Page 21 of All My Love
14
Ben
It’s beena week since I put Liz on that plane and told her I’d see her soon, and I’m back at the airport now so I can get my ass on a flight and get to her. She isn’t expecting me this soon, and she says she doesn’t like surprises, but I just can’t help it. I want to see the look on her face when she sees me and isn’t expectingme.
My brother always told me he didn’t like surprises either, but then I surprised him with an original transformer from the nineties on his twentieth birthday from a vintage toy website. He’s treated it like it’s a brick of solidgold.
The plane ride there takes too long, and I try to distract myself by reading up on some of the journals I’ve pushed to the side while I’ve been focusing on teaching and training adjuncts in pedagogy. When I get to the airport I run right out to the taxi stand and grab a cab to Brooklyn. I’ve called Liz’s parents, Margaret and James, ahead to let them know that I’m in town and would like to stop by. When I get to their neighborhood I ask the cab driver to stop when I spot a liquor store and I pop inside to grab a bottle ofchampagne.
I’m not going to Margaret and James’ house to ask them permission to marry their daughter. I’m going to their house to inform them out of respect that I’m in love with her and fully intend to make her my wife. I’m confident they’ll be happy with this news. So sure, in fact, that I can’t wait to tell them. It’s going to be fun to have James as my father-in-law. We grew up on the same block and he was a little older than me. He was a teacher like his father was, but in a down economy he was laid off from the Catholic school where he taught math. Things were a little bit rough there for the family but he got a job at a public school and they’ve recovered just fine from thesetback.
I get to the corner and I’m grinning from ear-to-ear. Their household is on a little tree-canopeyed block off Manhattan Avenue and they’ve held onto the property long enough that it’s come back around and they’re sitting on a veritable gold mine. As I’m approaching the brick row house, I see a black Lincoln pull up infront.
There’s a sunspot in my eye when the black door opens up and Liz makes her exit as though she’s in slow motion. A glint of sun pierces the veil and makes her flicker out of sight for a second. Another girl exits the car after her, and I watch as they link arms and start up the steps to Liz’s parents’house.
“Liz!” I shout. I watch as she turns away from her friend and darts her gaze around before finally setting on me. A smile spreads on her lips as she says something to her friend and then bounces down thestairs.
I wrap her up in my arms and breathe her in. Fresh sugar, apples,cinnamon.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she says, melting into my chest. She pushes me away. “What the hell are you doinghere?”
“I’m here because I love you and I don’t want to wait any longer. I hope that’s okay with you, because it’s what’shappening.”
“Ben,” she cries against me, “it is okay with me. It’s more than okay with me. I never thought I liked surprises, but I likethis!”
“This is a good surprise,” I tell her, pressing a kiss to herforehead.
The girl on the front porch now has her arms folded across her chest and is tapping her toe. And then Liz’s parents step outside. Her mom puts her hand on the girl’s shoulder and her dad’s gaze finds meinstantly.
“Just give me a few minutes, Liz,” I tell her, “I have to speak with yourparents.”
* * *
“We should doit on consecutive weekends,” I hear Liz’s friend Kit whisper to her from the kitchen. While most college students their age are out partying, these two are volunteering at the animal shelter and tutoring jocks. From the rock on Liz’s finger she looks like she’s got either a really rich guy or a guy who’s okay with maxing out all his credit cards. She’s a very nice young woman but she sucks atwhispering.
“Who said there’s going to be anything todo? And anyway people don’t like giving up their weekends to go to weddings.” Liz hisses back at her. Liz isn’t a good whisperereither.
“Yes theydo!”
I smile, shake my head a little, and take a sip of my beer. When Liz’s dad saw the bottle of champagne in my hand when I walked through the door, it looked like all the blood escaped from hisbody.
He knew before I even said anything. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still have a lot tosay.
I sit tight for a few minutes before Liz’s parents come in to the living room. The girls stay in the kitchen. I can hear them microwaving something. From the little I’ve observed from Kit, I think she’s popping a bag of popcorn to settle in for a little drama. I think Liz is sitting next to her, eating some of the kernels, but she’s not here for the drama. She’s here forme.
“Margaret, James,” I say, rising to my feet as they come in. James motions for me to take a seat and I take a sip of my beer as I do. I don’t think I’ve been this exciting since my dissertationdefense.
“Why are you here?” Margaret asks with quiet interest. There’s a sparkle in her eye and I try to read her for a clue. She has the same eyes as Liz, the same quiet, soft energy, the same wavy hair flowing against her cheekbones. Liz has let her hair grow out some since Paris. I think I like it even better this way. Any way she likes it, though, that’s my favorite way for her to wearit.
“I don’t know how much Liz has told you about her trip to Paris, but I’m here to share some information with both ofyou.”
“Stop,” James says with a shake of his head. His hands stretch out in front of him and he waves them like a crossing guard. My heart vibrates. Something’s wrong. If I have to carry Liz out of here kicking and screaming with her father on the safe end of a shotgun, Iwill.
“Liz told us.” I adjust my gaze as my heart re-starts and look at Margaret. A small smile appears on her lips and then Liz appears in thedoorway.
“She didn’t tell you all of it. She may have told you that we reconnected in Paris. She may have told you that we spent every second glued to each other. She may have told you about the late nights talking or the early morning walks. She may have even told you that we were falling for each other and that our connection was instant, easy, and pure. But she couldn’t have told you that I came here today to give you the courtesy, because I’ve known you both for so many years, that I fully intent on marrying her the second she graduates from college and will promise to give her all my love until the day Idie.”
“I didn’t tell them that,” Liz says, crossing the room to me. I pick her up and bring my lips to hers as her tears streak down her cheeks. I brush them away with my thumbs before pulling the box out of my pocket and getting down on oneknee.
“Elizabeth Margaret,” I say, my heart thudding inside my chest, “marryme.”
She leans down and takes my face in her hands to put a kiss on mylips.
“Yes,” she says against me, “yes. I love you, Ben. I love you somuch.”
Behind her, someone pops the bottle of champagne. It seems like everyone’s getting ready for some fun. But I don’t have to get ready. Liz and I are already at theparty.
