Page 107 of Why Not Now?

Six Weeks Later

Ava

Overthepastfewweeks, life has taken a complete turn. My relationship with my sister has healed and now I can’t get her to shut up. She pulled her math mark up easily in the first few weeks back to school. She’d told me Todd came to apologize to her, and she’d sent him away. After quitting the restaurant, we instituted girls’ nights. Once a month we get together to hang out, watch movies or do our nails. We’ve done two so far. The first one was just us. The second one we’d invited her friend, Jess. We’ve talked about inviting Bethany, Lis, Adalie, and Vic as well. It’s been amazing how easily I’ve been included in Derek’s friend group. They accepted me as though I’d always been one of them.

In January, I sat down with Spencer and Vic for a few hours and we hammered out a business plan for my photography. Then Derek joined us and we sat around, laughing and telling stories about the past, theirs with Derek and mine with him. He’d laughed good-naturedly even when the stories got a little embarrassing.

Ever since, I’ve received so many calls from local businesses wanting to hire me that I’m on the verge of quitting my housekeeping job. I don’t have quite enough work yet, so I arrive home after a long day, wanting to take a hot shower and put my feet up.

But when I walk in the door to my bedroom, my plans dissolve as I note the candles flickering everywhere, the flowers in vases around the room, and the man standing in the middle, dressed in dark jeans and a green sweater.

“The one and only Ava Calligan,” Derek says. “How’s it going, sweetheart?”

“Wh-what are you doing here?” I ask, setting my bag down.

“Do you know what today is?”

My heart clenches as I remember, tears flooding my eyes. I can’t speak, so I just nod.

Derek comes toward me, taking my hands. His fingers find my ring and fiddle with it, like he’s been doing a lot lately.

“Nine years ago today, I made the biggest mistake of my life when I walked away from you instead of proposing.” He drops to one knee and my hands fly to my face. “I’m hoping you’ll let me fix that mistake now and agree to let me call you my fiancée instead of my girlfriend. You’ve already been wearing my ring for two months.”

He opens a small box with a new ring inside. This one is smaller than the one I already wear, a simple gold band with a slight curve to it, five small diamonds set into it.

“I love you, Ava. I will never stop loving you. Will you marry me?”

Tears overflow my eyes and trace down my cheeks as I nod. “Yes,” I whisper. “But I already have a ring I love.”

He rolls his eyes as he stands, taking my hand in his and removing the ring he’d bought me originally. He slides the new one on and replaces the first one. They fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

“How—?”

“Remember when I told you I was worried the claws on this one might be loose since it’s so old? I took it to the jeweller.”

I narrow my eyes. “You sneaky—”

He grins. “I did get him to make sure the claws were tight, and it was cleaned. But he also used it to make this one.”

I look from the ring up to him. He’s blinking rapidly, like he’s trying to blink away tears.

“You better not make me cry, sweetheart,” he says. “I’m wearing my contacts.”

“You’ll need to wear your glasses when we get married then,” I say, draping my arms around his neck. “Because I fully expect you to cry like a baby when I walk down the aisle to you.”

He laughs, tugging me closer. “Whatever you want, sweetheart. All you need to do is ask.”

Derek

I take Ava out to celebrate. We decide on a brewery that I love and she’s never been to, leading her into the establishment and up to the front counter where a large man with a beard and slicked back hair waits to take our order.

We each order a flight of four mini beers and bring them to our table.

“We should probably figure out when we want to get married,” Ava says.

I grin, loving the sound of that sentence as it comes from her mouth.

“Anything you want, sweetheart.”

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