Jenny
“Do I look just right for a rehearsal dinner?” Gael asked.
“Thank you,” he told her. “You look very beautiful.”
She smiled, though her heart was a little heavy today. Ana had set aside this simple, pretty dress for her to wear tonight. It was a lilac wrap dress with just enough flowy fabric to float a little when she spun around. She honestly felt like a princess.
It’s not real, she told herself for the hundredth time.
“So how was your date really?” Gael asked her again. “Like really, really? Did he tell you he’s in love with you and wants tomorrow to be a real wedding?”
Jenny smiled at Gael, whose eyes were shining at the romantic idea of her fake engagement magically becoming real. And he had no idea how close he was to hitting the nail on the head in terms of the feelings swirling between Jenny and Erik.
But there was no point letting Gael think something was going to happen if it wasn’t.
“Listen,” she said, sitting down on the sofa and patting the seat next to her.
He sat, his smile fading, but his eyes still trained on hers.
“This has been a lot of fun,” she told Gael. “And I do care about Erik, he’s an old friend, and I want the very best for him. But this is not a good time for me to have a serious boyfriend.”
“Why not?” Gael asked, looking scandalized.
“First of all,” she said. “I have you to look out for now. And Erik doesn’t even live nearby. I don’t see how it could work.”
“We could move,” Gael said.
She was so surprised that she just blinked at him for a second.
“I know that’s easy to say,” Jenny said, recovering. “But our lives are in Boston. You’ve always lived there. That’s where your school is, and your friends are there.”
“They have schools here too,” Gael said, shrugging. “And Ben Webb is my friend. I could learn to ride a horse, and hang out at the Center, and visit Miss Trudy and Mr. Ward.”
“Oh,” Jenny said.
“It’s nice here,” Gael went on. “Maybe when I grow up I’ll start a peach orchard. There’s plenty of space for one. You can’t start a peach farm in Boston.”
“That’s…true,” Jenny allowed.
“But you’re still saying no?” he guessed, his voice soft and sad.
Jenny took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth.
“Gael,” she said. “You’re my whole world. And all I want is to do the best I can for you. I don’t want someone in my life who takes my time away from you. I want you to be happy.”
“Because you love me,” Gael said softly.
“Exactly,” she told him, grabbing his hand. “I love you more than anything.”
“Well, I love you too,” he told her with a small smile. “Don’t you think that means I want you to be happy?”
Her heart squeezed and for a second she had no idea how to respond, as a wave of love for her son threatened to leave her in tears.
“Well, I do,” he said after a moment. “I really do. And besides, if you couldn’t tell, I like Erik too. I think he’d be a really good dad, don’t you?”
Jenny let out a little sound that was half-sob, half laugh, and pressed a hand to her mouth.
“And he’ll be really sad if we leave,” Gael went on. “So will all the veterans. They like playing games with me and talking to you.”
In that moment it was impossible not to see it all from Gael’s eyes. Here was a little boy who loved the family he had, and wished for more people to care about, a boy who made friends wherever he went, but needed a closer village around him.
“It might be hard to change our lives so much,” Jenny ventured. “And that’s assuming Erik would even want that.”
“He wants it,” Gael reported cheerfully.
“How do you know?” Jenny heard herself ask.
“I just do,” Gael said. “He looks at you like he just wants to follow you around all the time.”
Jenny couldn’t help smiling at that sweet compliment.
“You should give him a chance,” Gael said. “We could be really happy all together as a family.”
“I’m going to think about that,” Jenny said. “Thank you for sharing with me. I like knowing how you feel.”
“You’re welcome,” Gael said with a smile. “Just follow your heart.”
“That’s good advice,” she told him. “That’s how I got to be your mom.”
“I know,” he said, hopping up. “Now let’s go so you can tell Erik how we feel.”
“I still need to think about it,” she said automatically.
“Not really, though, right?” he stopped to ask her. “You already know how you feel.”
“Come on, kiddo,” she said, smiling at her too-wise boy. “Let’s get out of here.”
As they put on their coats, she wondered all over again at how she’d wound up the mom of such an amazing child.
And she couldn’t help the joy that filled her. Gael was right, of course, she didn’t need to think about it. She was ready to give Erik her heart. The thought of it made her feel like she could fly.
As they drove over to the church and parked in the lot, she started to get excited. They piled out of the car and headed to the community center, where the rehearsal dinner would be held.
The sun was just setting in earnest, and she could see people milling around in the glowing windows of the first floor. It was wonderful to think that dozens of people were here, people who cared about Erik, and by extension Jenny and Gael, and wanted to help with the wedding.