Chapter 22
Wyatt Woods
I was awoken from a deep slumber by the sound of Emily’s voice.
It was faint at first, but gradually grew louder until I could make out her words.
She was calling my name, urging me to wake up, as we were late.
I reluctantly opened my eyes and sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep away.
“Daddy, aren’t you gonna be late for work?
” She jumped onto the bed, causing the bed to squeak.
I loved her enthusiasm, but I was tuckered out.
I glanced at the clock and it read seven forty-five.
Having only five hours of sleep makes me grumpy. I groaned and stretched, trying to shake off the fatigue. Emily’s excitement was contagious, but I struggled to match her energy. “ Alright, pumpkin,” I muttered, swinging my legs off the bed. “Let’s get ready.”
“I’m already dressed, Daddy, and I’m hungry.”
As I studied her appearance, I noticed that she was wearing a sundress and boots, and ready to go.
Somehow, my little girl was dressing without my assistance or needing me to remind her.
“Okay, sweetie. Let me get dressed, and I’ll meet you downstairs.
” I didn’t bother to address the issue of her having boots on my bed.
There were things not worth getting upset about.
She scooted off and kissed me on the cheek before exiting my room.
The sound of her boots echoed down the staircase.
I stood up, scratched my head, and made my way to the bathroom to relieve myself.
I took one of the quickest showers of my life, got dressed, and headed downstairs.
Emily was already sitting at the table, munching on dry cereal.
I poured milk into her bowl, and knew I desperately needed coffee to try to wake up fully.
She drank the remaining milk from her bowl and wiped her face.
“Daddy, can we go now?” she asked eagerly.
“Sure, sweetheart,” I replied. “Just let me grab my coffee to go.”
A sigh escaped me when I realized I was out of my anti-murder juice.
I grabbed my phone and keys, and was ready to leave the house.
I figured I’d call dad and ask him to take care of the animals, as I was running late and had no time to tend to them.
Within minutes, we were pulling up to the daycare, and the parking lot was empty. “Daddy, where is everybody?”
“I don’t know, pumpkin.” I pulled out my phone from my back pocket to look at the time, and saw what day it was…it’s Saturday. I placed my hand on my face. “Pumpkin?”
“Yes, daddy?”
I turned my body so I could see her face. “Did you know today was Saturday?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Of course, how could she? She may be able to get herself dressed and pour a bowl of dry cereal, but she’s still a child, and I’m an adult who should have checked before we ran out of the house.
Now that I’m not in a rush, I glanced at my phone and saw I had a missed call from Valerie, and she left a message.
I played the message, and it projected through the stereo speakers. “Hi Wyatt, sorry I missed you. I wanted you to know that tomorrow morning, I’ll be heading to the airport with my friends.” The voice mail ended, and the phone recording started, “End of new voice messages.
To replay your message again, press five; to delete the message, press seven.” Quickly, I pressed five and listened to her voice. She sounded hoarse; had she been crying? I had been so busy yesterday that I didn’t check in on her. Now I regret not sending her a message before I went to bed.
“Daddy, did the pretty lady go back to California? ”
“I don’t know, pumpkin, but I’m gonna find out.” I dialed her number and got no answer as it went straight to voicemail and decided to drive to the inn. I parked the truck and pulled Emily from her car seat. We both ran up the steps and into the lobby.
My mom stood talking to one of the patrons. I stood breathing heavily after the short run. Her eyes landed on me, and she excused herself.
“Wyatt, what’s going on?”
“Is Valerie here?”
“No sugar, she left in a limousine this morning, shortly after eight.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“No, I only assumed she was heading to the Austin airport with the rest of her friends.”
“So, you didn’t talk to her.”
Emily’s eyes started to water, and I knew exactly how she felt. Had I lost Valerie forever, before we could even begin? I only knew I had to try. I took hold of Emily’s hand, and we went back to the truck. I decided to do something spontaneous.
I got out on the road and headed to Austin, Texas.
The same road where Lauren lost her life.
I was ready to drive past any roadblocks in my head to get to Valerie.
“Daddy are we going to the airport?” she sniffed.
I looked back to see her in my rearview mirror.
My heart aches seeing her with sadness in her eyes.
“Yes, pumpkin.”
“Are you gonna to ask the pretty lady to marry you?”
“Yes, that was my plan. Is that okay with you?”
“I’d like that very much.” Her eyes shone; this time, it was happy tears.
As we drove, we passed the city of Round Rock, and I knew we were at the halfway mark. I couldn’t help but feel anxious and tried my best not to express that to Emily. Finally, up ahead, there were signs for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport .
I made my way over to the garage for short-term parking. As we got out of the truck, we ran inside and stopped at the display screen for incoming and outgoing departures. I was furious with myself as I had no clue what airline they were on.
I found two planes that were scheduled to depart within an hour of each other.
Now I just had to figure out a way through security.
The security checkpoint was bustling with travelers, each trying to navigate their way through the lines.
TSA agents were busy checking IDs and scanning bags, their voices a constant background hum.
The air was filled with a mix of tension and urgency as people hurried to catch their flights, their eyes darting to the clock and departure screens.
My emotions were on high alert, but I couldn’t see Valerie, and my heart was racing. I felt Emily pull on my trousers. I looked down at her and she had her other hand extended and pointed at a group of ladies I recognized.
I grasped Emily’s hand, and we made our way through the crowd. Valerie hugged her friend, and her friend noticed I was standing nearby. She turned, and her eyes went wide with excitement.
“Wyatt! What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t want you to leave without telling you I love you. I was hoping you’d change your mind about leaving and stay here, with me and Emily.”
“Stay?” She grasped her hands together and held them to her chest.
“I know you love San Francisco, but I would like you to consider staying for good in Skybrook and becoming my wife.”
She gasped, and I can honestly say she was at a loss for words. “Listen, I may not be the most romantic person. But I know what I want, and that’s you, standing by my side until we grow old.”
“Pretty lady, will you marry my daddy?” Emily’s question added a heartfelt and innocent layer to my proposal, amplifying the emotional weight of the moment.
Her simple, yet profound inquiry emphasized the importance of family in my decision to propose and demonstrated how much she already saw Valerie as a part of our lives.
It was a touching reminder that love isn’t just between two people, but also about creating a family and a future together.
She nodded, and tears filled her eyes. “Yes!” She replied.
My cheeks heated as it became apparent I had no engagement ring to give her.
Emily had her hair in a ponytail. I asked for her elastic hair tie, and she pulled it from her dark hair and handed it to me.
I slipped it on Valerie’s finger. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her.
Emily wrapped her arms around our legs and squeezed tight.
After a few minutes, each of her friends congratulated us, and they made Valerie promise to check in with them later with details.
Then they picked up their small carry-ons and walked towards the security screening station.
Valerie waved goodbye to them. “Do we need to find a way to get your luggage?”
Valerie’s eyebrows furrowed. “What are you talking about? My luggage is back at the hotel.”
“I’m confused. So, you were heading home with no luggage?”
“I think I can straighten out the confusion. Did you get the message I left?”
I took out my phone and played it for her. Her face turned beet red. “Oh, that’s embarrassing. My phone battery died midway through the message I left. I had intended to call you this morning, but my group of friends consumed me, and I lost track of time.
The rest of the message explained that I won’t see you before I leave. I miss you and will see you later in the afternoon.” She let out a breath. “I’m sorry you drove out here for nothing.”
“Darlin’, I would drive across the country if I had to. ”
“You don’t ever have to worry about being alone, you’ll always have me by your side. I love you, Wyatt.” I kissed her lips again. She released me and bent down and hugged Emily. “I love you too, Emily.”
“I love you too, pretty lady.” She tilted her head. “Can I call you momma?”
Valerie wiped a tear away. “You can call me anything you feel comfortable with. Okay?”
Emily nodded. “Okay, pretty momma.”
A small laughter escaped me as I listened to my little girl. Emily has a way of captivating the hearts of everyone she meets. “Come on, let’s go home.” As we strolled back to my truck hand in hand, people passed us in the opposite direction as they were heading into the airport.
“Valerie, honey. How were you supposed to get back to Skybrook if you weren’t flying home to California?”
“I was supposed to get a ride back in Rae’s limousine. ”
“Oh nice, riding in style.”
“It was pretty luxurious, but I wasn’t looking forward to the drive back.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “I was going to be alone on the ride back. Somehow, it didn’t seem right.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t hear the entire message you left and drove here. Now you won’t have to ride alone.” I squeezed her hand as we made our way to the parking garage. I unlocked the doors and Valerie helped Emily into her car seat and helped her buckle up.
We got in, adjusted our seat belts, and I leaned over and placed a light kiss on her lips. I turned on the ignition and Let’s Get Married by Dan & Shay was playing on the stereo speakers. We both turned to see each other’s expression and knew it was a sign.
I would marry her tomorrow if she was interested in an elopement. However, I figured she would want a wedding, so we had a lot to discuss about planning it. But for now, I will enjoy the fact that she said yes. She has a lot of things she’s giving up being with me.
On our drive back, we spoke of things we both liked for a wedding. From music, to flowers, to having it out doors or at a church. Nothing was off the table, and we agreed on most of the items.
Emily had ideas as well. She asked for the wedding to be in September when the temperatures were much cooler. She thought the backyard was big enough. We decided to go over all the suggestions again once we got home.
Valerie finally told me about her previous workday with her boss and how they had accomplished a lot. She was with the understanding that her stay was going to be extended. Plus, they talked about opening a satellite office.
She was worried about overstaying her welcome at the inn and was thinking of looking at renting an apartment. It was something we’d have to work out. I couldn’t see her renting when she could stay with us.
The only thing was figuring out how to discuss it with Emily. I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable with the situation. But as my mother would say, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Valerie squeezed my leg.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good.” I placed my hand on hers. We had a few miles until we reached the city limits of Skybrook. I had a deep love for the woman next to me and I was ready to let everyone know how much she means to me.
I looked in the rearview mirror as Emily became very quiet. Her head was tilted to the side, and she was in a deep sleep. “Hey, what do you think about going out dancing tonight?”
“You want me to try dancing again?”
“Yup. I think I can get my mom and dad to watch Em tonight. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve spent time together. ”
A smile stretched across her face. “I’d like that.”
I’m looking forward to dancing together and spending the rest of my life with Valerie. There’s nothing I want more than to treat her like a princess if she’d allow me. Tomorrow, I plan on going shopping for the perfect engagement ring and placing it on her finger.
We passed the sign welcoming us to Skybrook. Who knows what lies ahead of us? What I realize at this very moment is that embracing the future means getting comfortable with the unknown. Letting go of the past can be tough, but it’s often necessary for growth.
I have to think of it as stepping out of my comfort zone from a familiar room, into a bright, exciting hallway. There might be some uncertainty, but also so much potential waiting to be discovered. It’s all part of the journey of life, and my happiness with Valerie and Emily.