by Anne Stone
“Tomorrow’s going to be our big day. There’s no going back.”
“No… No going back.”
“I love you,” he said as he ended the call and completed his shopping. When he got home, he placed everything in the refrigerator and headed off to bed.
Surprisingly, he slept well. He woke around seven, showered, and dressed for the day. He wanted to get Angelina’s dad aside without her knowledge before their announcement.
Angelina appeared promptly at nine. He opened the door and she almost knocked him off his feet as she carried in bags full of additional groceries.
“My goodness, you practically upended me. What do you have in there?”
She ignored him and headed to the kitchen. He followed and watched as she unloaded the bags. She was on a mission and continued to ignore him.
“You alright?” he asked as he placed an arm around her waist, kissing the side of her neck.
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“Well, you haven’t said a word since you came flying in the door.”
“Sorry about that, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“You do?”
“Well, this is the first time we’ve entertained. I want it to be perfect.”
“Anything else bothering you?”
“Like you don’t know.”
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. He moved his hand to the side of her face and caressed it. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “This is going to be a perfect day. I just know it. My mother’s going to be so excited.”
He smiled back at her, then reached down and gave her the good morning kiss he’d been dying to give her since she first arrived.
“Come on. We’ve got to decorate. Then I’ve got to start on the salads and—”
“Can you just chill out for a minute?” Alejandro said with a laugh. “We have plenty of time to get everything done. When is your family coming?”
“I told my mom to be here around two. Is that okay?”
“Yep, sure is. I told my family the same thing. When do you want to tell them about us?”
“You surprise me.”
He nodded and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and headed outside.
They completed decorating and took a breather around noon. She fixed them a quick bite to eat and they sat on the patio eating when they started discussing their wedding.
“Alejandro, when do you want to get married?”
“Well, I know we have to wait a minimum of six months because of the pre-marital planning classes with the church.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not looking forward to those.”
“Me neither, but we have to.”
She stared at him, then spoke. “Let’s see. This is July. The earliest we could probably get married would be January. I hate to think about getting married in the middle of winter. You know I’ve always wanted to get married in either April or October. I don’t know, what do you think about the end of April?”
“Angelina, we don’t have to make a decision today. At least we’ve started to think about it. You also have to factor in school. You’ll have to talk to Mary about when, or if, you can get time off during the school year.”
“And your schedule?”
“That’s not a problem. As soon as we decide on a date, I’m putting it on the calendar. I plan on taking at least two weeks off.”
“That’s sounds wonderful.”
They had just finished icing down the drinks when the doorbell rang. Angelina didn’t even look out the window, she looked at her watch. It was one forty-five. “Wanna bet?”
“Nah.”
“It’s my mom.”
“You think?” he said with a smirk on his face.
“Oh yeah.”
She opened the door and there stood her mother, all decked out in red, white, and blue. Behind her stood her father. Wyatt and Colleen were strolling up the sidewalk, arguing about something.
“Mom, Dad, come on in.” She held the door for them. “Come on, you two. What are you arguing about now?”
Colleen shrugged her shoulders and Wyatt just looked at her. “Nothing, really. Why?”
Angelina made a face at them, “Just wondering. Where are James and Kelly?”
“They’re driving separately. They got stopped at a red light.” Turning back to the driveway Jackie added, “Here they come. They just pulled up at the curb.”
Angelina waited for James and Kelly. They rushed through the door saying their helloes as they headed off in the direction of the kitchen. Angelina was just about to close the door when Gabriella pulled into the driveway. She jumped out of her car with a platter of fruit and breezed through the door, giving her friend a peck on the cheek.
“Hey, there. Long time, no see.”
“It’s only been a few days.”
“Just giving you trouble, that’s all. Where’s my brother?”
“Outside.”
“Let me say hi to him and then I’ll help you out. Oh by the way, Joe and Alec are running late. They were at some charity run earlier and just finished up.”
All of the women gathered in the kitchen while Angelina’s father joined Alejandro on the patio. Wyatt located the television and was watching the baseball game.
Alejandro set his plan in motion. Ben was helping him finish up a few things in the backyard. They were rearranging the patio furniture when Alejandro stopped and said, “Ben, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
Alejandro pulled two drinks from the cooler and walked to the back of his property with her father. He acted as though he were showing Ben something along the fence line.
Angelina saw him raising his arm and pointing at the ground. She turned back to her guests and thought nothing of the conversation.
Alejandro turned to her father and started his planned conversation. “Ben, I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes about Angelina.”
“Is something wrong with her?”
“Oh no, nothing along those lines. I wanted to talk to you about… Well…” He looked away and then back at Ben. “Ben, your daughter means the world to me. We’ve gotten very close over the last several months.”
“Angelina’s special. You know she decided not to move out of the house because she enjoys helping with Colleen and Wyatt. I just wish she would stop feeling like she needs to help us. I wish she’d move out on her own. I think she needs that to grow as a person.”
“Ah, Ben, that’s what I want to talk to you about.”
Ben just looked at Alejandro. “So you agree?”
“Well, in a manner of speaking. I know this may sound like—” He stopped for a minute, then continued, “Ben, I’ve asked Angelina to marry me. Before we said anything to our families, I wanted your approval. We decided we wanted to tell everyone today, but before we did, I wanted to talk to you first. As I said, your daughter means the world to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d marry again, but I can’t think of living my life without Angelina in it. I’d like to ask you… May I have her hand in marriage?”
“Well, of course you can. I can’t think of anyone else that I’d want her to marry. You’re perfect together. Her mother is going to be thrilled.”
“I know she is. Can we keep this conversation between ourselves? I want to see the expression on Jackie’s face when we tell everyone. I think it will be priceless.”
Ben shook Alejandro’s hand and told him he couldn’t wait for the day that he could refer to him as his son-in-law. Alejandro felt relieved that the conversation was over. He didn’t expect Ben to not accept him into his family, but wasn’t completely sure.
By the time Alejandro and Ben finished their conversation, they were joined by his father. John helped start up the barbeque. He and Ben stood around while Alejandro gathered the meats that had been prepared earlier in the day for grilling. Conversation flowed and everyone enjoyed their meal. Ben even asked if he could hire Alejandro for grilling.
Alejandro just laughed.
Jackie started to clear off the table. “I’ll be right back with dessert.”
Gabriella and Angelina gathered the remaining dishes while Jackie carried the dessert to the table. Alejandro stood as Angelina rejoined everyone. He reached for her hand. Everyone was talking about the fireworks scheduled for later in the evening.
“You know, I think we’ll be able to see them from the backyard. At least that’s what my neighbors have told me.”
“I can’t wait,” said Maria.
Angelina looked up at Alejandro and smiled. She whispered, “Everyone is getting along so well.”
He smiled and nodded. He placed his arm around her shoulders and led her towards the edge of the patio. She knew what was ahead and started to get butterflies. She couldn’t wait for him to spill the beans. She especially wanted to see the expression on her mother’s face when Alejandro shared their news. She looked at their families. Within the next few minutes, all of their lives were going to change. Soon, they’d be joined forever by marriage.
Alejandro tightened his hold on her. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Everyone was so involved with their conversation that they didn’t notice his nervousness. He felt around inside his pocket for the jewelry box that he’d put there before dinner.
“May I have everyone’s attention?” Alejandro called.
Everyone looked up in their direction.
“First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming. This is a special occasion, as it’s the first time I’ve entertained in my new home. Now, the real reason for this party…” He looked down at Angelina and smiled. “I’m sure everyone knows how close Angelina and I have become over the last several months.”
Angelina looked out at her family. Her mother was anxiously listening to Alejandro. Alejandro reached for her hand while he reached into his pocket with the other. “Today, I spoke with Ben…”
Surprised, Angelina turned and looked up at him.
“I asked Ben for Angelina’s hand in marriage.”
Angelina looked directly at her mother. A smile broke out across her mother’s lips and she shrieked. Gabriella started to cry as he withdrew the jewelry box from his pocket and removed her ring. “Ben said yes and so has Angelina.” With that, he placed her ring on her finger. Everyone jumped up in jubilation. Instantaneously, she was pulled into hugs by her mother, Maria, and Gabriella.
“I’m finally going to have you as my sister! When’s the lucky day?”
She looked over at Alejandro. “We haven’t set a date yet. We’re working on it.”
He winked at her while he dealt with his mother and father.
Kelly, Colleen, James, and Wyatt stood in the wings while Angelina dealt with her mother, Maria, and Gabriella’s excitement.
Colleen was the first to approach her. She threw herself into Angelina’s arms. “I knew it! I just knew the two of you would get married.”
“You did?”
“Uh, huh,” she added as Kelly approached her sister.
“I’m excited for you, sis. He’s a great guy from what I’ve seen.” Kelly kissed her sister on the cheek.
James and Wyatt added their congratulations, then all four Samuels siblings turned towards their soon-to-be brother-in-law. James extended his hand to Alejandro. “Congratulations, and welcome to the family,” he said.
“Thanks,” Alejandro said as he was then drawn into a hug with Colleen.
“This is the best Fourth of July, yet,” Colleen said as she hugged him and pulled away. “Congratulations! I’m so excited for Angelina and, of course, you as well.”
Alejandro laughed at Colleen’s statement. Kelly and Wyatt both took their turns welcoming him to the family.
Joe and Alec were the last to approach the couple. They had arrived shortly before Alejandro’s announcement. They both hugged her and told her they were happy that Alejandro was finally going to make an honest woman out of her. Angelina glared at both of his brothers.
Alejandro pulled her into his arms. “They’re kidding you know.”
She looked up at him, smiled, and broke out into a fit of laughter. “Of course, I do,” she said
Alejandro felt like he was a true member of the Samuels family, and he knew Angelina felt the same way about his family.
The remainder of the evening passed in a blur. Shortly after the fireworks, Jackie and Ben left while John and Maria elected to stay for a bit longer. Gabriella couldn’t get over Angelina’s ring—she hadn’t seen anything so beautiful. “Did you pick it out or did my brother?”
“He surprised me. Actually, he told me that one day he just went into the jewelry store, saw it, and bought it without thinking twice. He didn’t even know if he was going to ask me to marry him, but just in case he did, he wanted me to have this ring specifically. I was shocked when I first saw it.”
“I haven’t seen you look this happy in a long time.”
“I know. It’s been hard keeping our engagement from everyone.”
“When did you get engaged?”
“Officially, the day after school let out.”
“Wow. How were you able to keep it a secret?”
“It wasn’t easy, but Alejandro wanted to announce it today. He wanted the entire family here. I can’t believe he asked my dad. That’s just so…”
“Romantic?”
“Yeah, and boy can your brother be romantic when he wants to be.” Angelina recounted to Gabriella the day he’d asked her to marry him at the Botanical Gardens, then when he surprised her with the romantic dinner and her ring. “Your brother means everything to me. He’s helped me, too. He continues to help me daily deal with some issues that I have surrounding the transplant.”
Gabriella looked perplexed.
“I’m fine, really. It’s just some emotional stuff, don’t worry.”
“I won’t. I’m just glad that the two of you got together.”
By midnight, Angelina and Alejandro had completed clean-up. It was a comfortable July evening as they sat together on a chaise lounge. He held her tightly in his arms, nuzzling her neck and giving her a quick kiss.
“What a day,” she said.
“It was terrific. Did you see the look on your mother’s face when I told everyone about us? I wish I’d had a camera. I’ll never forget it.”
“It was great. She’s thrilled. She told me she knew we’d get married from the get-go. She absolutely loves you.”
“Well, I’m thrilled that she does. I won’t have to butter her up.”
Jabbing him in the ribs, she said, “Ahh, come on now.”
“Kidding, only kidding. I love your family.”
She turned in his arms and looked him in the eyes. “I’ve got a question for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Just when did you talk to my dad? He never said a thing to me or my mother.”
“This afternoon.”
“When?”
“I led him into the backyard. This was important to me—I wanted his approval. I know it sounds kind of old fashioned, but it’s something I needed to do. Especially with everything your family’s been through lately… Colleen’s illness, your infection… I just wanted to make sure he was okay with us before I announced it to the world.”
“Alejandro, thank you for doing that. I had no idea you felt that way. Do you still feel guilty about what happened to me? Please be honest.”
“Yes… no. At times I feel responsible for your infection. What if I’d done something differently? What if I’d kept a closer eye on you? Maybe we’d have a chance at having our own children…”
“Stop it. There’s nothing you could’ve done. It happened. We’ll get through it together. No one is to blame. Get it out of your head.”
“Okay.”
They sat in each other’s arms and fell asleep in the moonlight. They were at peace. He’d shared his intentions with their families and he was content. He was with the woman he loved more than life itself.
; Neither of them woke until the early morning hours when dawn was creeping into the eastern sky. He laid there looking at his angel. And that she was. He was lucky to have her in his life. Yes, he had guilt. In all honesty, he felt responsible for her infection. He’d have to live with that for the remainder of his life. And now that they were getting married… When they wanted children, he’d have to face it again. He knew he’d be able to get past it, but would she? That was the million dollar question that they’d both have to face. Right now he was just happy to have her in his arms.
He knew they’d have to face tons of wedding questions over the next few days. He just hoped she’d be able to get through it without her mother bringing up grandchildren. The thought of that sent a knife through his heart. He didn’t want her to have to deal with that right now. She was just starting to face her future without her own children.
Chapter Twenty-One
Angelina checked the school calendar and determined that Spring Break was in mid-March. She didn’t want to get married then, so after much deliberation, she decided on April. After talking with Alejandro and Mary, she decided to take the last two weeks of April off. They decided to marry on April 16th, which was a Saturday. The first thing Alejandro did was mark out his calendar, as nothing was going to stop him from marrying Angelina.
Angelina, being the event planner, got through a good portion of her to-do list before school began. She’d picked out her wedding dress, as well as the bridesmaids’ dress. She didn’t want too large of a wedding party—Gabriella would be her maid of honor and her sisters would be bridesmaids. They chose Alejandro’s cousins to be the flower girl and ring bearer, and his brothers would be his groomsmen. He’d chosen his father as his best man. The reception would be held at the country club, and they would marry at the church she’d grown up attending.
Everything was coming together. Angelina didn’t have to worry about school as she’d completed her planning well ahead of time. She felt stress-free as she began her second year at St. Margaret’s.
Angelina’s fellow teachers first learned of her engagement when Mary stood up at the opening faculty meeting and said she had an important announcement to make. Angelina hadn’t been wearing her engagement ring because she’d jammed her finger playing tennis the night before and couldn’t get her ring on.
