Page 203 of Not Another Yesterday
Cat looks at me, her eyes brimming with tears and emotion. “You talked to my dad first?”
“Only to give him a heads-up,” I say with a grin.
I had actually bought the ring the day after Cat came home from the hospital, her nineteenth birthday. Yeah, I know we’re young, but we’ve been through so much shit together, that alone has matured us by at least twenty years. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her. The only thing I wavered on was the timing of my proposal.
I didn’t want to overshadow the heaviness of our loss. I didn’t want to make Cat feel as though I was rushing that process. I wanted to give us time to grieve. And, yeah, I wanted to talk to Bobby.
It wasn’t about permission. Cat isn’t property. She doesn’t need anyone’s permission but her own. But given Bobby’s and my rather tense relationship in the past and how much better things have been between us lately, I thought I should at least provide him with the illusion of control rather than blindsiding him.
So on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, I dropped Cat off at her parents’ home so she and her mom could go Christmas shopping together. I pretended to use the bathroom, lingering way longer than necessary so I could catch Bobby alone.
I waited for Cat and Jen to head out, then went to find Bobby. “Do you have a second?” I asked when I finally came back downstairs.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I wanted to talk to you really quick.”
Bobby’s expression changed immediately. He nodded. “You’re going to ask me if you have my blessing to marry Cat, aren’t you?”
I fully expected him to launch into a tirade about why he didn’t approve of me asking Cat to be my wife, but he surprised me.
“I have been wondering when this would happen. You guys are so young, Ronan. Only nineteen. Are you sure?”
I almost reminded him that just months ago, he’d been trying to pressure me into “making an honest woman out of Cat.” But I figured now wasn’t the time to point out the hypocrisy.
“I’ve never been surer about anything than the fact that I want to be with Cat for the rest of my life.”
“You know, Ronan, when Cat was born and I held her in my arms for the very first time, I knew, absolutely, one hundred percentknewthat no guy would ever be good enough for my daughter.”
He hesitated for a second.
“But I was wrong. I know it took me a while to come around. When Cat cried after losing her baby… your baby… she sought your arms. Not her dad’s.”
He quickly swiped at his eyes, trying to hide the emotion.
“I guess I finally understood that there were things I couldn’t fix for her, that there was pain I couldn’t take away. But you can. You did. You do. That was a hard pill to swallow, because when she was little I was able to make everything better. Even with that bastard Adam. But what Cat has with you is on a different plane. She needs you, and, more importantly, shewantsyou. You’re now the one she goes to first when she’s happy, or sad, or angry. You’re her safe space. You’re her person. She loves you. I see it. And I see how much you love her. I know you’ll keep her safe.”
He took a deep, steadying breath.
“So yes, you have my blessing to ask her to marry you.”
“Thank you, sir.” Even though his approval wasn’t a prerequisite to me proposing to Cat, I was still relieved. It was still nice to know we had his support after he had been less than supportive of me for so long.
He grinned. “What would you have done if I had said no?”
I gave him a one-shouldered shrug. I was ready to give himsomecontrol. Not all of it. “I’d have asked her to marry me anyway, but she would have been pissed at you, I’m sure.”
He laughed. “Fair enough. Do you know when you’re going to do it?”
I shook my head. “No idea. I figure I’ll know when the momentis right.”
“Do you have a ring?”
I nodded, reached into my pocket, and pulled out the dainty piece of jewelry. Cat’s not a flashy person, so I made sure the band was simple—thin, delicate—just enough to seat the sparkly oval diamond. I’d been carrying it with me everywhere I went, constantly afraid of losing it but too paranoid to leave it at home or in my car, where I was sure Cat would find it in five seconds flat.
I hadn’t told anyone else about it. Not my brother. Not my dad. Not even Shane. He’ll probably give me shit for it later, be in his feelings about not knowing, but I didn’t want the pressure. Didn’t want the opinions or the teasing or the weight of anyone else’s expectations stacked on top of my own.
So I waited. Just waited. Waited for my heart to tell me when it was time.
And tell me, it did.
I spent my whole life anticipating pain, hiding, running, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But now, for once, I’m not bracing for impact. I’m not waiting for the fall. I’m reaching for the future. I’m reaching for happiness.
I’m reaching for Cat.
This is the end of Ronan and Cat’s story… for now.
