. Her left hand. Now with a large diamond ring sparkling on her ring finger.

Chutsky’s ring.

Oh, Dexter, she said again, and then buried her face in my shoulder. Yes yes YES! Oh, you’ve made me so happy!

All right, Cody said softly.

And after that, what can you say except congratulations?