Chapter 53
FIFTY-THREE
Elle
NO, MY OFFICE DIDN’T HAVE a corner window or a view of the city. But I had my own freaking office.
I couldn’t be happier.
“Ms. Madelyn, you look gorgeous, as always. Hot date tonight?” my boss, Dr. Isabella DeRossi, complimented me before sitting on the therapy couch across from my desk.
Since I’d started, she’d proven to be a real girl’s girl, showing me around the hospital and providing critical support when needed.
As the department’s lead psychiatrist, what she said went.
Her availability, presence, and positive attitude had motivated me more than she probably realized. I envied the way she led a team.
“Austin has some new clients meeting us for dinner tonight, so I’m trying to make a good first impression. He really deserves this opportunity. I’m excited for him.” Pride possessed my posture. I meant every word.
Dr. DeRossi’s short jet-black hair sat perfectly angled just below her chin. Her stunning cream suit reminded me that on a lengthy list of words one could use to describe her, fashionista sat close to the top.
“The department loves the work he’s done here. He seems like a great guy. I’m happy for you two. And talk about a gorgeous couple … I mean, wow.” Her hands came together, clasping in front of her chest.
She meant it.
“Thank you, Doctor. We both very much enjoy our time here.” A rosy hue, matching my freshly applied lipstick, flushed my cheeks. “I’ve actually been enjoying everything Illinois has to offer, if you know what I mean …”
I chuckled, feeling more comfortable with her than I probably should have. Her laughs met mine. Ruthie would smack me if she saw me chatting and laughing with another female.
“Only one more session, and you’ll be on your way,” she chirped, wide-eyed. Isabella stood before continuing, “Enjoy your weekend. I’ll let your next appointment know you’re ready for them.”
Before I could thank her, she left the room and gently closed the door. I brushed the breast of my button-up top, ensuring it was wrinkle-free.
A candle flickered on the corner of my desk, adding to the relaxing ambiance of my office.
“So you’ll never forget the smell of home,” Ruthie had told me when she gifted me the coconut-breeze-scented candle the day I left Pensacola. “Or the taste of it,” she’d added, stuffing a healthy piece of her famous strawberry Danish into my mouth.
God, I missed her.
Minutes later, a knock on the door signaled it was go time. One more hour, and I’d be in my man’s arms. I stood from my chair, ready to greet the next person who entered. The ritual I’d learned in grad school was how I began every appointment—to always rise to the occasion of helping someone heal.
“What the …” I froze, my next client not the one I’d anticipated. “Ruthie? Oh my God, Mom! Dad?!” Shocked, I dived around my desk and into the arms of my favorite people—the embraces as loving as they were unexpected.
Ruthie spun me around, stealing my attention and pinning my arms to my sides tighter than I’d have expected she could. My mother never let go of my hand, gripping it behind me.
“Surprise, bitch! Ellie Vanellie and Ruths are back at it again!” Ruthie yelped.
Tears rolled down my face, dampening my makeup. Who cared though?
I’d never been happier.
“We missed you so much, my baby,” my mother said lovingly as she made her way behind Ruthie to see me better.
“I missed you all too, Mama Goose,” I whimpered, squeezing her hand while still tangled in my best friend’s arms.
“Move it, Ruthie. I think dear old Daddio deserves the next hug. My little girl made it! I mean, look at this office.” My dad scanned the room in a way that tripled my pride. “You did it, honey. Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Like I was a pinball, my biggest fans passed me around, their happiness holding me upright while they took turns wiping the liquid love that continued to melt my eyeliner.
“I can’t believe this. You’re actually here. When did you all arrive? Where’s everyone staying?” I stepped back, taking them all in.
Three months was the longest I’d been away from my parents or Ruthie since we’d met—our endearing reunion proved it. I craned my neck around the room, hoping Austin would appear. He’d had something to do with the surprise—I was sure of it.
That was when I saw him.
Our eyes fused, calming my nerves instantly. That was, until he stepped fully into my view, wearing an outfit that would bring any woman to her knees—a classic, tailored black suit.
As if he were parting the cerulean sea, Austin approached me in slow motion and walked through the center of my family like he was already part of it.
I had a feeling that he would be someday soon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my dad hand Austin a small box, his attempt at nonchalance sorely missing the mark. I was glad because my father’s involvement in whatever was happening meant the world to me. It meant my family supported us.
Everything had happened so quickly for Austin and me—our beginning, our separation, and our reunion.
The moment he sank to one knee before me was no different.
“Oh my God …” I whispered.
He lifted his head and poured life into my soul, the one forever anchored to his.
My hand trembled when he grasped it and began, “I have no doubt I loved you in a past life.” Confidence carried his meaningful words. “I want to love you until we move on from this one so I can find you all over again in the next because getting to you was the adventure of a lifetime.”
We smiled in unison, entertaining the irony.
“I can’t think of anything more meant to be than us, and I’ll spend forever proving that to you.
” He beamed. “There was no better way for me to ask you this than surrounded by the people who built you. I’m obsessed with you and with us.
And I need to know …” Austin swung the small box my dad had handed to him to the front of his body, took back his hand, and split it in two, presenting a ring so uniquely beautiful that it had to be vintage.
The oval diamond, resting upon a yellow-gold setting, was entwined with intricate vines of small emerald stones. Its gleaming center, surrounded by little drops of green, stole my breath.
“This was my grandmother’s ring. She would have loved you so much. They both would have,” Austin released. A lone tear fell from my future’s right eye.
Of all the things we’d been through, seeing him cry wasn’t one of them. Apparently, one Austin tear equaled fifty of my own because mine multiplied the moment I noticed his.
“Elle Madelyn … my dream girl … my pen pal … my angel, my world, will you marry me?”
I paused, just long enough to allow the moment to sear into my memory.
“Of course I’ll marry you,” I answered without a second thought.
Austin slid the ring onto my finger, lifted my heels from the floor, and swung me around. He gripped my waist tightly, reminding me it wasn’t the first time his strength had taken me higher. My legs wrapped around his waist, and I inhaled my peace.
A string of sniffles, claps, and congratulations surrounded us. My family gathered around Austin and me as we kissed, lost in each other.
“How the hell did you pull this off?” I whispered into his ear.
“You’re in for a lifetime of surprises, I’m afraid. I hope you’re ready …”
I melted into his neck with a satisfied smile.
There were things about Austin and me that I would always wonder about—questions even he couldn’t answer, although I’d never asked. Because the answers didn’t matter; it only mattered that we’d ended up exactly where we were meant to be.
Together.
Would we still have found each other if my letters to Jesse had never reached him?
If Austin had never written back to me or waited for me to show up on graduation day?
Would I have accepted the position in Chicago and met him in passing at work or at a nearby coffee shop?
Would we have matched on a dating site or bumped into each other while he was in Pensacola for work or a weekend away?
No matter how we had been brought together or who’d had a hand in ensuring our paths crossed, one thing was for sure: as soon as I’d stopped fighting the tides, they’d pulled me to the place I was meant to be—anchored to the most incredible person I’d ever met.
The man I could spend endless lifetimes loving.
Who would love me with equal parts intention and dedication because we both knew the rewards outweighed the effort.
My future husband, Austin fucking Carterson.