Epilogue
Val
One year later
The last time I got dolled up on a Valentine’s Day, I wore a red wrap dress and had my makeup at full hilt. Now I’m in my Warriors hockey sweater screaming my head off as Jabari skates around the rink to celebrate his goal. He throws a kiss my way, and I blow one right back at him.
“Can you hold Lusia for a moment?” Fran asks.
“Sure.” I hold my four-month-old niece. Fran chose to carry the tradition of naming Elliott daughters after African American athletes who broke the barrier in sports.
Only she chose to represent women and named my niece after Lusia Harris, a basketball player.
Fitting, considering Fran is also named after a basketball player.
I smooch Lusia’s chubby cheeks, and she giggles. The sound melts my heart. I put my finger against her palm, and she closes her fist.
“When are you and Jabari going to tie the knot and have kids of your own?” Fran asks, eating a nacho.
I shrug. “Whenever God says.” Even though we’ve talked about marriage and kids, I’m not putting a timetable to anything. I’ve learned just how beautiful God’s perfect timing is this past year.
“Y’all have known each other for a year. Surely marriage has come up?” Jackie asks on my left.
She and Isaac came to the game as well as Dad and Ann, who are sitting behind me and Fran.
I think back to her question. Jabari and I have talked about him possibly retiring after next season with the thought of marriage and starting a family.
Jabari said he’d buy me a house somewhere in Virginia and help me bring my dream of a nursery into fruition.
I’m not sure I want him to fund a nursery, but I’m excited about a house.
Though in reality, my home is where he is, even though we’re not at the same address yet.
I have no idea if Jabari will propose anytime soon, but I do know I can’t wait until he does.
“We’ve talked about it, but I’m not too worried. He’ll ask when he feels ready.”
Things with my family have improved, and I think Jabari wants to make sure my family is truly okay with us as a couple before proposing.
His being there when I delivered Lusia helped a lot in that regard.
Fran didn’t know she was in labor since it started in her back.
Once we realized what was going on, Jabari tried to rush us to the hospital.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it. He ended up pulling over on the side of the road so I could deliver the baby as the 911 operator coached me through it.
The horn blares for another goal, and I look up to see the team swarm Javier. We’re up a point, no longer tied. I need to pay attention. Soon the second period is over, and intermission begins.
“Does anyone want some popcorn?” I ask.
“No, I want to see what the special intermission is. You’re not leaving, are you?” Jackie asks.
I glance at the ice. Usually, they have the five-to-seven-year-old league play a quick game of hockey. They’re equal parts adorable and awesome skating on the ice. But they did announce a special intermission in the beginning, so maybe I should stay.
“I think I saw that one singer. Do you think she’s our intermission special?” I ask.
“Which singer?” Fran asks.
“Holiday Brown.”
She shakes her head. “I think she’s just here with her husband and son. They looked really invested in the game.”
Probably because we are playing New York, one of our conference rivals. Last I heard, the pop singer lived in the city with her family.
The announcer begins speaking. “Please turn your attention to the rink as the Warriors’ center, Jabari ‘Crank’”—the announcer draws out the nickname—“Hall takes center stage.”
My mouth drops. What is my boyfriend doing?
He scans the seats, catches my eye, and motions for me to come forward.
I turn to Fran. “What’s going on?”
“Girl, go see what your man wants,” Jackie says.
Dad claps me on the back, and I have a feeling I know exactly what’s about to happen.
I make my way down the steps and into the aisle.
The security guard gives me a nod and opens the siding door so I can step onto the ice.
My steps are tentative as I make my way toward Jabari, but it’s completely unnecessary.
Raimo and Javier skate toward me, holding a chair between them. They place it down so I can sit. They fly forward, and I squeal while holding on to the chair as it slides across the ice. Once I’m in front of Jabari, he drops to his knee.
My heart is pounding, and my hands are freezing, but my eyes have only one focus, and that’s the wonderful man before me.
“Val Elliott, you have shown me what true kindness looks like. You showed me the love of God before I even knew that’s what I was looking at. And every day I spend with you, sight or no sight, fills me with endless moments of sunshine.”
My eyes water at the nod to my nickname.
“It’s with love that I kneel before you to ask if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
My yes gets trapped in my throat, raw with unshed tears. I clear it and then with a deep breath shout into the arena. “Yes!”
The crowd cheers, and Jabari’s face transforms from love to overwhelming joy. He slides the most gorgeous ring on my finger. The band is shaped like a vine, and the round diamond sits squarely in it. I throw my arms around Jabari and meet his lips with mine.
Sound fades, and my heart feels like it could burst in my chest.
I pull back and look deep into his eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He throws his head back and laughs, swinging me around.
I’m so glad he proposed. Now whenever I think about Valentine’s Day, I’ll remember the chance I took on him when I gave him my number. How an offer of friendship turned into so much more. God knew exactly what my future held—what our future held.
I’ll be forever grateful to have a God who sees me and knows exactly who will value me as a person. Someone who doesn’t care if I wear hockey sweats and no makeup. A man intent on taking me to every botanical garden in the world and buys me plants just because he wants to see me smile.
I kiss Jabari one last time. “Go win this,” I encourage.
“I’m already a winner.” With that, he kisses my ring finger and skates away.
He’s right. They may win this game and make it all the way to the Stanley Cup to lose like they did last year. Or they could win. God only knows, but together, we’ll ride every high and every low with our eyes fixed on Jesus.