22. Chapter Twenty-Two #3
“Will, I pushed you too hard to end up with Caroline Bingley, but I want you to be happy. I was wrong. I never should have given you the impression that I didn’t like Lizzie.
I guess I just didn’t like you showing up here with somebody I didn’t know.
It showed me that you really did have a new life without us.
I didn’t get to pick this girl out for you, and yet the two of you were so in sync. ”
Mom squeezes my hand, wiping tears away with her other hand.
“It made me realize there was a version of you that I didn’t know anymore, but she did.
That was selfish of me, and I’m sorry for that too.
But I also saw the way you were with her last night.
The way you talked about her. The way you talk about her now.
I do want you here with us, but I know you have a life in Selah Falls.
And as much as we want you here, we don’t want you to lose her. ”
“Your mother is right,” Dad says. “I’ll be on the mend, and I have your mom and sister to look after me.
I won’t ask you to stay, but I do ask this.
I ask that you go after the girl. I may not know her, but if I know you, then I can tell she’s not somebody you want to lose.
I want you to go after her because once you get things settled, I want to meet her.
Maybe we can come down to Selah Falls to visit you at the cafe.
Better yet, maybe we could visit you at your new home. ”
“My new home?” I ask, confused.
“The house in Selah Falls,” Dad reminds me.
“Your aunt left that home to you. I was holding onto it, and I was being cruel. It’s not fair.
I’m lying here in a hospital bed trying to hold onto things I can’t take with me if I die today.
It’s rightfully yours, and so is your inheritance.
I’m going to make a call today. I’m going to make sure you get everything that you’re supposed to have.
And, son, just promise you’ll let us know how things work out with Lizzie. ”
“First of all, you will be making no calls today. I’ll make the call,” Mom interjects. “And second of all, your dad is right. He’s all good here. You need to get back to Selah Falls because you’ve got something you need to do.”
“But there isn’t any time. My friends are getting married tomorrow, and I’m supposed to be in the wedding, and so is Lizzie. I don’t know if she’ll want to see me. How am I going to get there? I didn’t drive here. Lizzie drove me here from Selah.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Georgiana asks.
Mom digs through her purse and pulls out Georgiana’s car keys. She hands them to my sister, who glares at me. Georgiana tosses them to me, and I catch them just before they hit the ground.
“You can take my car as long as you give it back. And you better get your butt back to Selah Falls before you mess up your friend’s wedding. There’s still time for you to fix things with Lizzie. You’ve got to try.”
“That’s one thing us Darcys do,” Dad says with a grin. “We try, try, and try again.”
That earns a laugh from all of us because it’s exactly the kind of joke he would make if he were feeling okay. That gives me hope. Hope that even though he’s still lying in a hospital bed and has a long recovery ahead of him, he’s going to get better.
Before I go, something occurs to me. Georgiana is giving me her car and helping me.
I need to take a moment to help her. I tell my parents, “Speaking of what Darcys do, we know when it’s time for a change.
I think Gia is the one you should consider for elevation at the company.
Give her space to grow, if she wants. And please, let her find love on her own. ”
“You’re talking about me like I’m not here,” Georgiana says, moving to playfully punch me in the arm. “But thank you for the glowing recommendation. Now go. You’ve got things to do.”
She’s right. I have things I need to do. And I feel like I can go now. Like I have to.
Now that things are better here. I say my goodbyes, giving Dad’s hand a squeeze before hugging Mom and my sister. Then I head out, keys in hand and on a mission to find Lizzie Bennet.
On the elevator, I have a moment alone. I think about how good God is. How He is restoring my family. How He is restoring me. I also realize I need to repent for the whole fake dating scheme.
I close my eyes, grateful to be alone on the elevator, and think: God, I’m sorry.
I want to be an honest man, not filled with pride and the need to lie to make myself look better to impress others.
I just want to be who You have created me to be.
I want to use my gifts for Your glory. I want to love Lizzie, for real this time.
Please forgive me and thank You for always loving me, even when I couldn’t love myself. Amen.
I open my eyes as the elevator stops on the first floor. I head toward the front doors. But before I leave the building, I pull out my phone in the hospital lobby and call Caroline Bingley.
I need to tell her that I was wrong for walking away from our engagement the way I did. But I also need to tell her that I can’t be with her because I’m in love with someone else. When she picks up the phone, I don’t lie, hide, or make excuses.
I tell her the truth and apologize to her before heading to my sister’s car and driving back to Selah Falls. To Lizzie.