2. Luke
2
luke
Sneaking around Luce was proving to be quite the challenge. She was incredibly observant and fully immersed in the winter holiday spirit, so I had to plan each move carefully if I wanted to avoid getting caught. The truth was, I had known this moment was coming ever since I first laid eyes on her during her ‘welcome home’ party.
Somewhere deep in my heart, I knew we were meant to be—that we would find our way back to each other, just as I knew that I would marry her sometime soon. I didn’t see any point in wasting more time when we both knew what we wanted out of life. We knew each other, inside and out, and I knew this was it for me. Nothing else could ever compare, and the only logical move was to move forward to the next step of our lives.
It began this afternoon, when Luce left for a school function, giving me a few hours alone to pull this off. I parked my truck in front of her mom’s house and reached into my pocket to retrieve a small, velvet box containing a ring made just for her. It was a silver band with an oval-cut diamond, made with a lot of love and thought, and I knew she would adore it. I should have felt some nerves, but instead, everything felt so natural that I could hardly wait for the moment to arrive.
I stepped out of the truck and walked up to the front door, knocking softly.
“Coming!” Eve’s voice called from inside. After her injury this summer, she had taken quite some time to recover but was now doing much better, to the point where Luce had to remind her not to push herself too hard. Eve’s face lit up with a smile as she opened the door, and her gaze landed on me. It was like seeing a glimpse of what Luce would look like in twenty-five years—soft facial lines, long, curly hair, and a warm, ever-present smile that I hoped to keep on Luce’s face.
“Luke! I didn’t expect to see you here,” Eve said, her eyes scanning over my shoulder as she searched for her daughter.
“Luce isn’t here,” I explained. “She’s at a school function, and I wanted to come see you on my own.”
A hint of concern crossed her face as she stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in. In the living room, I found Ed lounging on the couch with a can of beer in hand, watching TV. He greeted me with a broad smile.
“Hey, Luke. Do you want to join me and watch the game?” Ed asked. Luce and I weren’t the only ones making significant life changes—Ed had also moved in with her mom, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Much like us, they were a perfect match, complementing each other in every way.
“Maybe some other time, Ed. I’ve got to talk to your lady,” I teased, following Eve into the dining room, where we sat at the old, sturdy table. “I won’t take up too much of your time, and I don’t want you to worry that something’s wrong.” Eve’s expression softened as I continued, “You know I love Luce more than anything in the world. Now that she’s back in town—and back with me—I never want to let her go. Some might think we’re moving too fast, but I’ve known that I wanted to marry her since high school. So, I’m here to ask for your blessing to propose to Luce. You mean the world to her, and therefore, your opinion means the world to me. I know I’ve messed up in the past, but?—”
“Luke,” Eve interrupted my pre-planned apology and assurances, reaching for my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “No need to apologize. The past is in the past. If you two have let it go, no one will hold it against you.”
I exhaled with relief, about to thank her, when she continued, “Besides, it’s the twenty-first century. You don’t need to ask for my permission. Luce knows what’s best for her, and she’s chosen you. So, if she’s happy, I’m happy, and you have my full support to marry her.” A wide smile spread across her face as she gave my hand a small tap.
This is going well , I thought to myself, smiling. There wasn’t even a hint of teasing…
“But you know, it took you long enough,” she added with a playful glint in her eye.
Ah, there it was . I couldn’t help but laugh. “I agree wholeheartedly. But don’t worry, I’m making up for it now.”
After wrapping up my conversation with Eve, I had another important talk scheduled with someone else close to Luce. Once I got home, I video-called her best friend, Sailor. Sailor and I only briefly met when she helped Luce move her things to Port-Cartier. I had insisted on helping, but Luce said it was a ‘girl thing’ that I ‘wouldn’t understand.’
Sailor hadn’t stayed long back then, but I looked forward to getting to know her better.
When she answered my video call, her expression was slightly confused, her gaze darting around as if she were trying to find Luce. We weren’t on video-call terms yet, but I hoped that would change with today’s conversation. After all, Sailor was a crucial part of my plan. I knew Luce would want her best friend to be there when she got engaged, and I was determined to make that happen.
“Hey, Luke,” she said slowly, clearly unsure of the reason for my call. “Is Luce around?”
I shook my head, offering a reassuring smile. “Nope, just me. I know this might seem slightly out of the blue, but I’m reaching out because I need your help.”
“Oh, my God!” she exclaimed immediately. I had to quickly lower the volume on my phone to recover from the sudden assault on my ears. “Is she pregnant? No—she’d definitely tell me first. I’d be the first to know!”
My brows arched in amusement. “I’d like to think I’d be the first to know, considering I’ll be the baby’s father, but no, I’m afraid I’m here to disappoint you. She’s not pregnant—yet. But she is about to get engaged, and I really want to make sure you’re there for that special moment.”
I expected her to start screaming again, but instead, her eyes welled up with tears, and she sniffled loudly, taking a few moments to process the words I had just spoken. I watched her silently, giving her space to recover before speaking up.
“That is so sweet of you. And that would have been my next guess,” Sailor assured me, her voice choked with emotion. Her recovery time was quick, because now, that infectious excitement was all over her face again. She clapped her hands together, nearly dropping her phone from whatever she had propped up against.
“I thought so,” I said, smiling. “Anyway, I know this is kind of short notice, but I hope you can make it. I plan to propose to her on Christmas Eve, when our families will get together.” They had always been our biggest supporters, cheering us on and hoping we’d end up together, so it only made sense that they should be there for this important step in our lives.
“Are you kidding me?” she waved me off with a grin. “I work from home, so I can make this work. Even if I didn’t work from home, I’d still ditch work for my best friend’s engagement. You can always find another job, but my best friend will only get engaged once…”
“Perfect,” I said, feeling a great weight lift off my shoulders. One of my biggest worries was whether Sailor would be able to make it to Port-Cartier when I knew how much my girl would want her there.
“I’ll send you an email with the available tickets I can book for you, so you can choose whichever one works best for you. I’ve also spoken to Eve, and she’s more than happy to have you stay with her, so your accommodation is taken care of. I’d invite you to stay with us, but our guest room still isn’t set up, and with everything going on, I can’t?—”
“Luke, relax,” Sailor said, leaning back in her chair with a smile. “Staying with Eve is honestly the best thing you could have arranged for me. We love each other! She’s like a mom to me. I’m going to have the best time.” She waved off my concern. “But you don’t need to get me a ticket. I can buy one myself…”
I shook my head firmly. That wasn’t an option. It never had been. “Absolutely not,” I insisted, pacing around the house. “I know I’m giving you short notice, and I’m the one asking you to come, so it’s only fair that I cover the cost. I’ll even have my older brother pick you up from the airport and drop you off at Eve’s place. Everything will be sorted out; you just need to pack your bags and show up.”
Sailor’s grin widened. “Oh, wow. Luce wasn’t kidding when she said you were a planner…”
I tilted my head, intrigued. “What else did she say about me?”
Sailor’s smirk grew. “She’s my best friend, Luke. I’m not about to spill all our secrets…”
“Fair enough,” I laughed, glancing at the clock above the fireplace. “But she was right about one thing—I am a planner, and I have a lot to arrange right now. It’s been nice talking to you, Sailor, and I’ll see you soon. I’ll shoot you an e-mail so we can sort out the plane tickets.”
After we said our goodbyes and ended the call, I made sure to delete all traces of our conversation. I wasn’t used to hiding anything from Luce, but I knew it would be worth it in the end. Now that I knew Christmas was her favorite time of year, I was determined to make the first one we spent together after ten years apart even more special than I had initially planned. I was committed to exceeding every expectation and making this moment one she would remember for the rest of her life.