by Beth Rinyu
My mother cleared her throat loudly. “Oh actually….Wilders.” Jodi corrected herself.
“Umm…excuse me? I’m still a Maynard!” I chimed in.
Aunt Jodi laughed and motioned for us all to get closer just before snapping the picture.
I spent the rest of the day at the hospital keeping Carrie company while Jason went home for some much needed sleep before Carrie and the baby came home later in the evening.
I sat next to Carrie in her bed with my head resting on her shoulder, staring at the baby once again. “Finally, a break in the action?” I teased. It had been non-stop visitors for the past twenty-four hours: my mom, Ben, Aunt Jodi, dad, Amber and Jason’s mom and sister.
“Oh, I know.” She sighed. “I kinda like it with just the three of us here.” She smiled.
“She’s so beautiful, Carrie.”
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“I – I umm…sometimes I wonder if mine would have been a boy or a girl.”
She pulled me closer and kissed me on the top of my head. “Whatever you want it to be, Gia, because it will always remain a part of you.”
“I know,” I whispered, feeling the familiar burn in my eyes every time I was brought back to that point in my life.
“Did you call Cam yet?” Carrie asked.
“I texted him….he never responded.” I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, seeing the beautiful smile that Cam had given to me the other night, the one that I was unable to return and my heart sank.
“So, someone said there’s a new beautiful girl in town.” Carrie and I both lifted our heads at the familiar voice to find Cam, as handsome as ever, standing in the doorway, resting on his crutches.
“Oh my god, Cam! What are you doing here?” Carrie exclaimed. She stood up and hugged him tightly while my smile grew wider by the minute.
He bent down to get a good look at Emmy who was fast asleep in her bassinette. “She’s beautiful, Carrie, just like her mother.”
“And her aunt,” Carrie chimed in, taking a seat next to me on the bed, leaning her head on my shoulder.
He slowly lifted his head from the baby and searched my eyes with his. I sucked in my bottom lip, wondering what was going through his mind as a slight smile lit up his handsome face.
“Sit down! You shouldn’t be putting any weight on that ankle,” Carrie demanded. “Do you want to hold her?” she asked once he took a seat.
“But she’s sleeping….”
Carrie waved her hand dismissively. “She’s always sleeping!” She reached down in the bassinette and scooped her up, gently placing her in Cam’s arms. I could tell he was nervous at first, but after a few seconds he seemed to be a natural. Cam with a baby in his arms. Was it crazy of me to wish that one day he would be holding our baby like that? Totally.
The beautiful moment was finally broken up when Carrie’s doctor came in with her discharge papers followed by Jason. I helped Carrie get all of her stuff together while Cam and Jason talked baseball and about Cam’s injury. Carrie was climbing the walls to get out of there and spend her first night home with the baby and I couldn’t blame her. I couldn’t wait to get back home to my apartment after being on the road for two weeks and then spending the last two days here. I made plans to come and spend the weekend and said my goodbyes just as Emmy’s pediatrician poked his head in the room and Carrie started bombarding him with questions. Cam was right behind me, almost making it out before stopping to give the doctor his autograph. I slowed my pace to match his as we made our way to the elevator. As the doors opened and we stepped inside, I waited until they closed once again before speaking. “That was really sweet of you to come here, Cam.”
“Well, there was someone else I came to see besides the baby. Jason called me and told me what happened.”
The elevator doors opened, letting us out at the lobby. I held the door for him while he adjusted his crutches and got himself moving. Keeping his head down the entire time, we managed to make it outside without any distractions aside from a few people who stopped to gape at him.
“I really need to talk to you, Cam.”
“So talk.”
We took a seat on the empty bench and the words began to roll off my tongue. “I was a complete ass to you, and I’m sorry. I just –” I let out a deep sigh and stared straight ahead into the bright sunlight. “I thought I’d be okay with going back to the way we were, but then I saw your picture with Willow in that magazine and….. I’m so sorry for screwing everything up between us.” The emotion that I had been holding in for the past few months was now coming to the surface.
He reached over and rubbed his thumb along my cheek, wiping away the tears. “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. You didn’t screw anything up and I don’t know what you saw in that magazine, but I’m not dating Willow. I’m not dating anyone.”
I nodded, feeling a little satisfaction in knowing that, but still feeling down. "I went into it knowing what the outcome was going to be and I thought that I could handle it, but I can't. How do I keep one of the most important people in my life when I can't have him in my life in the way I want him to be?"
He took my hand in his and moved closer to me. "How do you want it to be, Gia?"
Do I lay it all on the line and not hold anything back? Since I was spilling my guts, it only seemed appropriate. "I want what Carrie and Jason have....and I want it with you. I'm sorry, I'm just being honest. I know it's not what you want and I know that I'm not even close to the type of person you would want that with even if you did." I was rambling big time, but I knew if I stopped now, I would never get my feelings out completely.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He held up his hand to stop me from talking. “How do you know that's not what I want? And more importantly, what makes you think that I wouldn't want all that with you?”
"Look at me. I'm a complete mess. I'm not a beautiful actress or model. I'm just - "
"You're just Gia. My Gia. The girl that I have known and loved my entire life. You are beyond gorgeous. You make me laugh. You make me happy and you've made me fall completely in love with you." My eyes widened. "I am one hundred percent in love with you, Gia. I wanted to tell you how I was feeling when you were in L.A., but then you got the news about the ballet, and I didn't want to make you feel like you had to choose between me or going after your dream."
My stomach fluttered. "How could you even think that I would have chosen the ballet over you? If I had been given the choice it would have been you....it will always be you."
He tucked my hair behind my ear and pressed his forehead on mine. "I've seen what it's like to not have you in my life these past few months and I hated it. I know it's gonna be really hard with both of our crazy schedules, but I know we can make it work if you’re willing to give it a try.”
I nodded and choked back a tear. “I am more than willing.”
“I love you, Gia.” His soft lips grazed mine and for the first time in my life, I felt emotionally fulfilled. I knew that it was going to take a lot of work on both our parts with both of us going in different directions, but I knew what I wanted more than anything and I wanted Cam.
“I love you too, Cam….so much.” I hugged him tightly as the early evening sunshine blanketed us in warmth. I knew that he was the first and only man that I would ever have these feelings for. After loving him my entire life, we had finally admitted our feelings for each other fully. I wasn’t dreaming, instead it was a dream come true. It was real. It was love….and it was forever.
Thirty-Four
Cam
Two months later….
Gia was finally back from her tour in Europe and I was flying into New York to see her. I had just finished up with my physical therapy and was throwing some last minute things into my overnight bag before heading to the airport. I was so relieved to be off the crutches, which meant I was one step closer to getting back to baseball. My doctor was impressed at the rate my ankle was healing and he made my day when he told me that I
may actually be off the disabled list in a few weeks. As much as I hated to admit it, having this broken ankle was somewhat of a blessing. It gave me time to myself and time to be with Gia, time that I wouldn’t normally have during the season. I had spent four days with her in Paris and they were the best four days of my life. We were making it work and making the very most of the time that we had together.
Gia had been offered a two-year extension of her contract now that her six months were coming to an end. She hadn’t said if she was planning on signing on for the next two years and I didn’t plan on swaying her decision. We were going to make this work no matter what, and as much as I wanted to have her all to myself, I also wanted her to be happy with living out her dream. I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. It had been two and a half weeks since I had seen Gia and it seemed like eternity.
“Ready and waiting to take you to the airport, Mr. Hamilton,” Lenny said as I entered the kitchen.
“Then let’s get going,” I replied, following him out to the car and heading on our way.
Lenny gave me a re-cap of the trip to Vegas that he and Lucy had just returned from. I couldn’t believe that the two of them were a couple. Thanks to Gia, they were inseparable and both seemed genuinely happy.
“So, what are your plans when you get to New York?” Lenny asked.
“Don’t really know, just spending time with Gia.”
He looked over at me briefly and smiled. “I’m so glad that the two of you are together.”
“Yeah. Me too,” I smiled.
“So, how many more performances does she have?”
“She has two more shows in New York.”
“And after that?”
“She has to decide if she’s going to re-sign her contract.”
“I meant with the two of you!” He grinned and shook his head.
“Oh…umm. I’m not sure.” I knew what I wanted and I’d briefly hinted at it to Gia when we were in Paris. I quickly got off that topic and onto that of his grandson. I was happy to hear that he was responding positive to his treatments and things were finally going back to somewhat normal for him and his family.
After Lenny dropped me off, I made my way through security and waited to board. I pulled out my phone and decided to mess with my mother a little. Neither Gia nor I had said anything to her yet.
“Well, hello! What’s up?” she answered.
“Not much, just getting ready to board my flight.”
“Oh yeah? Where are you headed?”
“Actually, out your way.”
“Oh….really?”
“Yeah, I want you to meet someone.” I tried not to laugh.
“Would this someone be a female?” Her voice rose.
“Yup, she’s really special to me and I think it’s time you guys met.”
She let out a deep sigh. “Okay, well when were you thinking?”
“Tomorrow night?”
“Yeah, sure. Mel and Ben, and Carrie and Jason are coming over for dinner with the baby. Is that okay?”
“Yup, that’s fine.” I smiled, just thinking about the look on her face when she realized exactly who this girl was.
“Okay, I’ll set a place for the two of you at the dinner table.”
“Cool….and Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“I think you will really love this girl.”
“Mmm…hmm. We’ll see about that!” She didn’t sound too convinced, but I knew without a doubt that she would.
I called Gia to let her know I was about to board and told her about my plan with my mother. She laughed and was more than happy to go along with it. I hung up the phone and smiled, hoping that all would go as planned, and in less than twenty-four hours, I would be finding out.
Thirty-Five
Gia
“Gia, what a nice surprise!” Aunt Jodi said as I walked through the door with Carrie and Jason.
“Gia, I didn’t know you were coming!” My mom said, standing up and giving me a hug.
“Oh yeah, I kinda called Carrie last minute to pay her a visit.” I looked over at Carrie who tried to stifle her laughter. She knew exactly what Cam and I were up to. “I hope I’m not intruding by just showing up like this.”
“Oh my god! Don’t be silly!” Aunt Jodi screeched. “We’ll just make Cam’s new girlfriend sit outside.” She laughed loudly.
“Oh, Cam’s bringing a girlfriend?” My mother looked at me with concern. I nodded, letting her know that I was perfectly okay with Cam bringing his new love interest to dinner.
“Yeah, he told me I’m really gonna love her. We’ll just see about that! Doesn’t matter, she probably won’t last for long anyway, knowing him.” Aunt Jodi scoffed before taking the baby from Carrie’s arms and focusing her attention on her.
My mother took my hand and whispered in my ear, “Gia, are you sure you’re gonna be okay having dinner with Cam and his girlfriend, after –”
“Yeah, it’s fine, Mom. I can’t go around avoiding him forever.” It was killing me to not let her in on our little secret. I tried to lighten up the tension she was feeling over the thought of Cam bringing his new love to meet everyone. I was doing a pretty good job by talking about my trip to Europe, but as soon as the front door opened, she let out a deep breath and grabbed my hand in support. I silently laughed, feeling like a horrible daughter for causing her such unnecessary tension. When Cam came walking into the living room, I looked down at the ground to keep myself from laughing and giving it all away.
My mom took the baby from Aunt Jodi and the inquisition was on. “So, where’s this new girl? Did she decide not to show?” Aunt Jodi asked, sounding somewhat happy.
“No, she’s here,” Cam replied. I could feel my smile growing.
Aunt Jodi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Oh, is she outside?”
Cam shook his head and focused his eyes one me. Carrie and Jason were grinning from ear to ear, while my mother stared at me like she was finally putting the pieces together.
“Well, where is she then?” Aunt Jodi continued to badger still aloof to it all. I watched her jaw drop lower and lower as Cam walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Mom, meet Gia. Gia, meet my mom.”
“No. Freakin’. Way.” Aunt Jodi shouted.
My mother handed the baby to Ben and covered her mouth with her hand. “Gia! Why didn’t you tell me that you guys were back together?”
“Back together? Melanie Louise, you knew these two were together and didn’t tell me?!” Aunt Jodi scolded.
“Gia made me promise.” My mother tried to explain.
“And since when do you ever listen when it comes to keeping secrets!” Aunt Jodi sneered.
Cam took my hand and looked down at me. “So, Gia, to prove to my mom and to you just how much you mean to me….” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. Now it was me that was in for an even bigger shock. I wasn’t sure if my heart or my stomach was fluttering more. My mother and Aunt Jodi both gasped when he lifted the lid on the box, revealing the most beautiful diamond ring that I had ever seen. I covered my mouth with my hand and my knees began to shake as sheer happiness overtook every part of my body. “Gia, I think you know how much I love you,” Cam began to speak as I stared up into his big brown eyes, trying my best to focus through my tears of happiness. “I know I’m taking a risk of looking like a complete loser in front of everyone if you say no, but I know how important everyone in this room is to you, so I thought that it was only fair that I included them in this moment.”
“Yes!” I blurted out.
A huge grin spread across his face. “I didn’t even ask the question yet.”
“Sorry….go ahead.” My head was spinning, my heart was thumping and my knees were shaking.
“Will you marry me?” I nodded and he slipped the ring on my finger. I threw my arms around him. “I love you, tiny dancer,” he whispered in my ear, causing the tears to gush out even faster.
“Please
tell me this is really happening,” I whispered back.
“It is.” He looked down at me and smiled, rubbing his thumb along my cheek to wipe away the tears.
“And we kept the secret!” Carrie shouted, resting her head on Jason’s shoulder with her smile as big as mine.
“Time to break out the champagne!” Herman shouted, as my mother congratulated us and gave us each a hug and kiss.
Aunt Jodi still looked dazed and confused, standing in the same spot with her hand over her heart and her eyes glassed over. “So, Mom, do you approve of this girl?” Cam asked.
“I-just….I just….I am so freakin’ happy right now.” She finally rushed over and threw her arms around us. “And, Cam if you ever shock the hell out of me again like that, I’ll kill you!”
The rest of the night was filled with celebrating. I knew Cam and I were finally a couple, but I had never in a million years expected him to propose. I had to keep staring at my finger to make sure that it really did happen. I was going to marry Cam. I was going to be Gia Hamilton after swearing to myself that I would never marry. Funny how your whole outlook on life changes when it’s with the right person.
“So, are you two headed back to the city?” Aunt Jodi asked after Mom and Ben and Carrie and Jason had left.
“Yeah, I guess.” Cam responded.
“Well, it’s kind of late. Why don’t you guys stay here?”
Cam shrugged his shoulders and looked over at me. “That’s fine by me,” I mumbled.
“And, God help me, I never thought I’d be hearing myself say this.” Aunt Jodi took a sip of wine before continuing. “The two of you can share a room.”
“Well, Aunt Jodi, we are engaged, ya know?” I reminded her.
“I know and I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter-in-law if I had picked her myself!” She grinned.
After staying up for a little while longer talking to Aunt Jodi and Herman, Cam and I finally headed in to bed. I rested my head on his chest, trying to make out the diamond on my finger in the darkness. “So, I decided after the six month tour is up, I’m not signing on for the two years.”
