by Sloan, Molly
Coming into view was the London Eye. Currently, Europe’s tallest Ferris Wheel. It was incredible to think that it was below her. And even more incredible to think that Andrew was down there, somewhere, waiting for her.
Touchdown was much smoother than in an airplane. It was more like a bird landing on a branch. Taking the headphones off, Janet thanked the pilot and was helped out of the helicopter.
Sure glad I’m wearing a gown and high heels, she thought sarcastically. It’s a great night for a hike.
Looking around, slightly disoriented, Janet didn’t see him at first. But the din of the helicopter quieted as it sped away, and Janet heard her name.
“Janet. I’m here.”
Walking toward her was the man she loved. The man whose baby she carried. And the man she needed to leave. It was almost too much to bear.
Pushing the thoughts out of her mind for a moment, Janet chattered about the documentary. She told him how the audience loved it, and how everyone laughed when Oba said he wanted to grow up to be a “dock worker” instead of a doctor.
All the while, Andrew was quiet. Janet suspected that he’d found out about the baby somehow and was going to tell her it was over. She needed to break it off with him first.
“Andrew, look. There is something I need to tell you…”
“Janet. Please. Let me go first.”
They were standing in front of the London Eye. It was lit up, but there was no one on it. Andrew opened the door to one of the passenger capsules, and said, “Here. Let’s talk in here.”
“This night has sure had a lot of ups and downs already,” Janet quipped. “What’s one more?” Secretly, she was glad to get inside and out of the cold. Satin isn’t exactly the warmest fabric.
As the Ferris Wheel began to move, Janet got another perspective. What had seemed so far away in the helicopter was so much closer now.
As they reached the apex of the wheel, the movement stopped. It was just like one of Janet’s dreams. A full moon...a gentle rain…
“Janet, I have loved you since the day we met. As you know, I was a complete workaholic. But you inspired me to see the world. You’ve inspired me to be a better person. Because of you, I want to make the world a better place. YOU did that. You are the most amazing, generous, compassionate woman I have ever met.”
Andrew stood, pulled something out of his pocket, and got down on one knee in front of Janet. “Janet Girard. I would be the luckiest man on the planet if you would agree to be my wife.”
Janet was stunned. Before her was the most magnificent diamond ring she had ever seen. Its sparkle beckoned her in the light of the moon.
“It was my grandmother’s. Five carats. She wore it for sixty years. Claudia sent it to me this week when I told her I was going to ask you to marry me. She even hired a bodyguard to fly over with it to make sure it got here safely.”
Janet wanted nothing more than to wear that ring for another sixty years. But, with tears in her eyes, she looked at her beloved, and simply said, “No.”
Time stopped for a moment as the look on Andrew’s face morphed from one of love to one of confusion. “No?”
“Andrew. I can’t.”
Shaking his head a little to make sure he was hearing correctly, Andrew repeated, “You can’t? Why not?”
Janet had promised herself that she wasn’t going to say anything. She planned to simply say that she didn’t love him and that she wanted to end things.
But her mouth couldn’t form the lies. Instead, it all came rushing out, in tears.
“Andrew. I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant and I don’t want to burden you. I don’t want to be one of those people you and Fiona laugh at…”
“Fiona!” Andrew stood up. “What did she tell you?”
Sobbing now, Janet said, “About how you don’t like kids. You never want to be tied down with a family.”
“Oh my god. Janet…” Andrew took her face in his hands. “She was lying. It was all lies.”
Unsure, Janet looked up at Andrew. Could he be telling the truth? Those blue eyes were intense as they stared back at her. She remembered how great he was with Oba…how kind he was with that little girl earlier this evening. His eyes told her what she needed to know. Fiona had been lying to her.
Then, what she had said seemed to register on his face. “Wait. You’re pregnant? Right now?”
Janet smiled and nodded. “Yes! I found out a few weeks ago.”
Andrew dropped back down to his knees and pressed his face up against Janet’s satin dress. “Hello… hello. It’s me. Your daddy. I can’t wait to meet you. Your mama and brother and I are going to give you the best life. We will be a family. Forever.”
Janet could hardly believe it. She and Andrew would raise the baby and Oba… they would be a family.
And with that, Andrew stood and pulled Janet to her feet. At the top of the London Eye, with the full moon lighting the raindrops, and the lights of London illuminated like a Monet painting, Andrew slipped the diamond ring on Janet’s finger, looked into her eyes and before he kissed her, said, “You are beloved.”
Epilogue
“Mama, do I have to growl when I walk down the aisle?” Oba looked so handsome in his suit. He was fidgeting with the white flower pinned to his jacket.
“What do you mean, little king?
“If I am the ring bear, don’t I need to growl?”
The women all laughed, and Janet kissed the top of her son’s head affectionately. “No, my love. You just be you.”
It was one year to the day after that fateful night. The documentary.. the Ferris Wheel… the night spent in her Penthouse Suite after she’d agreed to become his wife. The happy and proud day in court when Oba became their son...They all seemed like distant, yet cherished memories.
Today was the day Andrew would make good on his promise to marry her. This was their wedding day.
Oba had gone into the “Man room” to be with Andrew and his best men. When he’d told the other members of the BBC 2 that he and Janet were finally getting married, they started arguing over who should be best man.
“I was his roommate.” “Yeah, but I introduced him to Janet.” “Yeah, but I look better in a tux.”
In the end, it was Winston who suggested, “Why is it the custom to only have one best man? Why not have all three?” And so he did.
For Janet, the choice was clear. Nicole was the only one who could be her maid of honor. Not only did they go back the farthest, but if it weren’t for her, none of this would have happened.
Putting the final touches on her makeup, Janet reflected on the year. When they had gotten back to Francistown (after stopping off at the Apple Store in London to get a new phone), Janet and Andrew threw themselves into their projects.
For Andrew, the diamond mine he purchased turned out to be the most profitable one to date. And with the new sustainable mining methods, he felt comfortable that it was ethical as well as profitable.
The adjacent plots had been developed with the help of Ryan and his family’s construction company. Cole infused some additional capital into the project, and now every one of Francistown’s 100,000 residents had updated water, electrical, and HVAC systems.
Plus, they had conspired on one other project, dubbed The Hidden Gem. For months, the men would take day trips to who knows where and come back all dusty and sweaty.
For Janet, the infusion of cash from the gala meant that she could update and renovate A Place for Grace. Plus, they had finished construction on Extended Grace, and there were several families already living there. It was still heartbreaking to see, but at least Janet could keep them together as they faced the crisis as a family.
The additional resources, plus the donations and material support that came from the documentary, Amazing Grace, meant that Janet could expand the orphanage, and was able to make it into a self-sustaining charity. Janet no longer needed to take money from the Girard Foundation.
“You look like you’re ready f
or a glass of champagne.” Coral handed her a flute and toasted. “I am so happy for you, friend.”
Looking around at the wedding preparations, Janet thought, What an incredible day. Everything is perfect. Wait...you know what that means…
Sure enough, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, Alexis Girard breezed in. “Ladies. May I have the room?”
Grinning, Nicole, Elyse, Radhika, and Coral all filed out.
“Mother. I thought you were with Daddy in the waiting area.”
“I was, but I wanted a moment alone with you. It’s not every day that your only daughter gets married.”
“True, but the ceremony is about to start.”
With an expansive sweep of her hand, Alexis said, “Darling. It’s not like they can start without you.”
Janet laughed and took another sip of champagne. “Okay. Fine. Out with it. What are the pearls of wisdom you have for me?”
Alexis got strangely quiet. “They aren’t pearls of wisdom. It’s an apology. I haven’t been a very good mother to you. I realized on the flight over here that I was jealous of you.”
Janet sat back in shock.
“You are so beautiful and strong. You forged a life for yourself that is full of depth and meaning. When I got pregnant with you, I did the opposite. I folded my life into your father’s. I gave up my dreams to become a mother. And I resented you for it.”
“Mom…”
“No, wait. I have to finish or I won’t be able to get it out. My wish for you, Janet, is that you know the joy in your husband and children that I never had. Not that it wasn’t there, but I didn’t look for it. I was looking for a life that didn’t exist, when I had everything I needed right here. With you.”
Crying, the mother and daughter embraced for several minutes. “Oh, now look. We’ve messed up our makeup. Let’s get someone in here to fix it…”
Standing outside the door that led into the chapel, Janet heard her father’s voice. “Are you ready?” Squeezing his hand, she nodded. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.
The organ music began, and Coral walked down the aisle, holding baby Gouta. Janet was so happy that Andrew had agreed to name their daughter after Oba’s birth mother. The baby’s dark ringlets bounced as her godmother Coral carried her and gave her flower petals to drop. Watching the petals float to the ground was a wonderful game to Gouta, and she giggled all the way down the aisle.
Next was Oba. Six years old and standing tall, he was so serious about balancing the rings on the pillow he carried. It was an important task, they’d told him. And he took it to heart.
Their friends were next, walking down the aisle arm in arm. First, Michael and Elyse. Then, Cole and Radhika. Finally, Nicole and Ryan walked together. Ryan still had a slight limp from the accident, and Nicole’s arm was steadying as he held it. Was it Janet’s imagination, or was there some chemistry there?
Before she had a chance to contemplate that further, the music changed. Everyone stood to face her. The bridal march commenced, and Janet and her father slowly made their way around the aisle. Janet was blown away as she looked around. The entire church was filled to standing room capacity with members of the community. The children from A Place for Grace had formed a choir and would sing the recessional hymn. Claudia was there, next to Winston and David. Everyone that she knew and loved was in one place...
As Janet’s father passed her hand from his to Andrew’s, her heart swelled. This was what life was all about. Love and family. Serving others. Making life better, every day.
Hand in hand, eye to eye, together, Janet and Andrew said, “I do.”
“I am going to fall. I can’t see where I’m walking!” Janet was gripping Andrew’s arm. Blindfolded, he had whisked her away after the wedding reception.
“Do you want to see The Hidden Gem or not? We can turn around if you want?” Andrew was being playful.
“No, no. I have been dying to see this mysterious project of yours for months. Every time I ask anyone in town, they just look away and change the subject. It’s a conspiracy!”
“Okay, then. Are you ready?”
“Am I ever!”
Andrew removed Janet’s blindfold and caught her as she went weak in the knees.
“Oh my god. Andrew. Is this…?”
“Yes, Red. It’s our home. The one we dreamed about that weekend in the Hamptons.”
“How did you? I mean, this is Africa…” Janet was agape at the huge white house that stood before her. It was an exact replica of the house they had dreamed of building so many years ago.”
“I told you. I have friends everywhere.” He grinned, as he lifted her up to carry her over the threshold.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“No…our family is beautiful.” Andrew carried his wife into their home, where Oba and Gouta waited. As they closed the door, Janet noticed a sign over the fireplace that said, “You are Beloved.”
Other Titles
Beholden to You
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Free copy of Beholden to You
About the Author
Molly Sloan is a second generation Irish American who traded her early modeling career for public relations. After 10 years developing business strategy, branding and crisis communication for some of the world's largest companies, she is living her dream of being a writer. "I love the psychological motivation behind the characters and exploring the emotional and intimate sides of relationships," says Molly, "my books are an escape, I hope readers think so too. Every book is a standalone story with a happy ever after ending." Molly lives in Oregon with her hot husband of 20 years and her little black kitty.
Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mollysloanauthor
