One Year Later
While this was technically our second marriage to one another, Allie was insistent that we meet on the Sugar Creek Bridge on the day of our anniversary.
It’d been a crazy year. She’d talked her employer into letting her work remotely and flying in when necessary and we got her all packed up.
My business partner took over the daily operations in Brazil, and I’m working on commercial projects stateside as well as a residential project, which allowed us to figure out where we wanted to settle.
After many discussions we chose to go back to where it all began. Where we could be close to her family and my father. The town that gave me a second chance.
We’ve been renting a tiny house for the time being across from the water tower in town. From our deck, if you look closely, you can still see a faint “Allie Langley” coming through the white paint. Seeing it seems to make her want to kiss me a lot which is totally cool.
Some other things have changed, too. Would you believe that Will is not only my ice fishing partner, but agreed to come on to be the financial guy for my company?
Who says hell can’t freeze over?
While he wants to deer hunt with me, that spot’s reserved for Allie.
The Sugar Creek Bridge is a few miles outside of town and remote enough so nobody ever drives by and was our fishing spot this fall. Nothing was better than football on the radio, beer in the cooler, and Allie by my side all afternoon.
Today I brought two chairs, a little table, and grilled cheese sandwiches I wrapped in foil and put in my cooler. Of course, I have a bucket of Dove chocolates and chocolate milk because she deserves all the things she loves at all times.
I brought wood for a little bon fire and pulled the Christmas tree off the back of my truck and plopped it in a tree stand and set it next to the table.
When I left the hospital Allie had taken all of the decorations from my hospital tree and put them in her “special box” which I’d snuck out of the storage closet this morning.
I now stand on the bridge waiting. Unlike the other seven times I stood in this spot, I knew she was coming to me. I watched her car come around the corner as the sound of crunching gravel grew louder.
While I’d just woken up with her by my side this morning, I couldn’t wait and started walking toward her when she jumped out.
“Freeze!”
I stopped in the center of the bridge.
“Since the moment I heard that you’d waited for me here every year, I’ve imagined it.” She walked to the edge of the bridge, and her hands went to her cheeks when she saw my makeshift dining area by the fire. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“Anything for you, Allie.”
Her head shook. “I can’t believe how beautiful this is.”
“I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”
Her head tilted. “Did you really just say that?”
“I know, a little pukey.”
“No, it’s perfect.”
“Can I move yet?”
She walked to me and threw her arms around my neck. “Just give me a second to soak this in.”
“Well, don’t take too long, our lunch awaits.”
“Oooh, lunch?”
I took her hand and led her to our table by the fire.
“Have I told you you’re the most thoughtful man I’ve ever known?”
“And handsome?”
She took her seat. “And handsome.”
I opened my cooler, pulled off the foil, and placed her grilled cheese in front of her.
“Well, it’s not totally cold.”
She looked up at me. “It’s totally perfect.”
“It’s a rare couple who has their anniversary on Christmas.”
She gave me a knowing nod. “The rarest. Only super cool couples are Christmas couples.”
I set bottles of chocolate milk in front of us and took my seat. “Do you want your present?”
Her hand clapped as she kicked her feet under the table. “Yes! Yes, to the present!”
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the red envelope and slid it across the table. “Happy Anniversary, Allison.”
She giggled as she opened it and pulled out a piece of paper before her baby blues returned to me. “What is this?”
I sat back in my chair. “I bought an acre of land for the house I’m going to build you.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Right here.”
“What?”
“Our house will sit right over there. The same field they used to chase us out of, is now ours.”
She jumped up so fast her chair fell over and sat on my lap as she peppered my face with kisses. “Are you serious?”
I let out a laugh as I pushed a curl from her face. “Yes. It’s ours now.”
“I can’t believe this.” She leaned back and took my face in her hands. “You are the sweetest man.”
Eye roll. “I kinda am. You got real lucky with me, huh?”
“I did.” She giggled. “Okay, my turn. Close your eyes.”
I closed my eyes as she continued to giggle so much I was giggling.
“Open them.”
I opened my eyes as she held something up. “Happy Anniversary.”
My eyes went from her to her gift.
“What’s—”
She pointed to the two lines on the pregnancy test.
I don’t know what expression I wore, but she burst out laughing as she cupped my face in her hands. “You okay?”
I stood and held her in my arms. “We’re having a baby?”
“We are.”
“I can’t believe this!”
“I know it’s a little unexpected—”
“I’ve never been happier in my life.”It’s going to be great.”
“I still can’t believe it.” Her nose wrinkled. “I bet my belly will be ginormous.”
I laughed. “I can’t wait. I hope our little one has your wild hair and those baby blues.”
She looked so deeply into my eyes something twisted. “I love you so much, Levi.”
I leaned my forehead against hers. “There’s no beginning and no end. It’ll always be us.”
We spent the crisp Christmas afternoon kissing a lot by the fire on the spot where our past and future would be connected for all of time.