Finally My Forever

by Brooke St. James

  "Uh-huh," I said, weakly.

  "Okay," he whispered. He let go of me. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."

  "It's all right," I said.

  "So, I'll see you Friday?" he asked, turning to retreat to his truck.

  I smiled—or at least I tried to. "Yep."

  I was getting in my car when he yelled at me from his truck. "Hey Carly?"

  "Yeah?"

  I watched his gorgeous form as he swung open the door to his truck with a smile. "I'm proud of you for that decision you made earlier. Thanks for letting me be a part of that."

  I didn't want to say you're welcome, and I felt too shy to say thank you back, so I smiled shyly and waved before getting into my car.

  Chapter 16

  There was nothing I could do to wipe the huge grin off of my face. I felt as if I had fallen in love twice in the same night. Happiness and hope just oozed out of me.

  Trish, Ryan, and Isaac were all in plain sight when I came home. Isaac was on the couch watching TV, and Trish and Ryan were in the kitchen. Roscoe ran to greet me at the door with his tail wagging like crazy.

  "Ryan brought home a new coffee maker," Trish said, "and we're trying to figure it out."

  "They've been in there for an hour," Isaac chimed in from the couch.

  I glanced at Trish who shot me a look of frustration. "We can't figure out how to make it use this reusable pod, and there's no way we're buying the prefilled cups all the time."

  "They want to make it hard, so we have to buy them," Ryan said. He looked at me. "Also, Trish gave Roscoe half of her burrito."

  Trish slapped at him and gave him an open-mouthed look of shock. "I can't believe you're telling on me! You're the one who gives him a dog biscuit every time you walk into the kitchen."

  I'd already taken off my shoes and purse and had made my way into the living room. I laughed as I bent to pet Roscoe again. "They're gonna make you out of shape, boy," I said. "We're gonna have to go to the doggy gym."

  Isaac, who was a total fitness nut and spent most of his free time in a gym, cracked up laughing at the thought. I plopped onto the couch beside Isaac and Roscoe jumped up to sit on my lap.

  "What took you so long?" Trish asked from the kitchen. "I went to dinner after I taught that class."

  I looked at her to find that she was staring at me with raised eyebrows, which made me smile. My face literally hurt from smiling so much. "Did you go to dinner with that guyyyy?" she asked, teasing me.

  My smile only broadened.

  "You gotta new boyfriend?" Ryan asked.

  "He's not my boyfriend, but he did buy my dinner," I hesitated. "And he might have kissed me."

  Ryan and Trish both made sounds of approval from the kitchen. Isaac didn't say anything, but he lifted his eyebrow suggestively when I glanced his way.

  "Who is this guy?" Ryan asked.

  "His name's Micah," I said.

  "She's had a crush on him for five years," Trish added.

  "You make it sound like I'm a stalker or something," I defended. "I pretty much forgot about him for about four and a half of those years."

  "Isaac's got a new lady friend too," Trish said.

  "What is this, sharing time?" Isaac said, looking annoyed.

  "Why are you being so shy?" Trish said. "I saw her when you two came by the other day and she's gorgeous."

  "Yeah, but I don't know if I'd call her my lady friend just yet."

  "Oh come on, if I can tease Carly, then I can tease you too."

  He looked at Trish. "As long as we're teasing, how about those eight inch heels you had on when you went out with Shane the other night? You could barely walk in those things."

  Everyone laughed including Trish. She seriously could barely walk.

  "I almost broke my ankle in those things," Trish said, being a good sport. "Come to think of it, Isaac, your lady friend had on some pretty tall shoes as well. She was stiff-toeing it around this whole house just like me."

  Isaac didn't quite see the humor in that, but the rest of us cracked up.

  I sat in the living room talking with my roommates for about 30 more minutes before I excused myself to shower and do my lesson planning. I came really close to telling them about my decision to follow Christ, but I couldn’t find the right moment to bring it up. Regardless of the fact that I didn't talk about it, it was on the forefront of my mind. I saw this allergy commercial once where everything was dull and hazy, and after the person took the allergy pill, the world became brighter and more clear. That's what I felt like. Everything around me was the same, I just saw it differently. It was like I was looking at the world through hope-tinted glasses, and it felt great.

  I thought about Zeke and the incident that night as I did most every night when I laid in my dark room, but I thought about what Micah said. I thought God had let me experience that as a part of a greater plan, and peace fell on me like a warm blanket.

  ***

  The next day was Thursday, and I decided to go to the gym. Isaac had been bugging me to do so, and my upcoming date with Micah was just the motivation I needed. I knew that one trip to the gym wouldn't change anything, but it still felt good to go. I was proud of myself for doing it, and felt so pumped on the way home that, by the time I pulled up in my driveway, I decided to text Micah.

  Me: "Just wanted to say hi and thanks again for yesterday."

  I pressed send but instantly regretted it. Why couldn't I have just waited till tomorrow? I stashed my phone in my purse and went inside, regretting that rash decision. How desperate.

  I ate dinner and showered without looking at my phone. It was when I finally sat on the couch to watch TV that I got the nerve to check it. I saw when I first opened it that I had a message from Micah. I got hit with a wave of adrenaline as I opened it and began to read.

  Micah: "I had a blast. Can't wait for tomorrow."

  He'd sent it only a minute after I sent mine earlier. I stared at it, wondering if I should text him back. Trish and her boyfriend had been hanging out in her room, and they came out into the living just as I was trying to decide what I should do.

  I ended up talking to them for a little while, and somewhere in our conversation I asked their opinion on whether or not I should text Micah back. We had a long, hilarious discussion about texting etiquette at the beginning of a relationship. Trish and Shane we're still at the very start of their relationship, so it was funny to see their dynamics as they spoke about it.

  Ultimately, I decided to text him back.

  Me: "I'm stoked about it. Where are you taking me?"

  I did not want to ask a direct question that obligated him to text me back, but Shane and Trish both told me to do it and okayed the text before I sent it. My phone vibrated instantly and I glanced at them with wide-eyed excitement as I picked it up.

  Micah: "I'm not telling you, but it's not that I don't have a plan, because I do. Also, I got you something."

  I read the text out loud to them and they high-fived each other. "This is a done deal," Trish said, nodding confidently.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

  "It means you don’t need our advice." She gestured to my phone. "You got the guy buying you stuff. I don't think you really need to worry about composing the right text."

  Shane nodded. "Yeah, guys don't go out and buy stuff for just anybody," he said.

  "Shane's never bought me anything," Trish said.

  He looked ashamed and reached out to tickle her. "Let's go to the store right now," he said.

  She squirmed and giggled. "It's not romantic if I pick it out," she said still laughing. "You have to do it by yourself like Carly's boyfriend."

  I almost corrected her for saying boyfriend, but I didn't since I liked the sound of it.

  Micah picked me up at 7pm on the dot the following evening. My roommates all had plans, so I was the only one home when he got there. He looked amazing as usual in a pair of dark jeans, hiking boots, and a light green long-sleeve button up s
hirt that made his eyes all but glow. I was wearing a dark green sweater and he joked about us having on our team uniforms.

  He came in and met Roscoe who took to him instantly. He only stayed for a minute, though, because we were both starving and ready to get to the restaurant. I showed him the framed picture of the treasure chest Thomas painted before I put Roscoe in his kennel and locked the house. Then we made our way to his truck.

  He started the engine, but didn't put it in gear. I watched as he dug in the pocket of the driver's side door. "You might have one of these, but I wanted to pick it up anyway," he said. He handed me an unwrapped box that contained a Bible. I glanced at him and he shrugged shyly. "I just got it in case you didn't have one already. You can take it back if you don't think you'll use it."

  I opened the box, and inside there was a small, leather bound book. I took it out and held it in my hand. The leather was soft, and I could tell it was well made. It felt alive in my hands, and I remembered all the things Thomas said about it five years before when I first met him. Tears rose to my eyes as I stared down at it. It was the best gift he could have possibly chosen. I flipped through it, staring down at the pages.

  "It's perfect," I said.

  "You like it?"

  I set it back in its box and looked at him. "I love it," I said. "I don't have one, and it's exactly the one I would have chosen for myself."

  "Oh I'm so glad," he said He started the truck. "God will speak to you through that thing. There's a ton of stuff in there that will help you if you catch yourself having a rough time with memories or whatever."

  I closed it and set it on the console between us. "That was really thoughtful," I said. "Thank you."

  He reached over to touch my arm in a gesture that said you're welcome. It was like he meant to touch me and take his hand away instantly but he couldn't quite go through with pulling his hand back. He let his fingertips linger on my arm for a few seconds before taking it off, and during those seconds, an electrical charge pulsed through my body. I found it difficult to think or breathe. He turned on the radio, and I was thankful for that because I was seriously struggling to catch my breath.

  He took me to a really nice restaurant called Velvet Meg's. I had heard of it before. Meg White was a well-known chef who had starred on a few reality shows on Food Network. It usually took a while to get reservations at her restaurant, but Micah said his dad's construction company did most of the work on the place, so he and Meg had become friends.

  We talked about our families as we ate. I told him my parents had divorced when I was young, and my dad had fallen off the map with my stepmom and her family. They still lived in San Antonio, but I rarely saw them and thought of my mom and stepdad as my family unit. His parents had been together all his life, so he didn't have any divorce stories, but he had plenty of funny stories about growing up—especially with Thomas.

  We had a nice, goodhearted laugh talking about how Thomas would stop midsentence and begin to wail if something touched his heart. He made it clear how much he loved his brother, which made me feel good because I loved him too.

  Towards the end of our meal, Chef Meg came out of the kitchen to greet us herself. I had seen her on Food Network, and it was neat to see the familiarity between them. He introduced me and we had a short but sweet conversation before she excused herself to get back to the kitchen. Micah was smart and well spoken, and I found myself being proud of him during our conversation with her.

  We were headed out to the parking lot when he took his phone out of his pocket. "I'm sorry, but I should take this. It's a client, and it's the third time she's called."

  I nodded, and he put the phone to his ear. I listened to his one sided conversation.

  "Hello."

  "Yes ma'am."

  "That's okay. I was out to dinner. Is everything okay?"

  "Are we still on for Monday?"

  "Oh, no ma'am. Please don't go to all that trouble. It'll just be me and a few of my crew, and we always bring lunch or get something quick."

  "No, no, I don't want you to have to do that. If you feed my men too good, I might not be able to get them to work."

  "We'll be done by Wednesday or Thursday, but it'll need to cure before the stain goes on."

  He glanced at me and shook his head regretfully.

  "Okay, if you insist, I'm sure they'll be thankful for a home cooked lunch, but please don't put yourself out. We're used to bringing a sandwich."

  "Okay thanks. I'll tell 'em not to bring their lunch on Monday."

  "We'll see you then."

  "Okay, bye."

  We were sitting in his truck by the time he finished the conversation, and he shot me an I'm sorry expression.

  "That was one of my clients wanting to see if I would eat pork chops and mashed potatoes for lunch on Monday."

  "Must be nice," I said. "I wish my students knew how to whip up a home cooked meal for me sometime."

  "That's not an everyday thing," he said. "They just happen to be extremely attentive clients. It's like the fifth time they've called, and the job hasn't even started." He smiled and lifted a shoulder. "They go to our church." Then he made a face like he remembered something and smiled regretfully. "I think you know them, actually."

  "Gina?" I asked, knowing exactly who it was by the look on his face.

  "Yeah, the Youngs. I'm doing a big patio and some pavers at their house next week. Ms. Cathy said she and Gina wanted to make lunch for us everyday, but I can't have that. I'd never get my guys to finish the job if they fed us everyday."

  He glanced at me and I smiled as sweetly as I could even though I was suddenly nauseated.

  Chapter 17

  I prayed to God right then. I prayed God would forgive me for the super bad thoughts I had about Gina Young.

  I pictured Micah doing manly stuff in Gina's backyard with her serving him ice-cold lemonade on a tray. She'd probably be all dolled up like some perfect little homemaker while I was stuck in 11th grade science class explaining the principals of science to a student who could care less, or trying to talk some angsty teenage girl off a ledge about her boyfriend during my office hour.

  I was lost in thought picturing the whole terrible scenario when he said, "Do you skate?" I stared at him from the passenger's side, wondering if I'd heard him right.

  He was watching the road, so I was staring at the side of his face when I asked, "Did you just ask if I skate?"

  He laughed at the way I said it. "Yeah."

  "Roller skate?" I asked.

  He glanced at me with a smile. "Uh-huh. I was gonna take you there, but I figured I should ask first since that's sort of a random place for a date."

  "Do you skate?" I asked, still thrown off.

  He seemed amused by my reluctance. "I'm not a professional or anything, but I can get around the rink without falling as long as no one pushes me over or anything."

  "You want to bring me roller skating?" I asked.

  He shrugged and glanced at me again. "I thought it'd be fun. But we definitely don't have to if you're not up for it. I think there are a few good bands playing tonight, or we can see a movie."

  I'd been so caught up with the way Gina had somehow managed to interrupt our date, that I had to remind myself to stop freaking out and enjoy the evening. He was, after all on a date with me.

  "I might have gone to Skate City every Friday night of my life for about three years straight," I said.

  "Are you trying to say you're good?" he asked, smirking at me.

  "I'm not the type to brag," I said, obviously talking some smack.

  He laughed. "We're going," he said.

  The skating rink we went to wasn't the same one I went to as a kid, but if you've been to one of them, you've been to all of them. Familiar sights, sounds, and smells hit me the instant we walked through the door.

  It was odd to go on a real date where a guy took out his wallet everywhere we went and paid my way. I hadn't dated anyone since Zeke, and even then, he didn't
pay for anything. It felt surreal, like I was in a movie or something. I thanked him for paying my way and we took our tickets up to the counter to exchange them for a pair of skates. I got a 7 and he got an 11, and we brought them to the carpet covered benches that lined the rink so we could put them on.

  We passed an arcade along the way that had Skee-Ball machines, so of course I made him promise to let me play before we left. A whole host of memories flooded my mind as I sat down and stared out onto the rink. It was full of people of all ages—some which could skate well, and others that could barely stay on their feet.

  "This is the coolest idea ever," I said, glancing at him. "I haven’t done it in like ten years, but I'm so excited."

  "It's been a while for me too," he said, "so we might have to hang onto each other at first."

  My heart skipped a beat at the mention of hanging onto each other. I was so dialed in to the anticipation of his touch, that I wanted to swoon at the very thought of it. I did my best to appear less nervous than I was.

  I put on the skates and laced them up tightly. I finished before him, so I stood and tried them out on the carpeted area where we were sitting. "How's it feel?" he asked.

  "Good… on carpet," I said. "We'll see how it goes on that slickness." I turned and watched the action on the rink as he finished, and before I knew it, he was standing next to me.

  "Ready?" he asked, smiling down at me.

  I was extremely glad that I had some fairly good skating skills because Micah held his own out there. He didn't do any fancy stuff, but he was loose and agile for such a big guy, and I would have felt like a big dork if he showed me up after what I said in the truck. Unfortunately, he did not need to lean on me for balance. Part of me hoped there'd be some necessary physical contact, but that wasn't the case.

  The DJ was playing pop music. As a high school teacher, I not only recognized but also knew most of the songs by heart. By the time we were 10 laps in, I was steady enough on my feet to dance around and sing a little bit, which obviously entertained Micah.