22. Chapter Twenty-Two
Yesterday’s activities still feel like a dream to me. I successfully executed everything according to plan and overlooked nothing, not even my little surprise.
My mind flashes back to the kiss we shared yesterday as I dropped her off in front of her door. I can’t believe it took almost three weeks before we could do that again.
When he came to pick us up for the date, I saw Fred’s eyes widen in shock, as he never knew we lived so close to each other.
After the date, his mind was restless, and he had to ask the questions that had been bugging him since earlier in the evening.
“I never knew you both stayed this close to each other, Mr. Stone. How come you do not come to work together?”
“Frederick…The fact that you are…engaged to someone doesn’t mean you both must do everything together. Although we’ve arrived at work in the same car a couple of times.”
“Wow…you both look so happy, Mr. Stone. I’m excited for you.”
“Thanks, Fred. Love truly is a beautiful thing, as they say it is.”
“I can see it from the giggles and touch you both share now and then.”
“You, my man, are highly observant.”
“Don’t forget to be back here by 3:00 pm to drive us to the airport. You know how prolonged the check-in process can be at the airport.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain. I’ll be here right on time.”
“Did you still get the ring?”
“Yes, Jenny brought it to the restaurant while we had dinner.”
“Oh, great!”
To maintain a low profile, I prefer parking most of my cars at the office rather than my house. I simply don’t want any unnecessary attention or the spotlight on me.
I come down from the car, and he zooms off, but not without teasing me again about Lea and me.
Frederick has worked for me for almost three years and has become one of the loyal ones. He was not just my driver but my field rep when I couldn’t make it to a site or one of those clients I really could not stand.
He was also aware of my plans for San Antonio and helped me fix the last-minute details.
I peep through my window to check if her curtains are up as well, and they are. Although our houses are not that close for me to catch a satisfactory glimpse of her, my imagination will figure out what she might be up to.
I decided to call her and put the accuracy of my imagination to the test.
“Hey, ma’am. Your flight DM-12889 is ready to land. Please, fasten your seatbelt as you arrive at Damien Stone’s heart in 5…4..3..2…”
“Bang! His heart is so big, I had to come with a force.”
Her laughter at the other end of the call makes me laugh at our silly shared joke.
“Packing already?” She asks me.
“Yeah, I just have a couple more tasks to complete, and then I’ll be finished in minutes.”
“Okay! You know how ladies can be. I’ve packed and repacked and now have excess luggage for a one-week trip.”
“Well, whatever you do not use will not be a complete waste. Who says you cannot change two to three times in a day, huh?”
“Damien, please… don’t try to make me feel better about my indecisiveness.”
“Okay. Do you need my help with your arrangement?”
“Yes, please!” I can imagine her making that puppy dog face as though she would cry if I didn’t show up.
“Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be there shortly.”
I put the most important item into my box, zip it shut, and leave to help my woman with her luggage.
She doesn’t wait for me to knock more than once before flinging the door open and jumping on my body for a bear hug.
“Easy now, tigress.”
“Thank you for coming! I was almost losing it with my packing and repacking.”
“Let’s see what we have here.”
She leads me to the guest room, where different clothes lie around with boxes open. This was more chaotic than I thought.
“I already have a little box packed with my toiletries and similar items.” She points to a red mini-box on the floor.
After what seemed like an eternity, we sorted out the clothes she would travel with and left out the rest.
“It’s almost 3:00 pm,” she reminds me as we lay down beside each other on the floor.
“Right. We need to freshen up and be out soon. Frederick will be here any moment from now.”
“Fred…? Frederick…? From yesterday?”
“Yup, you’re correct. Is there an issue with the idea?”
“Nope, not at all. I just wanted to confirm.”
“Alright then,” I get on my feet and head out.
She follows me to the door and says she will see me shortly. I called Frederick to remind him, and he said he was coming.
I quickly freshened up and cross-checked the items I had packed, especially the most important item.
I head down to wait for Frederick while reviewing some videos and pictures we took last night.
The sound of my doorbell blazing halts my entertainment prematurely.
I open the door, and Fred walks in with a big grin on his face.
“What’s got you so happy, man?”
“The thought of your trip and everything being planned out.”
I laugh at his attempt to mimic what I planned to do.
“Just pray everything goes according to plan.”
“Certainly, it will!”
He helped to carry my suitcase while I held the duffel bag. I motion towards Lea’s door while everything is loaded into the car.
She must have heard the engine roar into the area as she walked outside with her belongings right before I approached her door.
She’s wearing navy blue joggers with a similar-colored jacket and a white camisole. Her pretty neck stands high as her hair is placed up by a butterfly clip.
As always, she looks beautiful. More beautiful than she even looked yesterday.
I helped her with her suitcase and another bag while she walked to the car.
We get in, and she teases Frederick about his “Rumble Dumble” shirt and how it should be “Rumble Rumble” instead.
The airport processes are seamless, which is surprising given the crazy restrictions set in place in recent times.
We arrive in San Antonio almost three hours later, and Kelvin and Laurel are there to receive us with a poorly drawn placard with ‘Welcome home, Lea’ that I’m sure Kelvin made.
They didn’t know I would be with Lea, and the shock on their faces exposed that.
Kelvin steps up to me first after hugging Lea and leaving her to Laurel and squeals.
“How did you get Laurel to accept your art form?” I ask him.
“It’s nice to see you too, bro.” He hugs me and taps my back repeatedly, ignoring my question about his artwork.
“Same here, man.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to San Antonio with Lea?”
“Why didn’t you tell me the million and one things that you always keep to yourself?”
“Okay Okay…Someone is a soft boy since he fell in love.”
I playfully hit his chest and hugged him again. I had missed this guy, my only best friend and brother.
We do our secret handshake, which we have not done in a long while, and laugh out loud. The ladies turned to us, and I moved towards Laurel to hug her.
“It’s lovely to see you again, DM.”
“Same here, Laurel. Have you been good?”
“Yes, I have. You don’t look bad yourself.”
“Let’s just say that’s a recent development.”
We all share a knowing laugh, but Lea looks somewhat confused.
We walk to the parking lot where Kelvin’s minibus is parked, and he drives to their parent’s house, which my eyes are familiar with.
The house I spent most of my childhood in with the number of times I had to sleep over at Carlos’ house or sneak in at night to play with Kelvin. We were one handful of a bunch back then.
The house looks a bit unkempt, with the grasses overgrown and the driveway filled with dry leaves.
“We just came in here earlier today. We thought it best for all of us to stay together in this house where the memories are as we go about the final court proceedings.”
“That’s a great idea,” Lea says as she seems to swallow the rest of the words that she left unsaid. Her eyes give her away.
We step into the house and transparent film still covers some furniture to protect them from dust.
We go into Lea’s room first, and her magazine cut-outs and sticky notes are still visible on the walls; however, they have worn off. Her medals and trophies, rather dusty, are on the shelf.
She takes in a deep breath beside me, and I reach for her hand. Our eyes meet, and I assure her, without words, that I am here for her.
We placed her things inside the room and then moved to the guest room where I would be staying. The room is smaller but perfect for a guest.
After settling into the room, I head over to Lea’s room to ensure that she has not swamped into that dark hole of grief again.
“Hey,” I say as I stand slouched by her door frame.
Looking at the pictures on her reading table, she looked lost in thought. There’s a picture of her parents, Kelvin, and herself in front of the Eiffel Tower. Another is one with two other young girls and herself, where she is putting on a crown. That must have been taken in one of the pageants, which she won.
The last frame is one with her mom holding onto her as they both share a laugh, probably for a shared joke. She picks that one up and gently touches it with her fingers as if fearing it might shatter.
“We shared a lot of inside jokes. We would always hide them from my dad and Kelvin. It was like a secret girl-code thing.”
“I…I miss her so much, Damien.” The tears were clear in her voice. I rush to her side to hold her as she sobs quietly.
“I’m sure she’s watching you from where she is, and she is very proud of you, Lea.”
“Sometimes, I want someone to prick me with a needle and tell me this is all a dream. They just went on a vacation and will return in a few weeks.”
“I’m sorry you feel this way, Lea. If I could take the pain away, trust me, I would do that in a heartbeat. My shoulder will always be here for you to cry whenever you need one.”
We hugged, and she finally let her tears flow down my shoulders.
Laurel calls for us to have dinner, and we gather at the table. Eating at a table with family, people I genuinely love and care for feels so good.
We catch up on the events that have happened in the past. Our laughs are genuine, straight from the heart, and in-depth to our souls.
Kelvin and I step aside to catch up on our activities after dinner. My friend looks happier, especially with the coming pronouncement based on the estate.
We talk about the women in our lives, and I let him in on my plans.
“I want to propose to Lea after the pronouncement tomorrow.”
“Boy’s not taking anything slow, huh?”
He hits my chest playfully, draws me in for a hug, and gives me a pat of permission on my back.
“I’m proud of you, brother. You are finally making a great life decision not based on business.”
“Life is more than Selware. Plus, Lea makes me so happy. I cannot imagine spending my life with anyone else other than her.”
“You sound like a man who is drowning in love.” His fingers point towards me as he laughs at his funny but factual joke.
“Be serious, bro. This is a big step for me.”
“You already know my stance on you and Lea. I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else but you. I also know she’s a good fit for you. I’ve always known you both loved each other since way back in the day, so this is no surprise to me. I’m glad you get to do this when all of us are present, though. How do you want to pull it off?”
“I certainly don’t want to go on one knee in the middle of the registry. She needs to revel in the euphoria when they pronounce, and I need her to enjoy the moment. I was thinking of booking a restaurant where I can pop the question.”
“That’s a good idea, bro. Perfect plan.”
“Hold on. Why do your parents already think you are both engaged?” he asks, sounding confused.
“Let’s just say we’ve been naughty and got caught,” I replied.
“Okay. That sounds interesting, but I have no clue what you are talking about. I need to inform Laurel about your plan for tomorrow.”
“Inform Laurel about what?” Laurel walks onto the front porch where we had been standing, and I’m thrown off balance a bit to see her.
My eyes switch to Kelvin, giving him a sign not to tell her, but he is too excited to notice it.
“Busy DM is finally going to propose to Little Sister Lea.”
“Oh, my!” She covers her mouth in shock, and I can only hope it wasn’t loud enough for Lea to hear.
Why did they have to be so loud?
“That’s good news, DM.”
“Thank you, Laurel. She obviously doesn’t know about this, so can we keep it low till tomorrow?”
“Of course, you can trust me to keep my lips sealed,” she mimics, zipping her lips, then locks and throws the imaginary key away.
We both turn to Kelvin and wait for his response on whether he is in on the plan.
“What?” He asks cluelessly.
“Are you in?” Laurel and I chorus at him.
“Of course I am. What better gift to give my sister after such a stressful eight to nine months? I’m definitely in.”
”You know we are asking you to keep it a secret as well, right, babe?” Laurel says to him, her arms now on his shoulder, with a seductive look, probably to convince him to be in on our deal.
I don’t mind whatever she does as far as it gets him to keep his mouth shut.
“Kelvin never talks about important details, so I doubt he will miss up on this one.”
“That was just one time, bro. Okay…maybe a couple of times, but not to worry, I’ll cooperate for this one.”
“Trust me, DM.” He looks at me and turns back to Laurel to ensure his agreement has sunk in.
I look away as they kiss each other right in front of me.
“Get a room, guys!!”
I pretend to be irritated, but it is just an excuse to go in and see Lea.
The following morning, we make our way to the probate registry to complete the final proceedings. I quietly follow Lea, sitting beside her and never letting go of her hand.
The proceedings are swift, and we get to the moment of truth. The moment we all are holding our hearts for.
The registrar holds up the documents and reads the pronouncements from the court.
“Mr. Carlo, the Honorable Court of Justice has reviewed the claims you submitted to this registry. The judge showed that what happened to your parents was a gory incident that no one should ever have to experience.”
“More so, on the grounds of the property taken from your parents by the government, it has been considered unjust by the honorable court.”
Lea’s hands tighten on mine as she gently squeezes me in anticipation.
“Therefore, your claims to this court have been duly granted. You have been granted ownership of the property and, by this pronouncement, may use, sell, or discard it as you see fit.”
“However, all that has been done with the property should be accrued out within the ambit of the law.”
We all let out deep sighs we had been holding in since this hearing began.
Laurel hugs Kelvin tightly, and as I turn to do the same to Lea, she clinches me tightly as well. The relief in the eyes of the siblings is palpable.
This has been such an excruciatingly painful process for them, and I am overjoyed that it is finally over. No one should ever go through this type of process.
During our jubilation, I brought up the idea of going out to celebrate, and Kelvin and Laurel backed me up with knowing smiles.
“Well, I don’t mind celebrating outside today. It’s a big deal, after all,” Lea squeals.
Now that we are all on the same page, we proceed to the house to get ready for the night.
At exactly 7:30 pm, we were all dressed and headed over to De Valieto restaurant, which I had booked in advance.
I double-checked my suit jacket to ensure I did not forget the night’s most important item.
Our table provides a pleasant view of the city, and I ensure that Lea seats in a spot that will create a dreamy backdrop when I propose.
While waiting for our orders, a server brings us some white wine. Conversations happen around the table, but my mind is jittery and fixed on the mission I had come here for.
At that moment, I decided to take the bold step and damn the odds.
I take up my glass and clink it with a spoon to get everyone’s attention. Lea, especially, looks confused, as she does not know what is going on.
“You both…” pointing to Kelvin and Laurel, “can testify that love is a beautiful thing.”
“Nothing is better than having someone who understands you and brings out the absolute best in you. I have found that person, and that is you, Lea.”
Her mouth is agape as she looks at me and realizes what is about to happen.
“Lea, I’ve loved you since you’ve been in my life. I was blind to see it back in the day, but fate was so kind as to bring you closer to me again.”
“Lea… Will you do me the honor of being my lover, my wife, and my life partner?”
Tears well up in her eyes as she nods while trying to find her words.
“I’ll marry you, Damien. It will be my absolute honor.”
I take her hand and place the ring on her finger, right where it should be.
“How did you pull this off?” She stares intently at the ring as she admires it.
“I had a little help from Samantha and Jenny.”
“You told them the truth?”
“Let’s just say they bought into another lie.”
We laugh at the silly things we have done in the name of being engaged. Now, it was for real.
I hold on to her and kiss her intently. This time, it felt different, knowing that it was real and sealed to happen forever.
Kelvin calls us back to reality with his insistent cough.
“We need to make a toast to you both!”
“Oh yes! What do we toast to?” Laurel asks him.
Lea and I look at each other knowingly and in agreement.
“To new beginnings,” we both chorus.