Page 151 of Give My Everything
But his proposal was everything I didn’t even know I could dream of.
Afterward, we walked hand in hand back to Bennie’s. Turned out, he’d reserved the entire rooftop, organizing music and candles so he could propose in the spot where he technically first proposed the idea of marriage.
He told me he’d wanted to do it over, but it ended up beyond perfect at the pier.
At dinner that night, he told me about his conversation with my dad. I was shocked. I can’t believe he gotmydad to give us his blessing. I actually cried, mostly about my dad, but also a little bit about my mom.
My mom is stubborn, just like me, and she is a conflict avoider, just like me. I definitely come by it honestly. Now, there’s a baby I’m making public knowledge, along with the engagement.
It’s hard to know there’s a rift between us right now, and there’s a lot we will need to work through. It will take one of us being willing to take the first step if we want to mend things. I’m not there yet, but I’m hoping to get there soon.
I know we will be able to reconcile things between us. I just have to give it some time.
Hannah sees someone in the distance and steps off to the side, which is when Ben steps closer to Wyatt and lowers his voice.
“How was London?” he asks. “Everything go okay?”
I look to Wyatt and watch him let out a long sigh as he rubs his stubble, he and Ben looking so much alike in this moment. Then he shoves a grin on his face as if nothing is wrong, though I could clearly see the opposite.
“I’ll tell you about it later,” he finally replies, patting Ben on the bicep twice before giving me a small wave and heading off in the direction Hannah just went.
Ben glances at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Well then,” he says. “Let’s go find our table.”
I follow him through the crowd, my hand in his as we move toward table twelve.
When Lennon brought up the fundraising gala she’s in charge of at brunch last week, Ben piped in to ask if it was too late to RSVP. Apparently he got an invitation and wanted us to attend.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a large society function filled with politicians and big money families, and it took me a few days to get to a mental point where I felt prepared for it.
But tonight, even with this growing bump, I feel excited to be back in town for the first time.
I love Hermosa Beach. I always have. And staying away because of my emotions and fears and sadness…it always felt like a tragedy, like I was giving up on something important to me.
So being back, being out on the town with my fiancé on my arm…it feels good.
It feels right.
Ben pulls out my chair and I take a seat, assessing the other faces around the table.
“Have I met you before?” I ask, looking to a gentleman sitting across from me.
“Remmy, this is Dr. Logan Becker. You met him briefly at your prenatal appointment. He’s also the doctor who’s helping me get things with Ivy situated.”
My eyes widen. “Oh my gosh, that’s right. I’ve heard so much about what’s going on with Ivy and the clinical trial—thank you for all your work on this. I mean, I’m assuming you’d do it for any patient, but as someone who cares for Ivy, thank you.”
He grins. “I’m glad I’ve been able to get her connected.”
Ben has been spending a lot of time at the hospital with Ivy. Dr. Lyons is hopeful that she’ll be able to go home soon, but there isn’t a specific date, and they won’t release her into home care yet for a bunch of different medical reasons that I don’t understand.
I can’t imagine being thirteen and just cooped up in a hospital bed all the time, so I make sure to go by with Ben when he visits her. I’m still nervous about going alone, just because I don’t know sign language, but I’m working on it—one of those online courses.
That’s my life right now: sign language, hospital visits, and painting in the studio as often as I can.
I haven’t decided officially what I want to do with my life just yet. Melody thinks I should go into art therapy, and that’s a real consideration.
But I also want to focus on this little swimmie once I give birth, so I’m allowing myself the chance to be patient and decide later.
