by Dee Stone
“All this wealth. I’m just a soldier in the army in a one-bedroom house with an old car. I can’t give you all of this.” My heart squeezed as I imagined leaving her here to go back home to the Army base in Northern California.
Stella giggled and my eyes widened. “I don’t need all of this. All I need is you. If we lived in a tent, I’d be fine with it, Carter.”
I shook my head. “Stella, you’ve never lived like that before. You don’t understand.”
“You don’t think we’ve always lived like this, do you? I know I was young when we moved here, but we used to live with all four of us in a tiny two bedroom apartment. My parents were building their grocery business and putting all of their money into it. We used to go to the Salvation Army to buy clothes. It was lucky for us they owned a grocery business or we’d have been eating ramen noodles and PB&J sandwiches, which we pretty much did anyway. We were poor, Carter. You only knew us after my parents made money.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“So,” she continued, “I might need help from Mom on how to make a budget stretch, but as long as I’m with you, I will survive anything.”
I wrapped my arms around her and finally pulled out. “I think you should take a shower, baby. You’re sweaty and dirty. A dirty girl.” I smirked at her.
“But I bet that’s the way you like me.” She winked at me but hopped out of bed to skip over to her en-suite bathroom. I could hear the shower turn on and her humming. I lay down with a big smile, but wondered how we would tell her family.
The shower turned off and she opened the door to step out, amidst a cloud of steam. Her body glistened beneath the towel that she had wrapped around her. “Your turn.”
I grinned at her and heard the front door open. I scrambled for my clothes, yanking them on as fast as I could as she slid beneath the covers and pulled them up to her chin.
Stepping out into the hall, I closed the door, trying to control my panicked breathing, and strolled to the top of the stairs. I took the stairs two at a time and met her parents and brother as they entered the living room.
“How’s Stella?” Vanessa asked as she sat on the edge of the sofa beside Bill. She gazed down at him, love filling and brightening her face as she stroked a hand over his graying, light brown hair. That was what I wanted. Stella and I, in our forties with our children around us. Into our fifties and longer. Forever.
I sat in the light blue, upholstered arm chair that had wide arms. The chair was big enough for two people. “She’s fine. Took a nap. She should be down.”
“Here I am,” Stella sang out, her beautiful face glowing with health and love as she gazed down at me.
“Little sis, you look beautiful.” Travis gazed suspiciously at her and then at me.
Stella bounced over to me and sat on the arm of the chair, taking my hand in hers. Okay, we were going to do this already, I guess.
“What’s going on, Carter?” Travis asked, his voice lowering as he gazed back-and-forth between us.
“You can’t see, son? They’re in love. Your Dad and I have known for years, but we knew Carter would have to wait until she grew up. They always had a connection together. Like your father and I have.” Vanessa reached down to peck Bill on the lips.
“You knew?” Shock filled me as I gaped at her, my eyes widening, my mouth falling open.
She giggled as she wiggled her eyebrows at us, “Stella always said she would marry you. At first, we just thought it was a childish crush, but she never changed her mind. Even just before you got here, she told me she would convince you she was the one for you. Aren’t you?”
I gazed up at her, yanking her down onto my lap to kiss her now that everyone knew. I lifted my head slightly to murmur against her lips. “Yes. We have our whole lives for me to show her how much I love her.”
And I crushed my lips back onto hers. Yes. For always.
About the Author
Dee Stone loves to write stories she also reads. She lives in Southern California with her 4-legged children.
