Page 49 of The Marriage Pact
The thought of the baby —theirbaby — was extraordinary. Alex knew it was going to take some getting used to. What would his mom say? What would Hilary say?
“I’m so proud of you,” Alex said, smiling at Kaitlyn, who blushed.
“I don’t think I was cut out to be the wife of a CEO,” she replied, and Alex laughed.
“That doesn’t matter now, does it? You can be the wife of an ex-mathlete. That’s good enough for me. Or the wife of a fool who didn’t realize what he had until he almost lost it.”
He put his arms around her again, holding her close. In that moment, he felt as though his whole world was in his arms. It was an extraordinary feeling, and Alex knew that good fortune was his. The good fortune of a second chance. It meant everything to him. Kaitlyn meant everything to him. He loved her, and she loved him. Nothing else mattered. He felt a fool for having thought it did, and for having allowed himself to be so consumed by those things that really didn’t matter one little bit.
“And you’re sure you’ll be happy here?” she asked.
He sat back and smiled. “I might have to find a hobby, though I always swore to myself I wouldn’t become one of those executive types who played golf. Perhaps I’ll grow vegetables, or read books, or… I know, how about fixing up a Betsy II and taking you and Junior to the drive-thru.”
Kaitlyn laughed.
“I don’t think you can ever replace Betsy.”
He took her hands between his, smiling at her as he remembered what he had in his pocket.
“Wait a moment. I have to do this properly,” he said, and, taking out the red plush velvet box he’d brought with him from New York, he got down on one knee.
“Oh! You don’t need to do this. How many proposals have I had?” she exclaimed, smiling and shaking her head.
But Alex wouldn’t listen. “I have to. I want this to be a new start,” he said. “Will you marry me, Kaitlyn?”
He opened the box as he said the words, and Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and laughed. He hoped it wasn’t because of what he’d said, but rather, because of what was in the box. There, in the space where the diamond might have been, was a plastic drinking straw, shaped like a ring, just as it had been on prom night.
“I will, yes,” she said as he took the “ring” from the box and slipped it onto her finger.
“Don’t worry, I have a diamond one somewhere, too, but I thought you’d appreciate this one first,” he said, sitting back on the couch and kissing her.
For a moment, they rested their foreheads together, their hands clasped. It was the perfect moment, and it felt like a beginning, too. This was the new start Alex wanted, for them both. For them all. They had the baby to think about now, and the prospect of new life brought with it a sense of responsibility Alex hadn’t known before. It was intimidating, and yet to share it with Kaitlyn felt like the start of a new adventure.
“It’s perfect. I don’t need diamonds, or fancy clothes, or to go to expensive restaurants. I just want us to be together. That’s all.We’ve got so much to look forward to. I’m so happy you pursued me,” she said.
He smiled at her, holding out his hand.
“I know a fancy restaurant we can go to. Actually, it’s the most exclusive in town,” he said.
Kaitlyn shook her head. “No… What did I just say?” she replied, but he laughed and shook his head.
“Burger, fries, and a cola? I heard the drive-thru got a Michelin Star last year.”
A smile broke over her face, and she laughed. “We’ll have to go in my mom’s car. It hasn’t been started in months. You might have to open the hood.”
“Or you might have to bounce up and down as I turn it over, just like with Betsy,” he said, rising to his feet and urging her to follow him.
To their surprise, the car started the first time, and they drove the short distance to the drive-thru, ordering exactly the same meal as they used to when they’d go there in Betsy. Sitting in the parking lot, they balanced the colas on the dashboard and ate the burgers and fries out of the paper wrappings.
“I think it tastes better than any fancy restaurant. It’s about memories as much as what you’re eating. I don’t know how we both stayed so trim eating this all the time,” Kaitlyn said, holding her half-eaten burger in hand.
“Do you remember when I ate three of them on a dare? It was Sean who bet me I couldn’t,” Alex said.
Kaitlyn laughed. “He refused to pay because you threw it up,” she said.
“But Idideat them,” Alex replied.
Sitting there in the parking lot — slurping colas and eating salty fries — felt like coming full circle. This was where it had all started, and it was here that it was going to begin again. Alex was determined that things would be different this time. They had to be. He had responsibilities now — a baby on the way, and a woman he loved more than anything in all the world. It made him wonder how he’d ever thought anything else could be important.
