by R. S. Lively
"It's not too far," he says.
We bounce around for a few minutes as I try to figure out where we're going. The lights under the canopy do little to illuminate the darkness around us. We quickly leave the main roads and start through the network of unpaved back roads used by the farmers. The way seems familiar, but what it tells me isn't possible. We can't be going where I think we are. I glance over at Grant, but his expression gives away nothing. Something tells me to look toward the front of the wagon where Mr. Bernheimer and Mrs. Burke are sitting. Both look vaguely confused, but it's hard to determine if that’s because they don't know where we're going, or because they’re thinking the same thing I am.
"Where are we?" Judy asks fifteen minutes later when the wagon leaves the road and starts crossing through grass.
Before he can answer, Grant stands back up and resumes his position looking out over the passengers.
"By now a few of you might have figured out where we are going. We should be there any minute now.”
"What are you up to?" Mr. Bernheimer asks.
He doesn't sound as playful as Mrs. Burke had, and I look at Neil. His eyes are now downcast as he seems to be struggling to get his emotions under control. A few more tense moments pass as hushed whispers fill the wagon, and everyone tries to figure out where we are.
I look at Grant. "I don't think this is turning out the way you thought it was going to," I mutter.
"It'll be fine," he says. "Just trust me."
By now, I know where we are. I don't know how he arranged it, or what we're doing, but as we pull up to an illuminated tent set up on the original location of the high school, I can feel the tension in the crowd building. When the wagon stops, Grant takes my hand and walks me down the steps.
"What's going on?" I ask, but he doesn't answer.
Instead, he gestures for everyone to come down and join us a few feet from the entrance to the tent. Grant is smiling widely, and the excitement pulsating off him is almost tangible. When everyone has gathered in front of us, he opens his arms to indicate the area around us.
"Welcome," he says happily. "A few of you have been here before, but most of you have not. For those who haven’t, let me be the first to welcome you to the location of the original Magnolia Falls High School."
A murmur of surprise ripples through the guests, and Grant gives them a few seconds to settle before he continues. I listen as he gives a brief recap of the location of the current high school, then tells the history of the original school. He gets to the part about the fire, and I resist the urge to look over at Neil.
"And it is that fire," he says, looking to Mr. Bernheimer, "that changed Magnolia Falls, and the lives of all those who were involved, forever. We are fortunate to have several people with us today who were students when that occurred, one being our very own Principal Anthony Bernheimer. It is because of you that we have gathered here tonight. With that, I will hand this over to Mrs. Burke."
He gestures toward Mrs. Burke, who comes forward, looking slightly dazed. I notice a sheer veil of tears in her eyes, and her voice is shaky when she speaks.
"I have to admit," she says, "this is a surprise even to me. I knew Grant had something planned for this tonight, but I never would have imagined it would entail coming back here. I never thought I'd see this place again, to be honest. Now that I'm here, it feels good to be back. It brings back many wonderful memories of the time I spent here with my classmates." She gestures toward Neil and Mr. Bernheimer. "Tony, this is where we met and became friends. Who would have thought so many decades later, we would still be friends at Magnolia Falls High? But now the time has come to say goodbye to the school and for your amazing career to come to a close. We wanted to honor you in a special way and help you to experience something you never had the opportunity to... your prom."
Mr. Bernheimer's eyes grow wide.
"Prom?" he asks.
Mrs. Burke nods.
"Yes," she says. "I've been working with Grant and Emma over the last six months to recreate the prom we missed out on so you could end your time at school the way you were meant to."
"We've worked with local vendors to throw a prom for your class this weekend," Grant says. "We've invited your classmates and expect they'll be arriving to the island over the next couple of days."
"And don't worry about what to wear," Mrs. Burke says. She glances at Grant. "There's a boutique available with formal wear."
"I don't know what to say," Mr. Bernheimer says. "This is incredible."
"There's more," Grant says. "I have another surprise for all of you. I'd like to invite you to come inside this tent, enjoy some refreshments, and see the plans for the future monument that will stand on this spot to honor the original school, as well as those from this class who fought bravely."
My heart swells, and I feel tears fill my eyes.
"Grant, that's amazing," Mr. Bernheimer says. "Thank you."
"How did you do this?" Neil asks. "No one has been allowed on this land in decades."
"I had some help from the rightful owner."
He lifts his eyes to the large white tent, and I look over to see the flap move aside and a figure step out. Beside me, Neil seems to fall back slightly, taking a step to catch himself.
"Eleanor," he says.
"Hello, Neil," Eleanor replies softly.
"If everyone can head on into the tent now," Grant says. "Feel free to look at the displays we've set up and enjoy the food and drinks."
He directs the rest of the group toward the tent, herding them inside, then turns back to me. I'm watching Neil and Eleanor as they stand a few feet from each other, their eyes locked, but saying nothing. Grant reaches for my hand and pulls me closer to him.
"We should give them some time," he says.
"How?" I ask, the one word all I can get out.
"She called me," Grant says. "She thought about our conversation and changed her mind about coming to see Mr. Kleinfelder."
He gently guides me into the tent, and I look around at the elaborate displays positioned around the space. Some of the pictures we used to plan the prom have been enlarged and are displayed on easels next sketches of the monument Grant is creating. I turn to him with a smile.
"Ok, so this is what you've been working on," I say. "This is what's been distracting you so much."
Grant nods.
"When I talked to Eleanor, I asked her about this land, and it turns out she is still the rightful owner, even though she hasn't been here in years. I told her about some of the ideas I had, and she gave me permission."
"That's wonderful," I say. "I can't believe this is even happening."
"Mr. Bernheimer looks happy," Grant says.
He is laughing with Mrs. Burke as they look at the old pictures, and I feel like I'm looking at a much younger man than an hour ago.
"Do you think we should have warned Neil about Eleanor?" I ask.
"No," Grant says. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, I think they have a lot to talk about. If he doesn't want to talk to her, he can leave. I don't think he will, though."
"Do you think she's going to tell him about the baby?" I ask.
Grant nods.
"I think it's time. She's been waiting a lifetime."
As Grant brings me further into the tent and we meld into the party, I feel more at ease than I have in weeks. Sipping ginger ale from a champagne flute makes me feel particularly celebratory, and I look at the pictures and plans with the same excitement as the rest of the group. Judy still doesn't believe I didn't know about the plans for tonight, but I suppose I can't blame her. I need to start a trust-building campaign where I tell her every mundane, annoying detail of my life until I regain her trust.
When we walk out of the tent an hour later, Neil and Eleanor are no longer standing where we left them. I imagine they've gone somewhere to have a much-delayed conversation, and I can only hope it's going well. Until this moment, all I had thought about was how wonderful it would be for
the two of them to be reunited after so long. Now that they’ve seen each other again, all I can think about is how the interaction could go terribly wrong.
"Grant!"
Grant and I turn around and see Mrs. Burke coming at us from the tent.
"We're going to head home," Grant tells her. "Emma here needs her rest."
Mrs. Burke gives me a smile, then looks at Grant.
"I just wanted to say thank you, again, for this. I know how much work you put into it. I don’t know how you do it."
"You're welcome," Grant says. "I hope Mr. Bernheimer was surprised and is looking forward to the prom now.”
“Oh, he is. He’s already wondering if he can fit into his uniform.” She shakes her head. “Spoilers. He can’t.”
Grant laughs.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Burke," he says and turns us back toward the wagon that will do runs to shuttle the guests back to the school.
"Did she just say 'spoilers'?" I murmur to him as we take a few steps.
"I told you it was there."
Mrs. Burke's voice stops us, and we turn back toward her.
"What was there?" I ask.
"The look," Mrs. Burke says. "It was there then, and it's still there now."
Grant smiles and turns me away again.
"What is she talking about?" I ask.
Grant wraps his arm around me.
"She says she's always known we would be together," he says. "That the way we looked at each other in high school told her."
"We barely knew each other in high school," I say.
"According to her, that didn’t matter."
My heart trembles in my chest at the tenderness in his dark eyes when he looks down at me. We ride back to the school in comfortable silence, my heart humming with happiness the entire time. On our way back home, I remember something.
"The boutique," I say.
He glances at me.
"The boutique?" he says.
I nod.
"I mentioned it to you, and you acted like you didn't know about it."
"No, I didn't. I think I said the kids and students would like that."
"But it was actually designed for Mr. Bernheimer's prom?"
He shakes his head.
"That's just part of it," he says. "They can use it if they want to, but that's not why it's there."
"Why is it there?"
He pulls up in front of our house.
"Because someone once told me they didn't go to prom because they didn't have a dress and couldn't afford to get their hair or nails done."
My heart jumps.
"You did it," I say. "You arranged for it."
"Now everyone can go."
I want to say something, but the words are caught in my throat. As we walk toward the door, I notice lights are on inside.
"I'm sure I turned those lights off before I left," I say.
"You did?" he asks.
Grant puts the key in the door and opens it. I gasp at the sight of dozens of roses scattered throughout the living room, and further into the house. Stepping inside, I turn to look at him, my mouth open in surprise.
"What is all this?" I ask.
"I came up with the idea of the boutique because of what you told me," he says. "But that's not all. I wanted to make this special."
"Make what special?"
Grant plucks one of the roses from the vase beside him and holds it out to me.
"Emma, will you do me the honor of going to prom with me?"
I don't know if I should laugh or cry. In lieu of both, I take Grant's face and kiss him. His hands wrap around my waist and press to my back, bringing me close to his hard body to deepen the kiss.
"Is that a yes?" he asks.
I nod.
"Yes," I say.
Prom…
"You look gorgeous!"
I do a slow twirl to give the full effect of the floor-length gold gown I've paired with matching flats.
"Thank you," I say. "So do you. That dress is perfect for you."
Judy holds out her emerald green skirt and does a twirl of her own. She'd described the dress to me while we were getting our hair and nails done earlier this morning, and I'd been looking forward to seeing it.
"Where is Grant?" she asks as she steps inside, followed by Jeremy.
I smile when I see him. Things have been really good between them lately, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
"He said he had to run get something," I say. "I'm not sure what he's up to."
"Is he ever not up to something?" she asks.
I open my mouth to respond, then close it and shake my head instead. The doorbell rings, and I look at the door nervously.
"Oh, please, don't let that be Wyatt," I say.
Judy's face darkens, and her hands tighten into fists at her side.
"Step back," she says. "I've got this."
She walks up to the door and flings it open. She's halfway through an obscenity when her voice stops, and she turns to me.
"Not the ex," she says. "Current."
"What?" I ask, crossing the room. I've just walked around Judy when I see Grant standing on the porch. He looks gorgeous in a sleek black tux that makes my breath catch in my throat. "Grant," I say. "What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you to open the door," he says.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because that's what prom dates do."
I grin and open the door, letting him step inside. He walks directly to Jeremy and offers his hand.
"Good to see you," he says. "Thanks for letting me take Emma out tonight."
Jeremy gives a serious nod.
Grant turns back to me and holds out a corsage. Pink chrysanthemums. My favorite flower. Beside me, Judy lets out a quiet yay and gives a little clap.
"Thank you," I say. "It's beautiful."
"So are you. Are you ready to go?"
I nod.
"Yes."
"May I?"
Grant extends his arm, and I loop mine through it. It's silly, but I have butterflies as he escorts me toward the door. A long black limo sits in the place where Grant's car usually sits. I hear a squeal behind me, and I know Judy has seen the car.
"What's that?" I ask.
"I want you to have the full experience," Grant says. "Count it as your first bucket list fulfillment."
"My first?" I ask.
"One of many, I hope."
I smile and let him bring me down the steps and out to the limo. The driver steps out and opens the door for us, and Judy immediately dives into the backseat. We let Jeremy follow her, then Grant helps me in.
"I didn't know there were limos on the island," Judy says.
"It's mine," Grant says as he sits beside me.
Judy looks at him skeptically, and then over at me. I give a little shrug.
What can I say?
The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. Grant proves he planned out every detail of this with as much care and attention as he did every other element of tonight's event. The limo whisked us away to dinner at the tiny Italian restaurant – the hottest spot when we were in high school – and then dropped us off at the school. My heart pounded in my chest when I saw all how beautifully the decorations and details had come together. Even though I'd planned it out, a committee had managed most of it, and to see it all come to life was nearly overwhelming. We danced. We sipped punch. We listened to stories. I can still see the excitement and joy on the faces of the guests as they lost themselves in the vintage decorations and familiar music.
As much fun as we had, the cooler air outside feels good as Grant and I walk along the edge of the water like we did on our first date so many years ago.
"Did you see how happy Neil was?" I ask. "I could have watched them all night."
Grant nods. Our fingers are linked lightly between us as we walk along the beach.
"It was perfect," he agrees. "That moment alone was worth everything that went into planning this whole thing. I know it was
supposed to be for Mr. Bernheimer, but I feel like their reunion was the real success. Well, one of them."
I glance up at him.
"One of them?" I ask. "What's the other?"
Grant turns to me.
"You," he says. "You got the prom you missed, and I got to spend the evening with you."
He leans down to kiss me, and the touch tingles all the way down to my toes.
"It was an amazing night," I agree. "Thank you for everything."
"It's not over yet," he says.
"It's not?"
He smiles and kisses me again.
"No. Come with me."
Taking my hand again, Grant guides me further down the beach toward the boardwalk. We wave at Carson as he glides by, his spring flag flying high.
"Do you know the story behind the name of his house?" I ask as I take hold of my skirt and start up the steps.
"Mysteries of the universe, Emma."
Stepping up onto the boardwalk, I feel a sense of anticipation. I think I already know where we're going, but I'm not sure why. It's too late for the ice cream shop to still be open. As we approach, though, I see the shop lit up, glowing from the inside.
"That's strange," I say. "No one should be at the shop this late. I wonder if they changed the hours."
"Just for tonight," Grant says.
I slide my eyes over to look at him.
"For you?" I ask.
He shrugs.
"You always get what you want."
"This time, I hope so."
Tightening his hand on mine, he pulls me along with him as he walks toward the ice cream shop. We walk up to the window, and I notice something on the counter. At first, I think something has spilled, then I realize it's sprinkles shaped into words.
Will you stay my wife?
I look at Grant and see he's holding a velvet jewelry box just like the ones he's presented me with several times before.
"What's this?" I ask softly.
Grant falls to one knee.
Oh my god.
“Emma. You’re everything that was missing in my life. Everything I need. I can't ask you to marry me, Emma. We’ve been there, done that. But I can ask you to stay my wife. To stay with me – in Magnolia Falls. And raise our baby, together, on this island." He opens the box to reveal a tiny glistening charm studded with rubies. "Pretty please? With a cherry on top.”
