The Journey Home(49)
Author: Kelly Elliott

I opened Maddie’s door. She sat there, stunned. I held out my hand and helped her out of the car.

“Cale, what are we doing here? They have a private event tonight!”

I chuckled. “We’re just going to go for a walk on the trails, baby. I just want to spend some time with you at a place that is dear to your heart.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I thought…what about dinner?”

I grabbed her hand and started for the trail. “Dinner is still on.”

We walked along the trail in silence. I knew how much Maddie loved it here. The gardens were breathtaking, even during the middle of winter. The pansies and evergreens set against the barren trees were exactly what I wanted for this moment. As we made our way to the spot I’d had set up, I began talking to Maddie.

“The first moment I saw you, I knew there was something special about you.”

She grinned and began chewing on her lip.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. It was if all the air had been sucked out of the room when you smiled. Then, when you followed me to the beach…” I slowly shook my head. “That night, Maddie, I will forever be the best night of my life.”

I stopped right before we turned the corner and took both her hands in mine. “I think I loved you the moment I first saw you.”

Maddie swallowed hard and tried to talk, but closed her eyes instead, smiling before opening them again. I dropped one of her hands and led her around the corner. I smiled when I heard her gasp. I’d arranged for a small table to be set up next to the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture. It had always been one of my favorite sculptures. A few candles where lit on the table, and rose petals where laid out all around the table.

“Cale, oh my…I don’t…this is beautiful. How did you? When?” She turned to me, her eyes filled with such a quizzical look that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’d originally planned for the restaurant, but it was so beautiful outside these last few days that I had a different idea. Lily and I walk by this sculpture all the time. It reminds me of you.”

I led her over and pulled out the chair for her to sit down. She wiped away a tear and smiled. I moved and sat across from her as a young blonde in black dress pants and a light blue shirt poured us each a glass of champagne. I smiled and thanked her.

“My pleasure, sir. Would you like us to begin serving dinner?” she asked.

I peeked at Maddie and almost laughed. She still looked puzzled. Completely thrown for a loop. I was internally fist-pumping, having surprised her like this. The biggest surprise was yet to come.

I nodded, “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” I reached across the table and took Maddie’s hand. “Are you surprised?”

She grinned and nodded. “Very. I’m completely shocked that you did all of this. How in the world did you get this place all to us?”

“A very hefty donation.”

Maddie laughed and shook her head. The waitress brought us out our salads first. Maddie and I talked as we ate, mostly about Lily. She was our whole world. I was so glad Maddie had moved past not being Lily’s biological mother. In my eyes, she had become Lily’s mother the moment we both walked into her room and met her face-to-face for the first time.

The waitress came over and set down two plates. Each one had salmon and steamed vegetables along with a roll.

“I’m so glad I decided to rent my house out to Monica and Jack last year, before they got married.” Maddie said as she took a bite of her salmon.

I nodded. “It’s been great having them so close by. Have you noticed how Jack watches Monica with Lily? I mean like really watches her.”

Maddie chortled and nodded. “Yes! I think Jack is getting the baby bug, which is so weird to me.” She looked away for just a moment. “I was thinking…about um…maybe seeing if they wanted to buy the house.” Her face blushed and she began playing with her vegetables. “I mean, it was just a thought.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I think that’s a great idea. I mean, unless you want it as an investment property. But if Jack and Monica are interested in buying, I say sell it.”

She looked back up at me and smiled. “I think Jack and Monica would be perfect owners for the house.

I nodded and placed my napkin on the table. I motioned for the waitress. “Would you like dessert?” I asked.

Maddie licked her lips and pulled the corner of her mouth into a come-hither grin. “The kind of dessert I want I can’t get from our waitress.”

I squirmed in my seat to adjust my growing dick. The waitress set two cups down in front of us. They were filled with orange soufflé, with a small, red heart in the center.

Maddie smiled and said, “Oh my gosh, orange soufflé? I love orange soufflé!”

Right about that time, the violinist I’d hired came toward us from behind Maddie. He was dressed in a tux and playing some classical song that he’d had to tell me the name of five times. I finally told him I was never going to remember it. When Maddie turned to look at him, I moved into position. I took the ring box out of my pocket and waited.

“Oh my God, Cale. This is so romantic.”

Maddie was about to say something else, but she jumped, startled, when she saw me at her side, on one knee, holding the ring out.

She lifted her hands to her mouth and immediately began crying.

“I love you, Maddie. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life giving you moments like this. I want to start each day with your beautiful smile. I want to talk to you about our future, and our dreams. These last few months with you have been the most incredible months of my life. This journey I’m on…I want…no, I need you to be on it with me.” I opened the box to reveal the solitaire, one-carat, round diamond.

“Maddison Nicole Powers, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Maddie dropped her hands and began nodding as she attempted to talk. I took the ring out and reached for Maddie’s fingers. Her hand was trembling as I slipped the diamond onto her ring finger. I stood and pulled her up with me. She threw herself into me and began crying harder.

“Cale,” she said. “I love you so much.”

I COULDN’T BELIEVE how I was staring at my engagement ring. I felt like a teenager who’d just had her first kiss. I was on top of the world. When Cale reached over and placed his hand on mine, my stomach dropped and I was overtaken with emotion.