by Maxene Novak
When they pulled into the driveway at what had recently become Heather’s new home, she was surprised that Lorie made no move to come inside. She didn’t expect her to stay, but it was unusual for her not to walk in for a minute before she left. Something was definitely going on with her friend. Heather leaned into the back to tell Paul bye before looking over at Lorie, who seemed to be trying really hard not to look at her. “Are you okay?” she asked her friend.
Lorie glanced at her but quickly looked back out the front window of the car before she answered. “Of course. I’m good.”
Heather was sure that she had seen Lorie’s mouth twitch slightly when she spoke. She couldn’t tell if Lorie was suppressing a smile or a frown, but it worried her either way. She and Lorie didn’t have secrets. They told each other everything. “Call me when you get home, okay.”
Lorie’s eyes looked towards her. “Okay,” she said after a moment.
Heather got out of the car, despite feeling like she should refuse and force Lorie to tell her what was going on. When she walked inside she was too distracted at first to notice that neither Evan nor Blake had greeted her when she walked in, and she didn’t hear them anywhere. She made it several feet into the house before she noticed the purple flower petals lining the floor and creating a distinct walkway through the living room in the direction of the back door. Heather froze and finally took in her surroundings. All the lights in the house were dimmed and she could hear music playing softly. As she followed the flower pathway, she noticed that the music grew louder the closer she got to the back door.
The curtains were drawn in front of the sliding glass doors that led to the back. She stopped in front of the door and stared at the curtain, trying to convince her racing heart to slow before it rushed right out of her chest. The knowledge that Lorie was in on this, whatever was happening, hit her as she stood there preparing to open the curtain and find out what was waiting on the other side. When the music changed and she heard the beautiful sounds of the piano in the Twilight theme song “Bella’s Lullaby” she had to fight to blink back the tears. She wasn’t sure what she was going to find on the other side of the curtain, but whatever it was she knew that Blake and Evan had put a lot of thought and love into it and she was overwhelmed by how much she loved them both.
Heather took two deep breaths and willed herself to open the door and step into the backyard without peeking behind the curtain first. When she stepped outside what she saw took her breath away. The path of purple flowers continued into the backyard where there was now a beautiful, ornate gazebo. The gazebo was lined with twinkling white lights and in the dark they almost looked like stars. The arched entrance had purple flowers interlaced all of the way around it. Best of all were the two men who stood beneath that gazebo archway. Blake and Evan stood hand in hand waiting for her. They each held a bouquet of the same flowers that had been used to decorate her path and the gazebo. Blake had obviously remembered her favorite color.
She made her way over to them slowly because if she didn’t she had a feeling she would break into a run and that might spoil what her men had planned here. When she was only a couple steps away Evan and Blake closed the space between them and her, then they looked at each other for a split second before looking back to her and dropping to their knees. Heather gasped and brought both of her hands up to cover her mouth where her jaw was dropped in shock. Both of them pulled on the ribbon that was keeping the flowers arranged together in the bouquets they were holding and she watched as something slid along the ribbon and into their hands. They laid the flowers down next to them, then they both held up the items they had retrieved from the ribbons.
Blake and Evan held up two of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. They were platinum and the diamonds sparkled under the twinkling lights, but even they were not as beautiful as seeing these two men, her men, down on bended knees offering her a lifetime with them. Heather was no longer able to hold the tears back as she looked at them both, and judging by the streaks she saw under their eyes, neither could they.
“Heather, I have loved you for more than half of my life,” Blake said.
“And I have fallen in love with you fast but oh so hard,” Evan told her.
“Our love for each other has grown since we were married,” Blake said with a glance over at Evan, “but it was never complete until you came into our lives and made our hearts shine brighter than we ever knew was possible.”
They both reached forward and took her hands in theirs, then Evan spoke, “Fate brought us together, all three of us.”
He looked over at Blake, and then they looked her in the eye and spoke together, “Heather Young, will you marry us, love us as we love you and each other, and spend the rest of your life allowing us to remind you of our love each and every day?”
Heather no longer had tears sneaking past her eyelids. No, she was full on crying now. She dropped down in front of Blake and Evan, needing to be closer to them right then more than she ever had before. She kissed Blake first, and then Evan. She was trying to work hard and ensure that they felt her love being poured into them through her kiss. After a few minutes passed with her taking turns kissing them both they smiled at her and held up the rings they had in their hands to her again. “So, is that a yes?” Blake asked.
“Yes! That is definitely a yes!”
This time the two of them pulled her in and took turns kissing her passionately, and then they gave each other a kiss and she watched as relief passed between them and their nervousness washed away. Blake held his hand out to take hers and she happily put it in his hand. He slipped his ring onto her left ring finger before Evan took her hand and slid his on with it. Heather held her hand in front of her, taking in the beauty of the rings together for the first time. They were made so that they linked together with three larger diamonds clustered in the center of the ring shaped into a heart. It was so beautiful and it represented each of them and how the three of them together created the most beautiful love Heather had ever experienced.
When she looked back up at Blake and Evan, they were just watching her, waiting for her reaction. The ring was obviously something that they’d had custom made and she could see that they were nervous about her liking it.
“It’s perfect.”
Both of them lit up at her words, and the smiles that spread across their faces were stunning. She hadn’t believed that either of her men could be any more handsome than they already were, but seeing them so happy with love shining in their eyes made them the two most beautiful people she’d ever laid eyes on. Heather leaned forward on her knees and wrapped a hand behind each of their necks, and then she pulled them in close. When they were barely more than an inch from her she made a point to look them both in the eye, then she said, “Make love to me. Now.”
She barely got the last word out before they were up and Blake had her lifted off the ground cradled in his arms. The three of them quickly made their way inside, and Heather lost count of the number of times they made love that night. She had believed for such a long time that she would never find love again, and now she was about to marry two men who loved her deeply. She had no idea how she had gotten so lucky, but she was thankful that they had found her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EVAN
“We’re going to meet her parents tonight,” Evan said.
Diane looked up from the supplies she was organizing in the back of the ambulance. “I thought you told me her parents died a long time ago?”
Evan had been back to work for two weeks, and Diane had been all too eager to find out about the woman he’d took off of work and abandoned her for to care for the past several weeks. Although he hadn’t abandoned her because she had someone who filled in while he was gone, she still wasn’t going to let him off the hook for not checking in with her after he made her leave him at the hospital with Heather. Since she had been abandoned for her, Diane insisted he tell her about the first woman she’d ever seen catch his attention.<
br />
He played with Diane’s question in his mind before answering. He knew that it was Lorie’s parents who’d raised Heather, even before her parents lost their lives to an overdose, but he had never heard her refer to them as Mom and Dad. She took their last name when they adopted her and became her parents in the eyes of the law as well. He knew that she loved them without a doubt. He suddenly felt like a shitty fiancé for not knowing how she referred to them. Hell, they were engaged and he had never met them. She hadn’t met his parents yet for that matter, and he knew it might be a little while longer before that happened since his family lived so far away.
Evan shook his head to pull himself out of his own inner monologue and answer Diane. “Her birth parents did, but her best friend Lorie’s parents had been the only adults really looking out for her anyway. Once her parents died they didn’t waste any time moving her in with them. Eventually they adopted her officially, and Young is their name, not her birth parents’.”
Diane nodded, “Good. I’m glad she has some family here. I know that Blake doesn’t have any family worth thinking about, and your parents are just so far away.”
“Yeah. I’m happy she has family too. She deserves people who love her and want to be there for her.”
Diane smirked at him. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?” Evan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her in confusion.
“Gushing about your bride-to-be.”
Evan pursed his lips together. “I don’t gush.”
Diane laughed. “Uh, yes you do. You do it when you talk about Blake too, but I’ve been listening to you swoon over him for so long it doesn’t register as easily anymore. Heather is newer so I guess I’m just more susceptible to you talking about her like she moves mountains.”
Evan threw the rag he was wiping down the shelves with at her, but she ducked out of the way. When she sat back up she stuck her tongue out and laughed at him. So maybe he did gush over the people he loved as Diane called it. So what? He didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. They both just happened to be amazing people, and they owned his heart. He’d gush if he wanted.
"So, are you nervous?"
Diane's voice pulled him back out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
She turned to face him more straightforward. "I asked if you're nervous. You know, to meet Heather's parents."
"Yeah. I can't lie. I am a bit nervous, although I don't think I'm nearly as bad as Blake."
"Hasn't he already met them?"
"Yes, but that’s why he’s more nervous than me. He’s worried they’ll hold his leaving Heather as a teenager against him now."
"That was his parents’ doing. Not his."
"I know that and so do they. Heather has talked with them about our relationship so we aren't springing it on them. When they asked if it was the Blake they already knew, she made sure they knew everything that happened with him leaving and not contacting her when they were kids was his parents’ doing."
"So why is he nervous?"
"He messed with Heather. From what he tells me, they are very protective of their children, and despite it being his parents’ choice, he’s afraid they will struggle to accept someone who once broke Heather's heart."
Diane shrugged. "I imagine that would be hard for any parent to get over, but when they see the way you two love her I have no doubts they will just be happy she found such a love."
Evan pushed her shoulder playfully. "Now look who's getting all gushy."
Diane pushed his hand away. "Oh, shut up."
Evan laughed and went back to cleaning up their rig. He sure hoped Diane was right. He knew how important Heather's adoptive parents were to her and he wanted them to accept him and Blake.
***
Heather pulled Blake's hands away from his collar. He had adjusted it so many times Evan had lost count. He was nervous and he wasn't doing a good job hiding it. Evan stepped up beside him and ran his hand over the back of his hair, then he brought his hand to Blake's face to get him to turn towards him. When their eyes met he gave Blake a chaste kiss and said, "You look great. It's going to be fine."
Evan was nervous too, but he wanted to be strong for Heather and Blake. Plus, he didn't have the history with Heather's parents that Blake had, and since Lorie was also dating two men and they were happy for her he wasn't worried that they would disapprove of their polyamorous relationship.
"Blake, they are going to love you," Heather said. She looked between both of them. "They will love you both because I love you. All they care about is that you make me happy and you do—very much." She leaned in and kissed them both. She let her lips linger on Blake's for a little longer, like she was trying to absorb his anxiety into herself. "Now, can we head inside before they think we’ve stood them up?"
She held a hand out to each one of them, and Evan and Blake took her hand in theirs without hesitation. She squeezed their hands briefly before opening the door, and the three of them walked inside. Before Evan could turn to close the door Lorie was there holding out her hands to take Heather's and examine her ring.
“It’s beautiful,” Lorie said. She let Heather go and walked over to Evan and Blake and gave them each a hug. “You guys did good.”
“Thanks,” they both told her at the same time.
“Is Mom in the kitchen?” Heather asked Lorie.
“Yeah. She was just putting the food on the table, so you guys got here with perfect timing. Dad, Clay, and Spencer are already at the table. They probably have their forks in hand just waiting for Mom’s okay to dig in.”
Heather laughed, and as usual the sound of her laughing made Evan smile. It didn’t sound like anyone was overly worried about him or Blake coming with Heather and that was a good thing in his opinion. He doubted her father would be calmly waiting on dinner if he was upset about the men that Heather had chosen to spend her life with.
Blake
Blake was a little surprised not to find Heather’s adoptive parents waiting to attack them with a million questions as soon as they walked through the door. He still didn’t believe that they had just let him off the hook for leaving Heather without a word when they were teens. He knew he wouldn’t be able to overlook something like that so quickly and easily if he was in their shoes, so he couldn’t expect such easy forgiveness from them.
He felt his hand being squeezed and looked over to Evan, who was still holding his hand. He could see the reassurance in Evan’s eyes, no words needed, then Heather was at his other side. “Come on. We better get in there. I don’t want to hold up dinner. Mom will not be very happy if the food gets cold waiting on us."
Heather took his other hand and they followed Lorie into the kitchen. Everyone was sitting at the table as Lorie had said except for her mother. Brenda was setting a baked chicken in the center of the kitchen table and Blake could tell that the guys were more than ready to dive into Brenda’s food. He remembered having dinners at Lorie’s when he was dating Heather in high school. She was the best cook he had ever known. He used to look forward to the days when he knew he would be having dinner at their house. Back then he would be at the table with Lorie’s father just waiting for Brenda to give them the okay to dig in.
However, tonight, the alluring smell of Brenda’s home cooking was just making the flips his stomach had been doing that much more pronounced. He wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through this dinner if he couldn’t get his nerves under control because at that moment he was sure if he even attempted to eat he wouldn’t be able to hold anything down.
Dave looked up from the food he was eye-balling when they walked over to the table, and Blake saw the love that filled his eyes when he looked at Heather. In no time, he was up and headed directly for them. “Heather, sweetheart, you look beautiful,” he told her. The smile that filled Heather’s face made her beauty shine and Blake couldn’t stop the smile that took over his face watching her.
“Thanks, Dad, but you always say that.”
Dave pulled back with his hands on her shoulders. “I say it because it’s the truth.”
“Yes, it is.” Blake had spoken out loud without realizing it until his words caught Dave’s attention and he turned to face him. Blake fumbled for a second, but when Dave held his hand out to shake Blake’s he finally found his voice again. “Mr. Young, thank you for inviting us over for dinner,” he turned to look at Brenda, “and you too, Mrs. Young. Everything smells and looks amazing.”
Brenda smiled at him, and Dave waved a dismissive hand and said, “Call me Dave, Blake, or Dad.” He smiled big when he said Dad. “After all, you’re family now.” Dave turned his attention to Evan and held out his hand just as he had done with Blake. “You must be Evan. The same goes for you, son. Family isn’t formal. Formal is for strangers. Anyone who makes my daughter as happy as I’ve seen Heather the past few weeks is more than welcome, and I’d be honored for you two to call me Dad.”
Blake looked at Evan and could see he was a little shocked. Even if he hadn’t been as nervous as Blake, he was still nervous. It was his first time meeting Heather’s parents after all. “I’d really like that,” Evan told Dave as he returned his handshake.
“That goes for me too,” Brenda said as she walked up to them. She hugged Heather, then turned to Blake and Evan to hug each of them. “You will call me Mom. It’s really good to see you again, Blake.” Her smile was full of warmth when she spoke to him. Blake suddenly felt like a fool for believing that these people, the people who so graciously raised a daughter who wasn’t theirs by blood, would have an angry or have mean bone in their bodies. Of course they would have forgiven him because he made their daughter happy, and that was all they cared about. If all parents were like them then the world would be a much happier place.
“It’s good to see you too, Mrs…Mom.” Brenda nodded her approval when he corrected himself before addressing her as Mrs. Young again. He wouldn’t say that his nerves had calmed down completely, but he was feeling a lot better now. At least now he felt confident enough to enjoy some of Brenda’s good food.
