by Adams, Nancy
For months, Andrew fell into a deep depression that only seemed to get worse with time. He berated himself for being a spoiled little child who had never grown up. He felt like his life had amounted to nothing. He was living in a fog. He stopped leaving the house. He just sat on the couch in his old, worn our pajamas day after day. He was lost and had no idea what to do. Who had really been in such a situation before? Isabel was still his best friend but she couldn’t really relate to what he was going though.
Finally, it came to him. Andrew realized that he simply needed to grow up. He needed to become a man. He understood that while he had gotten older, he had never really matured. He wanted to be someone who his parents could have really been proud of. He knew that he needed to focus on reality. He needed to focus on his career. He needed to build a life that was worth something more.
Andrew was determined to shed all of his old habits. He needed to stop dating women who he would never get serious about. He needed to forget about his crush on Isabel. He needed to find a direction for his life. It all came together when he finally had a revelation.
He realized that he needed to help children that weren’t as fortunate as he had been. He had every connection and every cent that he could possibly need. It was hard to forgive himself for the countless opportunities that he had squandered but he decided that he needed to focus on the future. He couldn’t just live the rest of his life obsessing over the past and all of the things that could have been. He became painfully aware that he needed to always keep looking forward.
Everything came crashing down around him on the day that Isabel had finally kissed him. He had gone through such a struggle to get to where he was. He had spent so many hours and days and months and years obsessing over her. He couldn’t go back there. He had promised himself, and his parents, that he would focus on higher goals. As much as he loved her, he just wasn’t ready. He needed to process it all. After all that he had worked though to accept the fact that he would never be with Isabel, he just didn’t know what to do with himself when she finally kissed her.
He knew that it was a kneejerk reason to just run away from Isabel. He was angry with himself for not reacting better. The thought of hurting her feelings had been killing him but he hadn’t known what to do. At the time it was impossible to imagine him being his old self in love with Isabel while also pursuing his new goals. It was just too much for him to take in.
Andrew snapped back into the present. He opened his eyes and looked over down at Isabel. She still had her head on his chest. He took a deep breath and smiled. His life had never felt so perfect as it did at that moment.
He knew that he needed to make things work with Isabel. He realized that he had just been using his relationship with Katy as an escape from reality. He resolved to end things were her immediately and start getting serious about his future with Isabel.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Isabel set her fork down on top of her plate. “That was sincerely the best meal that I have ever had,” she said.
Andrew looked over at her and smiled. “I am glad to hear that,” he said. “I have heard nothing but good about this restaurant for weeks and I’ve been looking forward to taking you here.”
“Oh, that is very sweet of you,” she said.
“Only the best for the best,” he replied. “I don’t get to treat you often enough.”
Isabel smiled and blushed.
“And I have something else for you,” he said as he reached into his jacket pocket.
“You didn’t have to bring me anything,” she said. “You are too much sometimes.”
He set a small box down on the table then slide it over to her. Isabel’s heart skipped a beat. Andrew laughed as she sat there with her jaw dropped open.
“It isn’t going to bite you,” he said.
She laughed nervously.
“And don’t worry,” Andrew said. “It isn’t a ring, if that is what you are thinking.”
Isabel stared down at the box.
“Just open it,” he said.
She slowly reached forward and grabbed onto the box.
Andrew laughed. “Stuck in slow motion, are you?” he said.
She smiled at him as she opened the box.
“Have a look,” he said.
Isabel looked down into the box. She looked quizzically at the keychain that was sitting inside. “Oh, that is very nice,” she said slowly.
Andrew nodded. “A local jewelry designer made it,” he said. “I thought that you might like her style.”
“Thank you,” she said. “That was really considerate of you but you didn’t need to get me anything.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said. “And, anyway, it’s a special occasion.”
Isabel raised her eyebrows. “A special occasion? Is there something that I am forgetting?” she asked.
“Nope,” he replied. “It is something that you don’t know about yet.”
She looked forward expectantly. “Well, don’t leave me in suspense,” she said. “What is the special occasion?”
Andrew reached into his pocket again. Isabel inhaled deeply then held her breath for a few seconds as she waited to see what was in this hand. He leaned forward and set his hand in the middle of the table. He looked at her and smiled as he slowly opened up his fist. She looked down and saw a bright silver key shimmering next to the candle in the middle of the table.
“A key?” she asked quietly.
“Yep, a key,” he repeated. “More specifically, it is a key for my place. Or, really, what I am hoping will be our place. That is, if you agree to move in with me.”
Isabel stared down at the key in silence.
“Well, what do you think?” Andrew asked. “Do you want to move in together?”
She tilted her head. “I don’t know,” she said.
Andrew’s smile fell. “You don’t know?” he asked. “Why not? I thought that we had been having a great time.”
“We have been having a great time,” she said.
“So, what is the problem?” Andrew asked.
“There is no problem,” she said. “I am just not sure. If we move in together, I want it to be for the right reasons.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“You know what I mean,” she said. “I want you to really be ready to take things to the next level. I don’t want you to ask me to move in with you because you think that it is something that I want.”
Andrew’s face fell. “Why would you even be thinking about such a thing?” he asked.
“Well, I know that you have been feeling bad about the time that we spent apart but I don’t want you to feel like you need to make things up for me,” she said.
“Come on,” Andrew said. “You know that things have been amazing between us. You know how connected we are. Don’t treat me like I am alone in this.”
Isabel shrugged. “I know,” she said. “Things have been great. I am not saying that they haven’t been. I am just saying that it is important to do things for the right reasons. This is a really a big step for us.”
“I know that it is a big step and I have definitely given it some very serious thought,” he said. “A lot of thought, in fact. This isn’t just some spur of the moment idea. You know that I am not an impulsive guy.”
“I know that,” Isabel replied. “I wasn’t assuming that you hadn’t thought it through.
“Well then, what is the problem with this idea?” he asked.
Isabel chuckled. “I don’t know, I guess,” she said. “I suppose there really isn’t a problem.”
Andrew smiled. “Good,” he said.
She smiled back at him. “It is very good,” she said.
“So then, let’s move in together,” he said. “Come on. It will be great.”
She couldn’t hold in her smile. “Yeah, it would be pretty great,” she said.
“Indeed it would be,” he said. “And you have been spending virtually all of your time there anyway.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said.
“So, let’s do it,” Andrew said. “Let’s move in together. I love you. I want to be with you every day and every night.”
Isabel stared forward into his eyes. “I love you too,” she said.
“Does that mean that you are going to move in then?” he asked.
She looked down at the key then back up at him. “Well, are you really sure about all of this? We have only really been dating for a few months,”
“Maybe so,” he replied. “But we have known each other for years.”
“Sure, we have been friends but that isn’t the same as dating,” she said.
Andrew frowned. “What’s up?” he asked “I thought that you might be a little more excited.”
“It would be exciting. I just really want to make sure that this is what you want,” she said.
He gazed into her eyes. “It really is,” he said. “There is nothing that would make me happier than to spend every day with you.”
Isabel smiled. “Me too,” she said.
“So, is that a yes?” he asked. “Are you ready to move in?”
“Are you going to get cold feet again?” she asked.
“No, I am really not,” he said. “I am 100% ready to commit. No more cold feet.”
She looked back down at the key.
“Are you in?” he asked.
Isabel nodded. “Alright, let’s do it,” she said.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Andrew looked down at the boy standing nervously beside the buffet table.
“Are you having a good time?” Andrew asked.
The boy looked up at him with wide eyes. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly as he nodded.
Andrew smiled. “Good,” he said. “I am glad to hear that.”
He was leaning forward toward the hors d'oeuvre tray when a couple approached him.
“Hello there,” the woman said as she stopped in front of Andrew. “I am so glad that we ran into you before we got up there.”
Andrew smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Connolly,” he said. “It is a pleasure to see both of you.”
“Oh, please,” she replied. “Call us Maria and Jason.”
“Alright then, Maria and Jason. Call me Andrew. I am glad that you could make it to the fundraiser tonight,” he said. “I know you two both have incredibly busy schedules and it really does mean a lot to me that you took time out of your day.”
“Of course we came,” Jason said. “We would never turned down a chance to support you and your organization. You have completely transformed our lives.”
Maria nodded in agreement as she reached her arm around the boy’s shoulders. “We would have never connected with this little angel if not for you and your amazing organization,” she said. “We really owe the world to you.”
The boy blushed and looked down at the ground.
“There is nothing more rewarding to me than seeing kids find their very own ‘forever homes’ with loving families,” Andrew said. “You two have really changed this little guy’s life.”
Maria smiled. “And he has changed ours. I know it has only been a few months but it’s hard to even imagine life before he arrived,” she said.
“Well, kids really do change everything,” Andrew said.
“Most definitely,” Jason said. “I am so glad that we were introduced to your organization. Honestly, we had never really considered adopting an older child. We went through such a nightmare with all of the fertility treatments. We even looked into surrogacy. I only wish that we had heard about you guys sooner. It opened up a whole new world to us.”
Andrew smiled. “Well, thank you for coming here to speak and spread the word around. There are plenty more angels where he came from and we need to connect them with more amazing parents like you two,” he said.
“Of course,” Jason said. “I hope that we can help as many couples as possible connect with other amazing kids.”
Maria nodded. “It is truly an honor to be here and have the opportunity to share our experience. It has sincerely been the best time of our lives. I could tell the story of meeting our little guy a million times.”
“You two are lovely,” Andrew said. “I am just confident that you will be the perfect family for this guy.”
Jason nodded. “We certainly will do everything that we can to create a good life for him. It’s a real blessing to have him. I cherish my little family every single day,” he said.
Andrew nodded. “Fatherhood is a true blessing” he said.
Maria smiled. “How many kids do you have?” she asked.
“I don’t have any kids actually,” he replied. “Not yet.”
“Oh, really?” Maria asked. “I am surprised to be honest. I had thought that maybe you had gotten involved when you adopted children yourself.”
“No. Actually my own parents died when I was young and that is what propelled me later in life to try to do what I can to help out,” he said.
“I am so sorry to hear that,” Jason said.
Andrew smiled and shrugged. “It is long in the past now,” he said. “These days, I am more focused on looking forward at the future.”
“And children are our future,” Maria said. “It is important that we all leave a valuable legacy behind.”
Andrew nodded. “Indeed and I am sure that there will be children in my not too distant future,” he said.
“Well, your future children will be lucky to have such a thoughtful and considerate father,” Jason said.
Maria nodded. “And your wife is very lucky as well,” she said.
Andrew smiled. “I’m not married quite yet either,” he said. “But hopefully that will all be coming along very soon.”
Maria and Jason both smiled.
“Well, speak of the devil, there is my lovely lady right there,” Andrew said as he saw Isabel from across the room.
She smiled and began to walk toward him after he waved to her.
“Hello, my dear,” Andrew said as he leaned forward to kiss Isabel on the cheek.
“It’s good to see you,” she said.
“And it is very good to see you,” he replied.
Isabel smiled and gazed into Andrew’s eyes.
“Isabel, this is Jason and Maria. They are the couple who adopted Oscar here,” Andrew said as he gestured down to the young boy beside them. “Maria and Jason, this is my girlfriend Isabel.”
Jason reached forward to shake Isabel’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “I have heard a lot of good things about you.”
Isabel smiled as she let go of his hand and reached forward to shake Maria’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet both of you,” she said.
Maria took a firm grasp on Isabel’s hand. “You are a very lucky woman,” she said. “Andrew is an absolute delight.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I think so too.”
“You two are an adorable couple,” Maria continued. “We were just pushing Andrew to hear about when you will be having babies of your own.”
Isabel blushed. “Well, I don’t even have a ring yet,” she said.
Andrew leaned over and took a hold of her hand. “All in good time,” he said.
Isabel took a step closer to him and smiled. He squeezed her hand as they heard his phone beep.
“Oh, I bet that is my assistant,” he said as he pulled his phone from his suit pocket. “I suppose it is about time to do the presentations.”
Maria and Jason nodded in unison.
“Are you two ready to get up there on stage then?” Andrew asked.
“I think so,” Jason said.
“Yeah,” Maria added. “We are probably as ready as we will ever be.”
“Great,” Andrew said. “I am sure that you will be fine. Just forget about everyone that is sitting out there and imagine that you are simply sitting at your dining room table telling your story to friends and family. People are going to love it.”
“I can only hope so,” Jason said.
“Thanks again for everything,” Maria said. “Hopefully we will get to see you again before we leave.”
“Definitely,” Andrew said as he extended his hand. “Until then.”
