Epilogue
“Can I take off the blindfold now? What’s with all the secrecy?”
Ava felt the rental car come to a full stop and heard Will kill the engine.
“You’ll find out here in a minute.”
The sound of wobbling posterboardflapped. Ava could feel the gentle breeze of it on her skin along with the setting afternoon sun through the window.
“Stay here in the car for a second, okay?” Will murmured.
Ava nodded, tempted to peek, torn by her love of surprises. As the car doors opened and shut, she decided it was best to keep the fabric on.
Faint whispers chattered outside, followed by scrambling footsteps in powder and the shuffle of the boards.
The door clicked open again, and she felt Will’s hand slip into hers. “Alright, honey, you gotta step down gently. ”
Ava laughed. This all felt ridiculous. “What is going on?”
She felt him gently press his lips to hers for a soft kiss. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Ava let Will lead her out of the car and ten feet further through the frozen grass. She heard Starla, unable to control her chipmunk-like giggles.
“Stay here, okay? I’ll tell you when to take the blindfold off.”
“Seriously,guys! What’s going on?”Ava bobbed like she had to pee.
“It’s a surprise,” Starla shouted.
She could hear Starla and Will whisper to each other for a moment and then come to some sort of agreement.
Then, Will’s voice. “You can take it off now.”
Ava pulled the blindfold off, stunned by her surroundings.
She was in a vibrant cherry orchard. Mountains sat in the distance behind a valley of budding greenery. Hundreds of cherry trees over vast Oregon acreage rained down like pink-and-white snow behind Will and Starla.
Ava clasped her hands around her face, eyes welling with tears .
“We know you love cherry blossoms, so when I found out about this orchard, I had to take you.”
It was only then that Ava realized Will and Starla were concealing something behind their backs. Will nudged his daughter with his shoulder. “Go.”
Starla held up a ten-by-ten piece of poster board with the word WILL drawn in marker on it. She held up a second, which said YOU in bold black.
Will smiled, eyes glistening, and held up a piece that said MARRY, followed quickly by another that said ME?
Will. You. Marry. Me?
Tears escaped Ava’s green eyes, dribbling down her cheeks in streams of elation.
“Well?” Will asked, handing the pieces to Starla and approaching Ava. He dropped to one knee and pulled a ring box out of his pocket, opening it before her. A diamond ring, tasteful and elegant, sat tucked in the black velvet. “Will you marry me?”
Ava nodded, tears flowing freely. “Yes.”
Will placed the ring on her finger and kissed her.
“She said yes, Star! ”
Starla rejoiced, racing up to Ava and wrapping her legs in a tight hug. In this perfect moment, surrounded by the rain of petals, Ava felt, for the first time, that she truly had a family of her own.